Hawk Heaven in Altoona, Iowa, is Iowa Football Heaven

In the 1989 classic Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner’s character Ray Kinsella stands in a baseball field he built in the middle of his cornfield. He looks at the outfield and the stadium lights shining on the cornstalks, and he says, “Hey, is this heaven?”

While not quite as magical, Hawk Heaven in Altoona is a sports bar that’s devoted to Iowa fans and their teams. It’s packed on football gameday and for Cyclones and Bulldogs games — and, of course, every time the Hawkeyes play a national powerhouse like Stanford or Arizona State.

The beer selection is huge and the food is a mix of pub favorites and locally-sourced cuisine. In addition to 18 TVs dedicated to all things Iowa, there’s a giant screen for the big games and a working scoreboard on one of the walls. The ambiance is loud and rowdy, but the staff is friendly and knowledgeable.

There’s also a large menu that includes breakfast items and sandwiches. The owners are locals, and they support a wide range of charities, including a children’s hospital. They recently helped a young boy named Maddox through the program “Kid Captain.” The program honors kids who are at University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital for treatment and cheers them on from the bench during football games.

The bar hosts raffles during the football season and gives the proceeds to the local community. Last year, the money was donated to a middle school basketball team so they could pay for uniforms and tournament fees. The goal is to help kids foster a passion for sports and Hawkeyes, and it’s that same passion that keeps people coming back to Hawk Heaven.

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