The Great Places projects of Adams County were developed to increase tourism in the area by preserving the county’s unique history and promoting arts and culture opportunities for residents and visitors alike. The Johnny Carson Birthplace Society intends to renovate the entertainer’s childhood home and create a museum commemorating the legacy of Johnny Carson – a Corning native. Additionally, the restoration of buildings at the French Icarian Colony site will preserve the history of the longest existing non-religious utopian society in the United States. Corning’s Main Street is also a key part of the Great Places proposal with the renovation of the Corning Opera House into a community center with retail on the main floor, and the creation of Corning Center for the Fine Arts in an old hardware store, including an artist-living/working-in-residence program. The construction of cabins and infrastructure improvements at Lake Icaria and a community wide beautification project are additional proposals to cement Corning and the rest of Adams County as a western Iowa destination.
