Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations Â»
Countries
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan
Cities
  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places Â»
Food window and entrance of center.
Indian Arts Center
Lighthouse at Morrow Castle, Havana, Cuba
Castillo de los Tres Santos Reyes del Morro (Morro Castle)
TWA 529 Marker
TWA Flight 529 Memorial
Facade of the former Mármoles Molina shop
Facade of the Former Mármoles Molina Shop
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Food window and entrance of center.
Indian Arts Center
Steaming Tender Restaurant
Tiptree Jam Museum entrance.
Tiptree Jam Museum
The Reading Room blends the intimacy of an inviting bar with the inviting solace of a good bookstore.
The Reading Room
Building
The Mountain House
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Only-in-Anchorage Winter Traditions
Moose are frequently spotted around Flattop Mountain and the Glen Alps Trailhead.
Anchorage: A City Within the Wild
Where to See the World’s Creepiest Dolls and Toys
The Hunterian Museum in London.
Where to See the World’s Most Famous Preserved Body Parts

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Iowa Winterset John Wayne's Birthplace

John Wayne's Birthplace

This simple home was the beginning of a long journey for the iconic Western film star.

Winterset, Iowa

C crystal korth profile photo
Added By
Crystal Korth
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  raffikatt/Flickr
Doctor who delivered John Wayne   PushingUpDaisies / Atlas Obscura User
Clyde, Robert and Marion   PushingUpDaisies / Atlas Obscura User
Family after they moved to California   PushingUpDaisies / Atlas Obscura User
  brettm13 / Atlas Obscura User
Parlor   PushingUpDaisies / Atlas Obscura User
  PushingUpDaisies / Atlas Obscura User
  PushingUpDaisies / Atlas Obscura User
  PushingUpDaisies / Atlas Obscura User
  PushingUpDaisies / Atlas Obscura User
  PushingUpDaisies / Atlas Obscura User
  PushingUpDaisies / Atlas Obscura User
  PushingUpDaisies / Atlas Obscura User
taken April 2013   magruder / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Take a walk through the birthplace of Marion Robert Morrison. The four-room home has been restored to reflect its appearance in 1907.

Born to Clyde and Mary Brown Morrison on May 26, 1907, in Winterset, Iowa, Marion Robert Morrison went on to become John Wayne, star of movies such as "Angel and the Badman," "The Quiet Man," and "The Alamo." 

Folks may tour the house, which is full of pictures and movie memorabila including the eye patch worn in the original "True Grit." 

One weekend every year, during the Duke's birthday, the town holds a celebration with movie showings, food, music, and a 5k run/walk.

A museum and learning center are in the works right now, and will be located a short walk away.

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Know Before You Go

Admission is $15 for adults, and you must purchase tickets at the museum before going to the house. Allow about 45 minutes to watch the film and tour the museum and house.

Community Contributors

C crystal korth profile photo

Added By

crystal korth

PushingUpDaisies profile photo Allison profile photo M magruder profile photo Darrell Powers profile photo

Edited By

PushingUpDaisies, Allison, magruder, Darrell Powers...

  • PushingUpDaisies profile photo PushingUpDaisies
  • Allison profile photo Allison
  • M magruder profile photo magruder
  • Darrell Powers profile photo Darrell Powers
  • B brettm13 profile photo brettm13

Published

January 24, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos

Related Tags

Museums And Collections
John Wayne's Birthplace
216 S. 2nd Street
Winterset, Iowa, 50273
United States
41.332727, -94.012424
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Bridges of Madison County

Winterset, Iowa

miles away

Huston Cemetery

West Des Moines, Iowa

miles away

Bonnie and Clyde Dexter Shootout Marker

Dexter, Iowa

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Winterset

Winterset

Iowa

Places 2

Nearby Places

The Bridges of Madison County

Winterset, Iowa

miles away

Huston Cemetery

West Des Moines, Iowa

miles away

Bonnie and Clyde Dexter Shootout Marker

Dexter, Iowa

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Winterset

Winterset

Iowa

Places 2

Related Places

  • Larz Anderson Auto Museum

    Brookline, Massachusetts

    Larz Anderson Auto Museum

    Inside a grand Victorian-era carriage house is the oldest automobile collection in the United States.

  • Museo Casa del Mendrugo

    Puebla, Mexico

    Museo Casa del Mendrugo

    Home to an astounding collection of carved skulls and other artifacts from Puebla's history

  • Hastings prides itself on its status as the birthplace of Kool-Aid.

    Hastings, Nebraska

    The Hastings Museum Kool-Aid Exhibit

    The home for all things Kool-Aid offers everything except a chance to actually enjoy the drink.

  • A display of historical radio technology.

    Huntington, West Virginia

    Museum of Radio & Technology

    Step into a converted schoolhouse packed with radios, ham gear, and a century of broadcasting history.

    Sponsored By West Virginia Department of Tourism
  • Entrance to the museum

    Oslo, Norway

    Nordisk Bibelmuseum (Nordic Bible Museum)

    Over 4500 valuable bibles are safely tucked away in this museum in central Oslo.

  • The Mourning Museum

    Niles, Michigan

    The Mourning Museum at Borrowed Time Oddities

    A cabinet of funerary art and death culture hidden inside an oddities shop.

  • The Amasya Mummies

    Amasya, Turkey

    The Amasya Mummies

    A rare group of seven-century-old mummies preserved in astonishing detail.

  • Johannisburg Palace Cork Model Collection

    Aschaffenburg, Germany

    Johannisburg Palace Cork Model Collection

    The world’s largest collection of cork models of ancient Roman buildings, made by a court baker and his son.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.