Motor Mill Historic Site

06/01/2026

The Clayton County Museum Crawl starts today! Come visit the Inn at Motor to pick up your Museum Crawl Passport to begin the adventure. The Motor Mill Inn Welcome Center is open 10-5 daily. Passports are also available at any of the participating locations.

05/29/2026

The Inn welcome center is now open daily from 10-5.
Mill tours are available on weekends from 12-5.
If you would like to explore the Mill outside of these hours, stop by the Inn any time it is open.

05/27/2026

05/27/2026

Discover the beauty and kick off SUMMER 😎 with us in !

Plan your visit today!
👉 www.visitnortheastiowa.com

📸 Family Travel Nomads / Turkey River Recreational Corridor / Visit Fayette County
📍 Motor Mill Historic Site on the Turkey River

Visit Clayton County Iowa Clayton County Conservation

05/22/2026

The Turkey River Safari Begins! this weekend!

You can pick up your kits over the weekend at our nature centers!

⏰ Nature Center Hours ⏰
🌱 Clayton County Conservation's Osborne Welcome/Nature Center summer hours (April-October) are Monday-Saturday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM & Sunday 12:00-4:00 PM (Kits are also available at Motor Mill Historic Site 10:00 AM-5:00 PM each day)
🌱 Fayette County Conservation's Gilbertson Nature Center summer hours (Memorial Day-Labor Day) STARTING TOMORROW are Wednesday-Sunday 11:00 AM-4:00 PM (Also open May 25th 11 AM-4 PM!)

Kits are also available during regular hours at the Visit Fayette County office inside the West Union Together office in West Union and at the Clayton County Development Group office in Elkader! Call ahead for these locations to make sure they are open! 😉

Please consider registering to help us keep track of how many people are enjoying the program throughout the summer here: https://turkeyrivercorridor.com/turkey-river-safari/

05/22/2026

Motor Mill Historic Site will open for tours starting Saturday, May 23 from 12-5 pm. Get ready to step back in time!
Come see new displays and visit our Welcome Center in the Gift shop at the Motor Mill Inn.
A special "Thank You!" to Sara Asche of Archive and in Elkader for helping us set up this gift shop this season. We SO appreciate her creative contributions to our space!

05/19/2026

Every dollar you contributed is now being put to work in our community. Whether it's supporting families, providing education, or ensuring access to essential services, your generosity is making an immediate and meaningful difference. We are incredibly grateful for your support and commitment to loc...

05/11/2026

THANK YOU to Royal Products Outdoor Power in Elkader for coordinating bottle and can redemption donations to support Motor Mill!

Just as we were figuring out how to repair this spring’s wind damage to the roof, we received a generous check in the mail that will go directly toward the project.

We are very grateful to Royal Products — and to everyone who donated cans and bottles — for their continued support of Motor Mill and our community.

Our volunteers and visitors thank you for supporting local history and preservation!

05/05/2026

Motor Mill tour guide volunteers kicked off the season with an orientation led by historian David Beck. Thank you, David, for a great start!

The group also got a first look at the new bolter (flour sifter) model, designed and built by Joe Miller—an exciting addition to the site.

Interested in volunteering as a Motor Mill tour guide/docent? No experience needed—just an interest in the historic site and a friendly attitude.

05/01/2026

Central 7th grade students came out to celebrate Earth Day by volunteering with the Motor Mill Foundation get the historic site ready for the season while learning a little about its significance to Northeast Iowa.