Riverside, Iowa: The Birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk
Should you find yourself journeying up to eastern Iowa on your way to Iowa City or Cedar Rapids (or maybe to see some llamas), you’re liable to pass by Riverside, Iowa, a small town of scarcely a thousand people. You might be forgiven for not giving Riverside much of a thought, but if you have any interest in Star Trek, it’s a place worth stopping into. According to Trek lore, James T. Kirk, captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, will be born in Riverside, Iowa, on March 22, 2233.
Getting There
Riverside, Iowa is located just off of U.S. Highway 218 in (Google Maps link). The town is about a 20 minute drive (14 miles) south of Iowa City. It’s roughly 3 1/2 hours (250 miles) from St. Louis — less if you’re in St. Charles. To get to Riverside from St. Louis, you hop on U.S. 61 northbound near Wentzville and keep going until you reach Riverside. U.S. 61 will change to 27 and then U.S. 218 along the way, but it’s all mostly flat four lane highway until you reach the exit for 22 and drive a few miles west.
Parking
It’s a small town, so there’s parking throughout. The flagship Trek experience in town, The Voyage Home Museum, has enough parking for most days.
Costs and Considerations
There is no cost to do any of the Trek-related activities in Riverside, including The Voyage Home Museum. The museum is open Monday through Saturday, from noon to 4 p.m., and is closed on Sunday as well as all national holidays.
Every summer the town hosts Trekfest, a Trek-themed festival, which is also mostly free but does have some paid experiences. On a normal day Riverside is pretty quiet and easily accessible, but things can get understandably more busy during Trekfest.
Things to Do
The Trek experience starts about as soon as you get into town. Trek-themed banners line the lightposts and more than a few streets bear Trek-themed names. Railroad Park, across from The Voyage Home Museum, sports a Starfleet emblem on the playground surface and a bronze statue of James T. Kirk nearby.
The city also has a future birthplace monument — or at least it should. For many years the monument was situated next to one of the stores in town, but after some changes in property ownership the monument was relocated to the side of City Hall. However, when we visited in April 2025 the monument had been taken out and a new surface was being put in. It wasn’t clear when the monument would return.
The Voyage Home Museum is the biggest draw of Riverside. It’s chock full of Trek memorabilia, information, a number of displays, and a gift shop.
We spent 30-45 minutes just roaming around the museum, looking at all the different things to see, and taking in the simple but entertaining hands-on elements.
The staff is all volunteer and are true Trek fans, so they can answer all the questions about the museum and its history.
It won’t be the main draw for visitors, but the museum also has a section devoted to Riverside history, which is less Trek but does talk about the area and some of the people who shaped it.
Our Thoughts
Riverside is one of those unique pilgrimages for Trek fans that isn’t something you might do just on its own, unless you’re coming to Trekfest. We dropped in on our way to Cedar Rapids, and it was a fun visit, especially for me, as I grew up watching Star Trek. It’s not really an all-day kind of stop, but you can spend a couple of hours here if you’re into the details. Should you like Star Trek and happen to be passing through, stop by. Just be sure the museum is open.
