Entry No. 49 — the Des Moines file — filed under: hobo-culture
National Hobo Museum
A one-of-a-kind single-subject museum devoted to hobo culture and the open road, housed in a former 1920s movie theater and stuffed with artifacts, paintings, and the secret chalk-and-charcoal sign language hobos used to mark safe houses.
The move: Learn to read the hobo sign codes from the exhibits, then walk Britt's Main Street together spotting where you'd 'mark' a friendly house.
📍 Before you go Britt is about a two-hour drive north of Des Moines, and the museum — in the old Chief Theater on Main Street — runs on a seasonal rhythm: roughly Memorial Day through the National Hobo Convention in late August, by appointment the rest of the year, so email ahead to make sure someone can open up. Parking is easy small-town street parking right on Main. Make it a full hobo pilgrimage: the Queen's Garden sits across from the museum, the Hobo Jungle and its boxcar are a block off Main Street, and the National Hobo Cemetery occupies the northeast corner of Evergreen Cemetery.
- 📍 Britt
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 51 Main Street, Britt, IA 50423
Hours: Added 2026-06-09 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
last checked: 2026-06-09