State certifies Grant Wood Cultural District in downtown Cedar Rapids

The State Historical Society has certified the Grant Wood Cultural District in downtown Cedar Rapids, downtown development officials announced Friday, June 11.

The district includes a chain of sites beginning with the Masonic Library on First Avenue SE and 5 Turner Alley, Grant Wood's former studio on 2nd Ave. SE. It goes past the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, the Paramount Theatre, Orchestra Iowa, May's Island, the future site of the Cedar Rapids Public Library, and over to the site of a proposed outdoor amphiteater on the west side of Cedar River.

The district is a “walkable, mixed-use area of the City of Cedar Rapids and Linn County, in which a high concentration of cultural and historical facilities are located,” according to an announcement by the Cedar Rapids Downtown District Friday.

The downtown district plans will formally announce and dedicate a sign for the cultural district at 1:15 p.m. Monday, July 12 at 810 2nd Ave. SE, the location of Five Turner Alley.

The group said the cultural district will compliment the existing New Bohemia/Czech Village Cultural District. It  is expected to help create a comprehensive inventory of properties with historical and cultural significance, promote downtown as a destination,  and identify incentives to attract and support businesses.

Additional details on the project are available on the web site of the

Cedar Rapids Downtown District.