Pocahontas, Iowa (Northwest Iowa Now) When Leonard Olson started making kaleidoscopes in Pocahontas, they were just little toys you held in your hand. His shop, The Kaleidoscope Factory, became really popular, receiving visitors from all over Iowa and nearby states to see it. After Olson passed away in 2019, but his family and friends kept his business going.

To celebrate how Olson’s shop made Pocahontas County famous, they built giant, walk-in kaleidoscopes throughout the county, drawing tourists, and also the eye of Iowa Tourism. The Iowa Tourism Conference held this spring presented Pocahontas County Pocahontas Chamber of Commerce and the Pocahontas Economic Development group with the Geode award.

Parker Aden is the Chamber Director:

Travel Iowas Stephanie Neppl “We always talk about making a place special for tourists by using what makes it unique. Pocahontas County did just that by putting in huge, fun kaleidoscopes all over the county. This idea came from a local leadership group in 2023, and they used a grant to make it happen.