# Visiting John Wayne's Birthplace & Museum: American Icon That Shaped Modern Masculinity *By James Hills — Updated February 2025* When it comes to icons of manliness, one person comes to mind more than any other - The Duke! John Wayne or Marion Robert Morrison was born on May 26, 1907 in rural Iowa and would go on to become one of the greatest movie stars in America as well as a cultural icon across virtually every other medium too. Anyone who has ever watched a John Wayne movie deserves to visit the museum here and explore some of its artifacts as well as learn more about this legendary actor.  While the formal museum housing numerous movie memorabilia items and other John Wayne artifacts opened in 2015, the John Wayne Birthplace Museum is celebrating it's 50th Birthday in 2025 and that's pretty remarkable for a museum like this.  The 2025 John Wayne Birthplace and Museum Birthday Celebration will feature special guest Barry Corbin performing his one-man show at the Iowa Theater on May 23rd, followed by Riders In The Sky at the Birthday Celebration Dinner & Auction and a screening of "Chisum" on May 24th. A Breakfast Fly-In showcasing vintage aircraft will be held at the airport in celebration of Wayne's numerous flying movies such as "Wings of Eagles" and "Flying Leathernecks," with all events expected to sell out quickly. But then again ... John Wayne was a pretty remarkable guy and among the most impactful pop culture icons when it comes to shaping what it means to be an American man! ### Awesome Ideas For Single Guys To Explore In The Philippines From beautiful beaches to fishing, snorkeling, and even nightlife. There's a ton of great travel ideas for single men to explore in the Philippines. ManTripping [Read More](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/go/IDrN-cq-XIvhSqtMZcnccw.371) ### Explore America's Great Inland Sea On Great Lakes Cruises There's more to cruising than the west coast cruises we love so much. CruiseWestCoast [Read More](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/go/IDrN-cq-XIvhSqtMZcnccw.444) ### North Thailand Motorcycle Tour to Conquer the Mountains of Mist A 12-day guided motorcycle tour through Northern Thailand's misty mountains and hill tribe villages, ideal for riders seeking adventure and comfort. 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The opportunity to step inside the home where he was born and see what life was like makes it that much more remarkable as to where he ended up later in life. ## Man Gear Pick of the Month September's Pick Amazon (affiliate) ### LiberNovo Maxis Electric Big and Tall Ergonomic Office Chair, Graphite 52cm Why we picked it: a grill you can actually carry to the campsite, the tailgate or the cabin without borrowing a truck. 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While the objects you see here are period accurate, they are not actual artifacts from Clyde and Mary Brown Morrison (John Wayne's parents).  However, it is very cool to see the environment that such a man was born into. His father, Clyde, was a pharmacist who worked in the nearby Winterset historic town square, so unlike other birthplace sites that you might have visited, this one is actually fairly middle class. However it's still a small house with simple décor. Right next to the John Wayne home is the museum, which opened in 2015. The John Wayne Museum celebrates the legendary life and movie career of The Duke. This is where we can learn more about the movies that he is famous for, including The Comancheros, True Grit, Stagecoach, Rio Bravo, and Sands of Iwo Jima. It's astonishing to consider that in his 50-year career he was able to star in 169 feature films and countless appearances on TV and voice-overs. His impact is still felt today. In addition to movie memorabilia, guests can also watch classic John Wayne films in a fantastic screening room complete with actual seats from the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre. The John Wayne Museum is also the home of The Duke's 1975 Pontiac Grand Safari. While you might think that a star of Wayne's stature would be seen driving around Hollywood in a sports car, this was actually his last personal driving car. Granted, this isn't your every-day station wagon, it was a custom job by Barris Kustoms the features a raised roof and came well equipped with air conditioning, tilt steering wheel, cruise control and a 455-cu.in V-8 engine with a "Three-Speed Hydra-Matic Transmission". At 5,090 pounds, this wasn't going to be the fastest vehicle on the block, but we bet it was comfortable and discrete. What's even greater than the [John Wayne Birthplace and Museum](https://johnwaynebirthplace.museum/) is that the town itself has embraced The Duke. You'll find classic comic books decorating the walls of donut shops like [The Bakery Unlimited](https://www.exploremadisoncounty.com/dine_drink/the_bakery_unlimited/) and meals named in his honor such as the pork tenderloin covered in brown gravy and mushrooms at Northside Cafe (now closed since we visited originally).  I found it interesting, though, that John Wayne isn't the only iconic male movie star who made an impact here. The town of Winterset, Iowa, is also the center of Madison County. While it's a far stretch from True Grit and Rio Bravo, the Bridges of Madison County stars Clint Eastwood alongside Meryl Streep, so there are also tons of movie spots to explore for that movie here as well.  While John Wayne passed away in 1979 at the age of 72, his legacy lives on in this museum. While Winterset, Iowa is a bit off the beaten path for most guys ... we're big fans of [visiting Iowa](index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=713:10-awesome-iowa-mancation-ideas&catid=9:mancation-blog&Itemid=118) and this is just one of the many reasons to come here! Top Picks Flow Voyages ### Book your next cruise with Heather at Flow Voyages Flow Voyages is a travel advisor specializing in cruises and resorts. [Contact Flow Voyages](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/go/Qs-RW3AiVgB18JnsP24I1A.617) Promoted by FlowAds Details Written by: James Hills Last Updated: 27 February 2025 ### 🚢Ready To Book A Vacation? Let us help you plan a cruise, all-inclusive resort, or tour for your next guys trip, family vacation, or romantic getaway. Click here to [**Book Your Next Vacation**](https://www.mantripping.com/vacation-planning.html). #### Is Your Money Better Spent on Lobsters and Beer Than a Week Glued to Cruise Ship WiFi? 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