Jordan House is a restored 19th-century home and museum at 2001 Fuller Road in West Des Moines, and it is one of central Iowa’s most significant Underground Railroad sites. Abolitionist James C. Jordan, the area’s first permanent settler, sheltered freedom seekers here, and John Brown stopped at the property in 1859 while leading a group of freed people north from Missouri. Visitors come for that history and for the house’s Victorian architecture.
The West Des Moines Historical Society operates the museum. Guided tours move through period-furnished rooms in the house, which Jordan expanded around 1870 into its Italianate and Victorian Gothic form. Guides point out the original woodwork and furnishings and explain how the household lived. A dedicated Underground Railroad exhibit uses artifacts and documents to trace the routes that crossed Iowa. Reviewers often praise the guides for their deep knowledge and for welcoming questions, which makes the tour work well for school-age children (source: [Wheree](https://jordan-house.wheree.com/)).
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Public tour hours are seasonal and usually run from late spring through early fall, so confirm the current schedule with the West Des Moines Historical Society before you visit, especially in October. Weekday afternoons tend to be quieter than weekends. Groups and school classes should book ahead. The site has on-site parking, and the Raccoon River trails and the shops and restaurants of Historic Valley Junction are a short drive away (source: [Evendo](https://evendo.com/locations/iowa/central-iowa/attraction/jordan-house)).
