CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Already a cornerstone for the Mound View neighborhood, one of the remaining walk-up Dairy Queens is seeking an official designation with the city of Cedar Rapids as a local historic landmark.
Dairy Queen #4, at 501 16th St. NE, had the first review of its local landmark application in front of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission on Jan. 22, 2026.
Built in 1954, the Dairy Queen celebrated 70 years in business last year.
A photo of Don Myers, a past owner of the Dairy Queen with his wife, Mary Ann Myers, is shown during the Historic Preservation Commission meeting.
“It’s a cute little thing and people love it,” owner Karla Sibert said of the 540-square-foot building.
Sibert, who has operated the business for more than eight years, is just the third owner of the 16th Street Dairy Queen.
A local landmark is an individual building designated by city ordinance as being historically significant.
Cedar Rapids currently has nine local landmarks, with the Zastera Pharmacy building, at 1135-1137 Ellis Blvd. NW, and Arthur Elementary School, 2630 B Ave. NE, added last year.
The Zastera Pharmacy building was designated a local historic landmark in Cedar Rapids in 2025. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The nonprofit Save CR Heritage is reviving the Zastera building to serve as a storefront and neighborhood hub, while the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy has repurposed Arthur, which closed as a neighborhood school in 2024.
Any exterior changes to local landmarks are subject to review by the Historic Preservation Commission, while the designation protects the buildings from future demolition.
Arthur Elementary was built in 1914 and opened in 1915 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The Dairy Queen application noted the businesses expanded rapidly after first opening in 1940, with more than 100 by 1947. Dairy Queen #1, at 3304 First Ave. NE, is the oldest in the Cedar Rapids area.
According to the application, the design of the walk-up, treats-only Dairy Queen on 16th Street reflects a rare surviving example of mid-20th Century commercial roadside architecture along a well-traveled thoroughfare.
The commission will vote on whether or not the application should move to the next step in the process during its meeting on Feb. 12.
In the meantime, Sibert has been searching for photos of the Dairy Queen in its early years.
“There’s so much history in that neighborhood,” she said, citing Grant Wood’s childhood home and related buildings in the Mound View area. “It keeps that neighborhood alive.”
More: See photos of the Dairy Queen’s 70th anniversary celebration
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