Things to Do in Davenport, IA - Davenport Attractions
Things to Do in Davenport
Explore popular experiences
See what other travelers like to do, based on ratings and number of bookings.
Other Top Attractions around Davenport
What travelers are saying
- Angela B11 contributionsVisiting the Spoon Gallery Museum was an absolutely wonderful experience! From the moment I stepped into the main room, I was captivated by the diverse collection of spoons from around the world. The exhibits showcased spoons from America, China, Japan, Africa, England, and more, offering a fascinating glimpse into different cultures and histories. My favorite exhibits were the tiny, exquisite salt spoons, the painted Japanese spoons, and the spoons inspired by kid’s cartoons and comics. There is also a chandelier made of spoons! Some other notable ones were spoons gifted to Princess Diana and Prince Charles at their wedding, unique pieces from the Chicago World Fair, spoons of Chief Blackhawk, and a beautiful Chinese dragon spoon!
The museum's atmosphere is artfully curated and so eye-catching. It’s evident that the owners put immense thought and care into creating visually appealing displays. The main displays on the second floor were particularly beautiful, and I didnt know where to look first!
Camellia, the person who gave me the tour, was an absolute delight. Her passion for the collection was infectious, and she shared captivating stories behind each spoon in an engaging manner. The tour was both entertaining and educational, and I’m excited to return as soon as I can!
Accessibility is also a plus, with a carpeted ramp leading to the second floor, making it wheelchair accessible. As for location, while it's conveniently downtown with parking available at the back, it might be slightly easy to miss due to its position on the edge of town.
Considering the quality of the exhibits, the tour, and the reasonable admission price of $7 (with a student rate of $5), the Spoon Gallery Museum offers excellent value for a memorable experience. You can come with family, friends, or alone! I highly recommend a visit to anyone interested in history, spoons, or simply curious about what a spoon gallery has to offer!Written April 21, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Michelle H1 contributionMost beautiful botanical center around! We ended up spending most of the day there and loved the pond.Written November 3, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Susanvan5872 contributionsCa upoys hot afternoon in Davenport, we tucked into the free Figge museum and we’re blown away by the incredible collections. The Haitian art was world class as well as many other fine rooms chock full of surprises!Written July 17, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- DMAHayesWisconsin20 contributionsMy teenager loves museums so for our Midwest Road-trip 2024 we had to find a few places to visit for their enjoyment. Putnam did not let us down!
First, it’s affiliated with Smithsonian. If you are a museum buff, you know this means there’s an extra layer of awesomeness you can expect through that relationship (in our opinion). I want to say we paid under $40 for 2 adults and a teen but we did not opt in to the movie as the only one playing that afternoon was not something we were interested in.
My child wanted to start on the lower level and work our way up to the top, but we could not figure out from the map how to get downstairs without going through the exhibits. The map is… challenging to understand but if you don’t mind going through it at their defined flow, then it’s fine.
The exhibits are nice and clean. There’s hands-on stuff and info plaques with good-sized print. I only had to put my readers on to see some of the gemstones’ labels (attributing ownership to jewelry kind of thing). You can tell from the exhibits that Davenport has community members very invested in STEAM who donate items, stories, and funds to keep this museum going strong.
We got there about 1:30 and stayed until 5pm. I think our favorite part was actually the physics demonstrations on the balcony of the upper level, just past the meteorology and science of sound area. There is an exhibit that is being reset up there (aka closed for a new exhibit to be brought in) but we went past that to the balcony and had so much fun looking at the periodical chart display, playing tug of war, pulley-pulling ourselves up (or not) with a rope - even 200# mom was able to pull herself up with the right pulley! ;)
Our final stop was the gift shop. Our family buys a magnet for every place we visit and Putnam was unfortunately lacking that option but my teen did purchase some gemstones for their collection, a book about the history of comics (their books are unbelievably well priced. Seriously. Most were under $7!). All in all, we get it was a great use of an afternoon. Even though we’ve seen Egyptian and natural earth displays before - these were different and entertaining in a completely different way than other museums. They have 2 REAL mummies on display and one is so close to the glass for you to observe - it’s amazing. (And it’s my kid who loves museums, not me).
Great way to spend the afternoon learning about the world around us.
*It seems to be popular with families of toddlers, considering we were there on a Tuesday afternoon. Some moms were letting their children run WILD through the exhibits and at one point we stepped out of an exhibit to sit in the snack shop until those families were done. I know toddlers have energy, but the screaming and yelling was extremely distracting when it would happen in your face as you bent over to read plaques. We encountered no fewer than 3 families like this so I feel like it’s worth mentioning. One child would be just one child but three separate families? Rough.
I didn’t take many photos, but I work in Repro health hence the rather random theme of photos here lol.Written March 27, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Roget M2 contributionsMany items to choose from and friendly folks. Enjoyable day with family. Riverfront is worth the trip.Written September 25, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- John SHolland, MI80 contributionsGreat depiction of the history of German immigrants and their contributions!
Staff was especially friendly and helpful, recommending other places to visit in the quad/cities!Written November 11, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - joaniemariaEldridge, IA4,608 contributionsWe walked around after eating lunch at Lagomarcinos. It is a great place for a stroll. Lots of fun shops and eateries. It was a nice day, so great to be outside.Written October 3, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- joaniemariaEldridge, IA4,608 contributionsWe visited on a Monday mid-afternoon. A worker was cleaning the windows. It was very clean. A good place to view the river. There were several young men loitering in the bridge. Be aware of your surroundings and I suggest going in a group. It lights up at night.Written October 3, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- jparker2629Bethany, MO115 contributionsVery nice hotel room. Very clean. Spacious, large bathroom with walk in shower. Had desk area with chair and arm chair in room, but no small table to use with arm chair. Casino was clean with good assortment of slot machines. slots were a little tight. Limited dining choices Tuesday night. Buffet was closed. The small cafe had decent food.Written March 19, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- ceetee00Omaha, NE145 contributionsWhat a view. You have a giant Ferris Wheel out in left field along with a mini amusement park for the kids. The right field view is the Chamberlain Bridge over the Mississippi River and lit up at night makes it even more desirable. The parking is right next to the stadium. The admission is cheap ($8-18). The concessions leave a lot to be desired as its only ballpark food. Its a good experience, good baseball and a great viewWritten August 22, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Deb POmaha, NE4 contributionsBeautiful park. We stopped for overnight on our cross-country trip. Extremely impressed with the cleanliness of the park and facilities. We were greeted by friendly campers, the ranger and camp host were welcoming. Large nice playgrounds in each campground. Nice pull through at Summit sites. Would definitely recommend!!Written May 16, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Tim_Kris_LMechanicsburg, PA75 contributionsIn town for business and stopped in for a flight of mead. First time trying mead so was fun to discuss how it is made and try several different options.
Came back later with my spouse to try the delicious selection of Belgians while listening to live music.
Very much worth a visit.Written April 1, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
