Historic Buildings of Iowa: Davenport Day Tour

Hop on the motorcoach in Davenport and get ready for a fun day bringing what you see on our air to life! Join Friends of Iowa PBS on June 12 for a day tour in the city and visit five of the sites featured in the latest installment in the Historic Buildings of Iowa series.

First up is a visit to the Adler Theatre. The Adler was born out of the 1926 RKO Orpheum theater, and still reflects its style with its gold leaf ceiling, crystal light fixtures and black ebony, walnut and marble detail. Much of that original movie theatre style remains and continues to recall its rich history.

Then it's on to visit the newly relocated and updated Bix Beiderbecke Museum and Archives. The music of legendary cornetist, pianist and composer Bix Beiderbecke still draws awestruck admiration from fans around the world. The museum is a must-stop for jazz and history lovers. Visitors will learn of his brief but eventful life at the dawn of the 20th century, view rare films and listen to his incomparable music.

The next stop on our tour is Modern Woodmen Park, home to the minor league baseball team, the Quad Cities River Bandits. We'll have lunch and then tour the stadium which is now the fourth-oldest ballpark in the minor leagues.

Next it's a brief visit to Hose Station No. 4. Built in 1931, the station was designed in the Italianate style and served as a fire station until 1964. This historic building now houses the International Fire Museum, which showcases firefighting artifacts and memorabilia from around the world.

Our last stop is the Figge Art Museum. Four stories of sleek glass panels may defy the traditional image of an historic building, but it's what the Figge Art Museum holds, preserves and champions for future generations that makes it a landmark of cultural history in Davenport.