Things to Do in Ottumwa

Nestled in a remodeled bank that was built in 1905 by baseball player Jake Kimm, the Iowa Baseball Museum of Norway today chronicles the history of the American ballgame in Norway and the talented players who learned to catch, pitch, and give inspirational pep talks to baseballs in the town before going on to join the major or minor leagues. The old Norway High School’s odds-defying 1991 baseball team was featured in the film The Final Season, and the museum delves into the high school’s rich relationship to the sport over the years. Volunteers created or organized all of the displays, murals, trophies, and photos, turning each exhibit into a labor of love.

Voted Best Theater of 2010 and 2011 in KCRG-TV9's CityVoter poll, the community collective of Theatre Cedar Rapids gathers accolades as it grows. The seeds of the company were planted in 1925, when a tiny troupe of thespians played its heart out to audiences of only 30. The theater now reaches more than 50,000 eastern Iowans with its education programs and full seasons of musicals, comedies, and dramas. Although its Iowa Theater Building home has been recently refurbished with new sound and light systems, the theater maintains the charm of its 1920s vaudeville and movie-house origin with a functioning Rhinestone Barton theater organ, 550-seat capacity, and absence of holographic ushers.

Matt White cinches his uniform with a fourth-degree black belt in tae kwon do, heads down to one of Triumph Martial Arts' three locations, and dishes up a fist-full of knowledge earned over 25 years of mat-slapping training. Recognized by the American Tae Kwon Do Association as the Regional Instructor of the Year in 2008 and 2011, Mr. White takes pride in combative victory and from passing those skills on.

In keeping with the Association's instructional format, Mr. White and his battery of four instructors teach the martial art and philosophy of tae kwon do to kids and adults. Tiny Tigers sessions reach out to students as young as 4 years old, teaching them important values such as helping around the house, excelling at schoolwork, and how to survive a wildebeest stampede. Students as old as 55 have started with no experience, going on to successfully earn their black belts.

When customers reach the third floor of the Cherry Building and walk into Send U My Love, it's not unusual for them to notice the aroma of rich, freshly brewed coffee. Owner Teresa Eadie puts on a pot on most mornings to share. Teresa's life is shaped by her desire to share. In the beginning, she started Send U My Love as a way to share her own love of handmade goodies, and her shop has grown to encompass a dazzling assortment of journals, charming albums, greeting cards, and all the supplies her customers would ever need to make them. Rows of rubber stamps and scrapbooking paper inspire crafters to embark on new projects, and the schedule of classes offered at the shop helps them realize their visions. Teresa also puts together thoughtful kids’ birthday-party packages to take the stress, worry, and piñata-herding out of planning. :m]]

An indoor baseball, softball, and soccer training facility, The Batter's Box provides athletes of all ages a year-round spot to improve their skills. Balls and bats clack at nine different baseball and softball areas—including six automated batting cages and a bullpen tunnel—where pitchers practice throwing from the stretch and learn what it takes to not be a belly itcher. Under the same roof, a 5,000-square-foot oasis of AstroTurf sprawls before soccer players, and professional instructors dish out coaching tips to individuals or groups during lessons.

The same venue that hosts weddings and upscale dinners also welcomes established comedians and rock bands, making First Avenue Club a go-to destination for all manner of events. Inside, a full-service bar overflows with 12 draft beers, 40 bottled beers, and a wealth of mixed drinks. Further behind the scenes, the kitchen fires up hearty entrees such as roast pork loin and baked cod.