Originally a one-story building, 121 John Wayne Drive first housed a meat market and then the Ideal Restaurant for a few years before its second story was completed and it became a theater with live vaudeville performances on stage. In 1916, Bruce Pettit acquired a half interest in the Iowa Theatre from owner R. C. Goshorn and later became sole owner, while records also identify Eb Hayes as a proprietor. The building’s second-story facade remains nearly original, and its marquee dates between 1920 and 1930. Inside, one stairway was removed and most of the balcony was eventually closed. For the Winterset Centennial program in 1949, some seats were reupholstered with a new leather-type covering said not to fade on customers’ clothing. The movie The Bridges of Madison County premiered at the Iowa Theatre in 1995, and Miles Derrick is its current manager.