Our family had a fabulous weekend in the Quad Cities!
Have you been there? It was our first visit, and was the perfect getaway from the Twin Cities. It’s a half day’s drive away, with many unique things to see in 4 cities between Iowa and Illinois along the Mississippi River.
We went during MEA weekend, which is typically the third Thursday and Friday of October, when kids in Minnesota have no school. Kids in the Quad Cities did have school so we had many places to ourselves! However, I could tell that anytime is a good time to visit.
We did SO much in the area, yet there was so much more we wanted to do.
PLUS – it’s a frugal family’s dream. There are many free things to do, and they have unique free passes you can sign up for to get discounts on everything from museums to coffee.
What are the Quad Cities?
It’s pretty easy to figure out that the Quad Cities are probably 4 cities. But which ones, and where?
The Quad Cities are actually a region of not four but five neighboring cities on the Mississippi River between Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. The cities are Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline in Illinois.
Here’s a map:
SAVE ON FUN IN THE QUAD CITIES
What sets apart the Quad Cities is that not only is there a lot to do for free, but they have several free passes you can sign up for that give you discounts and rewards when you use them!
QC Family Pass
The QC Family Pass helps families find fun at a discount! You just sign up online for the free pass – which works like a passport – and show it at each location to get a discount! And the discounts are really good!
The Quad Cities’ website states that each location included represents some of the best attractions in the Quad Cities. You can use the pass as a guide to your adventure while saving along the way. Each discount is good for one-time use. Just show the discount at the location and save!
I HIGHLY recommend signing up for this pass as chances are, you’ll be visiting several places on the pass. We definitely did! It includes:
- Celebration River Cruises – Buy One/get One 1 ½ Hour Narrated Sightseeing Cruise.
- Elevate Trampoline Park (2 locations) – 50% OFF Jump Time
- Family Museum – BOGO admission
- German American Heritage Center & Museum – BOGO Admission
- Putnam Museum And Science Center – several discounts
- Quad City Botanical Center – $1 Off Admission
- TBK Bank Sports Complex and Entertainment Center – Buy One, Get One 30-Minute Arcade Card
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AND MANY MORE!
QC Coffee Trail Pass
If you love coffee like I do, sign up for the free QC Coffee Trail Pass! It gets you discounts for many coffee shops, as well as rewards for visiting.
I love this. It supports local coffee shops while helping people save money and earn prizes doing so.
There are dozens of coffee shops with deals like:
- Caffeine and Carbs – 50% Off A Scone With A Coffee Purchase
- Coffee House – 15% Off Your Purchase
- Iron & Grain Coffee House – 20% Off
- Milltown Coffee (Moline) – 10% Off
- T&L’s Java Joint Drive-Thru – $5 Baked Latte
- And many more!
18 Unique Things for Families to Do in the Quad Cities
There are many unique things for families to do in the Quad Cities, starting with these attractions we recommend!
Note: These are all teen-approved things to do. My kids are teenagers so we had to choose things that were appropriate for their ages and they liked it all! But I do mention some other things for families with younger kids below.
Putnam Museum and Science Center
There are many interactive exhibits here, from astronomy to weather and one with a mummy! And you can share your story in their interesting CommonGround exhibit.
You can learn about local geology in the Black Earth/Big River exhibit, plus see a movie on the biggest movie screen in the entire state at 57 by 70 feet.
They have MANY great discounts for admission too! Check these out:
- Get the FREE QC Family Pass and get several discounts including Buy One, Get One FREE Admission
- If you have an EBT card, your household gets admission for only $1 through Museums for All
- Free admission for mothers on Mother’s Day, fathers on Father’s Day, and grandparents for Grandparents Day, with paid child admission.
- Free admission for active duty military and veterans on Independence Day and for veterans on Veterans Day.
- College students gets discounted admission with their student ID
Rock Island Arsenal
We had never heard of Rock Island Arsenal before visiting the Quad Cities, and am surprised we hadn’t. This is a military base on an island! It is the largest government-owned weapons manufacturing arsenal with over 6000 military, civilian and contractor employees. It’s located on the Mississippi River between Iowa and Illinois.
Here we got a free private Lock & Dam Tour on the Mississippi River! Anyone can do this – just visit the Mississippi River Visitors Center on Rock Island Arsenal in the Quad Cities and ask!
You have to get a visitor pass to visit Rock Island Arsenal which is easy to get when you arrive. Just have your driver’s license and fill out the visitor form. Then the personnel will run a background check and give you a visitor pass that’s good for a year. We went in the middle of the day and there was a line, so expect a possible wait. But the process is simple and only adults need to get visitors passes. (The Moline Gate Visitor Welcome Center is open daily 7:00am – 3:00pm.)
The private tour was so interesting and led by a Park Ranger who brought us as close to the dam as possible. They suggest you call 2 days ahead to request the tour to make sure they have the staff available. Park rangers at the Corps’ Mississippi River Visitor Center can be contact at 309-794-5338 to inquire about their tours or activities. They are super nice, and it was fascinating! And free!
Nearby, you can explore their newly updated Rock Island Arsenal Museum, which shows the history of the Arsenal and the types of weapons and other products made here. And you can tour the Davenport House.
QC Channel Cat River Taxi rides on the Mississippi
The Channel Cat Water Taxi is a fun, cheap way to explore the Mighty Mississippi! It’s only $8 to ride all day. There are 4 stops between Iowa and Illinois and it takes one hour to do the full circle. The scenery is beautiful and it’s a relaxing ride.
It’s only $8 to ride all day long!
It’s only open Memorial Day to Labor Day, plus weekends until October, weather permitting. We rode in October on a Friday when the fall colors were vibrant and there were no crowds.
Check it out! https://www.metroqc.com/231/Channel-Cat
John Deere Pavilion
Near one of the Channel Cat Water Taxi stops is downtown Moline, Illinois where you’ll find the John Deere Pavilion.
The John Deere Pavilion is free to visit with great photo opportunities. You can climb into giant John Deere tractors and other machines used for various purposes.
There are actually a variety of John Deere attractions throughout the state and they are all free to visit.
(See my recap of our visit to Waterloo, Iowa and the John Deere Museum there!)
German American Heritage Center & Museum
We learned so much about our own German heritage at the German American Heritage Center & Museum.
It was originally built in the 1860s in the heart of downtown Davenport. Davenport was a big hub for those moving west, and this building was used as a hotel for German immigrants arriving here. It really was a community building for German immigrants. On the first floor was a bar and barbershop, the second and third floors were hotel rooms, and the fourth floor was an event space.
It was a hotel until 1990, then it was renovated and turned into this museum. and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Now, the first floor is used for exhibits and a gift shop, the second floor is used for collections and offices, the third floor is the main exhibit space, and the fourth floor is still used as an event space. And it has great views of the city.
We actually had a view of the TBK Bank Sports Complex from our hotel room! It was right next to our hotel, and right off of I-80.
This is a huge entertainment center with everything including the QC’s largest arcade, plus a bowling alley, escape rooms, food, and an indoor and outdoor sports complex. If you stay at the Cambria you can get a discount on the arcade, plus sign up for free bowling for kids here through KidsBowlFree.com!
Other Attractions for Families:
Be sure to check out the Visit Quad Cities website for all the info!
Unique Dining Experiences in the Quad Cities
Try the local pizza!
The Quad Cities actually have their own style of pizza, not surprisingly called QC Style Pizza. It’s found at popular places like Clint’s in Moline, Illinois and Frank’s Pizzeria in Silvis, Illinois.
We tried a local favorite, Rock Island recipe deep dish pizza at The Original Huckleberry’s Great Pizza & Calzones! It’s located in Rock Island, Illinois and it’s a family-friendly restaurant with traditional hand-spun dough pizza and an “Old Rock Island Style” Deep Dish that we had. The Old Rock Island Style is a Thick & Lite deep dish made with a cornmeal crust.
We had this:
- Old Rock Island Style Spaghetti Pizza
- Half Taco and Half Greek on a regular crust
- Salad and breadsticks
It was good – and a lot for our family – so we had leftovers in our hotel room the next day!
Have a Plentiful Breakfast at Flip’s Pancake House – Bettendorf
Flip’s Pancake House is a cozy, quaint restaurant with 2 locations in the Quad Cities. We ate at the Bettendorf location close to I-80, as it was right by our hotel. We enjoyed the bright and cheery atmosphere. They have pancakes and breakfast of course, plus they have expresso drinks and mimosas! I almost had a mimosa but decided on a tasty caramel macchiato.
Watch my Reel featuring our breakfast:
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Have Breakfast & Coffee at Milltown Coffee – with a view of the Mississippi!
I found my favorite coffee shop! It’s called Milltown Coffee and they are located in Moline, Illinois. They have a beautiful view of the Mississippi River. They also have various breakfast options – enough to please my whole, picky family! My kids had a breakfast sandwich and a cinnamon roll, my hubby had a Cajun Sausage Wrap, and I had yummy oatmeal with strawberries. And of course, I had a fancy coffee drink – a Bananas Foster Latte! So good…
Enjoy tasty sandwiches and more at Cafe Express Deli
For lunch on our last day in the Quad Cities, we enjoyed sandwiches at Cafe Express Deli, made with the best homemade bread ever! We even took home a loaf of their homemade bread.
Cafe Express Deli is a hidden gem in the Quad Cities. It’s a simple cafe located in Davenport, but the food is amazing. Plus they do a great job on social media and in their email newsletter. I signed up and they have a lot of great deals if you subscribe!
BONUS for the parents – have a Date night out
There is plenty of nightlife in the Quad Cities, for any occasion. And there are rooftop bars with beautiful views of the Mississippi, including the River Room at the Hyatt House Quad Cities in East Moline, and the Up Skybar in Davenport.
My husband and I enjoyed a date night outing in Davenport. We went to visit the Up Skybar in Davenport, which is at the Current hotel, but the Skybar was closed for a private event, so we just enjoyed the bar on the first floor.
Check out this interactive Virtual Tour of the Skybar and other nearby locations!
More to mention:
One thing I love about visiting other areas of the country is exploring the stores they have that we don’t have at home. In the Quad Cities, my kids wanted to go to two stores – Books a Million, and Ross: Dress for Less. I have to admit that I enjoyed these stores and bought things there myself! I do wish we had these in the Twin Cities.
Where we stayed: Cambria Hotel Bettendorf – Quad Cities
We enjoyed a a luxurious stay in a nice, affordable hotel – the Cambria Hotel Bettendorf – Quad Cities.
It’s located right off of I-80 in Bettendorf, Iowa, just north of the Quad Cities. It’s a fairly new hotel with many upscale amenities but for a budget-friendly price.
Our room was huge – definitely larger and more spacious than other hotels we’ve been to.
And the amenities were WOW. The whole hotel is elegant and upscale, with a beautiful lobby, a bar, and a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Unfortunately there isn’t a free breakfast but they do offer breakfast onsite.)
They have a pool that’s WARM (a big requirement for me because I’m always cold!), a large fitness center that has everything – ellipticals, treadmills, weights, TVs, towels, and other fitness equipment. And it overlooks the beautiful patio that has pretty lights at night.
Don’t mind my tired face in this picture – I did workouts every morning in the fitness center before my family woke up! The workouts helped me wake up…
Some tips for traveling here:
- Plan at least 3 full days from the Twin Cities, or any other major metro area. It took us about 6 hours to get there, and 6 hours back. That gives you 2 full days, 2 nights in the Quad Cities which is the minimum I recommend.
- If you drive through Iowa to get here, like through Cedar Rapids, be aware that they have speed cameras on the highway. In Cedar Rapids, the highways are curvy through the city, and the speed drops from 70 to 55. If you drive at least 10 miles over the limit, you’ll get a citation in the mail. Be aware! We used an app called “Maps” that warned us of speed traps and cameras along the way.
- In Iowa, stop in Waterloo along the way to see the John Deere Tractor Museum and Lost Island Waterpark and Theme Park!
- Also, the New Day Dairy Guestbarn that we love is in Clarksville, Iowa, which is along the way as well. If you have an extra night or two, consider staying here! Read about our visit and use my discount!
Plan your own visit to the Quad Cities!
Learn about the area at https://visitquadcities.com/.
(Disclosure: Our accommodations and some expenses were covered by Visit Quad Cities. All opinions are 100% mine.)