Browse Museums

Culture, General, History, Library

Iowan history showcased via interactive exhibits and exciting educational programs. Because African American history is American history.

General, History, Historical Society

The purpose of the museum is to preserve and promote the history of Clinton County by interpreting historical artifacts for its residents and interested persons.

General, History, Historical Society

A museum featuring the history of Des Moines County, as well as a heritage center.

Culture, General, History, Historic House

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Granger House Museum is the only fully-restored, middle-class family home in southeastern Iowa. Occupied by a single family for nearly 100 years, the house contains many of its original furnishings and is arranged to reflect the lifestyle of a successful, late 19th-century middle-class family. Behind the home is an 1879 brick carriage house which contains a variety of artifacts revealing the occupant's involvement with Morgan horses, dairying, and farming.

Montauk Historic Site

Clermont, Iowa

General, History, Historic House, Nature Centers, Park

Journey into the past at the home of Iowa's 12th governor, William Larrabee and Anna Larrabee, his wife. Enjoy a guided tour to see and hear how the Larrabee family furnished and maintained this 1874 vintage brick and natural limestone mansion for more than 100 years. All of the furnishings are original to the house. the State Historical Society of Iowa owns and preserves Montauk which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is designated as a State Preserve.

Children's, Culture, General, History, Historic House, Historical Society, Military, Park

The Old Bradford Pioneer Village Museum has 13 buildings on its walking tour, including an original Great Western Depot and a Chicago Northwestern caboose. Dr. Pitts' medical office, two authentic log homes, General Store, Laundry, Blacksmith Shop, Agriculture Bldg, Heritage Bldg, Cottage, Jail, one room schoolhouse and toy shop. The Cottage is the only original building to the grounds. It was the home of the caretaker of the Little Brown Church, which sits adjacent to the museum property. All of the buildings are bursting with the tools and utensils of the 1800s and early 1900s.

Swedish American Museum

Swedesburg, Iowa

Cemetery, Church, General, History, Historic House, Historical Society, Library, Military

The Society created the Swedish American Museum to collect and catalogue artifacts of Swedish heritage and early immigrants of the Swedesburg area. The Museum is housed in The former Farmers union Exchange (FUE) building, built in 1928 by second generation Swedish Farmers. The FUE served Swedesburg and the surrounding area as a general store and Gathering place for the settlers in the area. The building is typical of stores which once dotted the Iowa countryside. The facility is available for meetings, tours and meals.Reservations are required in advance.

Ushers Ferry Historic Village

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

General, History, Historic House

Whatever your meeting or party needs, you are sure to find building space or open air ground at Ushers Ferry that will work for you.

Wilder Memorial Museum

Strawberry Point, Iowa

Art, Culture, General, History, Military

Discover the Wilder Memorial Museum and connect with the heritage of Strawberry Point, Iowa. Exhibits include prarie farming, 800 hierloom dolls dating to the 1700's, Victorian art glass and furniture, Miessen and Dresden figuerines, as well as a military exhibit with items dating back to the Revolutionary War.

Children's, General, Science

A 'playground for the imagination", this interactive science center provides fun hands-on exhibits that demonstrate how science affects everyday life. Visitors unravel the mysteries of motion with scientific experiments: Roll-A-Ball, Bernoulli Ball, and the hammer table. Science demonstrations are at 11:00am, 1:30 and 3:00pm on Saturdays, and include such topics as Creepy Crawlies, Combustion, Chemistry, Magic of Science, Snakes Alive, Kitchen Science, and Super Cold.

General, History, Historic House, Historical Society

Sitting proudly at the top of Snake Alley, the Garrett-Phelps House Museum in historic Burlington, Iowa, sheltered three generations of one family for over 100 years.

Art, Culture, General, History, Library

A growing ethnic museum focusing on the German-American in the Midwest. Located in an historic immigrant hotel, this museum explores German American immigration to the United States on the impact these individuals and their descendents had on regional development.

Hawkeye Log Cabin

Burlington, Iowa

General, History, Historic House, Historical Society, Park

The Hawkeye Log Cabin Museum local high on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River.

Culture, General, History, Historical Society, Military

The Historic Center housed at the Santa Fe Railway Depot Complex is proud to boast a number of important regional, local, and railroad artifacts. Outside the depot sits a circa 1954 caboose, completely restored including brakemen seats, Conductor's desk, and folding seat/beds, of course the traditional cast iron stove remains in the old caboose, allowing visitors to picture the caboose crew warming their hands, coffee and cooking supper in the traditional way. The caboose was donated to the Historic Society by the Santa Fe Railway, now the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and was permanently placed on the depot property by volunteers. Also included on the site is a diesel utility car utilized by the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad.

Prairie City Historical Society

Prairie City, Iowa

General, History, Historical Society

Many artifacts from Prairie City's history are housed in the museum including the Dowden Potato Digger, which was originally manufactured in Prairie City.

Art, Culture, General, History, Library, Park, Specialized

The Danish Immigrant Museum will tell the story of the Danish immigrants and the Danish-American experience and is organized to collect, preserve, study and interpret their material, culture and traditions.

Children's, Culture, General, History

With over 24,000 artifacts and 16 historic buildings, this national treasure showcases the best in historic and contemporary Norwegian folk and fine arts, and explores the American immigrant experience. "USA Today" named Vesterheim one of “ten great places in the nation to admire American folk art.” Come for our folk-art classes, holiday festivals, special group tours, or any time. Open all year (closed on Mondays from November through April).

General, History, Historical Society

New Museum-local artifacts-old school-turn of the century room-Senator William Carden memorabilia-Fire Department display.

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

April 27 - April 29, 2025

Oregon Museum Association 2025 Conference

TBA

Independence, Oregon

Beginning in 2025, the OMA annual conference will be held in Spring rather than Fall

The conference this year is all about trying new things. We are hoping to organize the conference into the following four tracks: Collections Care, Leadership, Emergency Preparedness, and Tourism

Check our website for more details in early 2025

The OMA newsletter is emailed every month with updates on OMA events, museum news, other events, trainings, jobs, grants and more for the museum community in Oregon.

For more information, please email connect@oregonmuseums.org.

October 1 - October 4, 2025

Western Museums Association’s (WMA) 2025 Annual Meeting

TBA

Reno, Nevada

Save the Date for WMA 202

As we celebrate our 90th anniversary, join us to build relationships and soar higher than ever before. With the theme of ELEVATE, WMA 2025 will explore ways to lift up the experiences of cultural professionals and the communities they serve.

In Reno, Nevada, 4,400 feet above sea level, we will forward the progress of museums by looking to the future.

May 6 - May 9, 2025

2025 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) ANNUAL MEETING & MUSEUMEXPO

Los Angeles Convention Center

Los Angeles, California

AAM 2025 will focus on the theme, Museums & Trust.

Museums have long inspired high levels of public trust, surpassing news outlets, government organizations, researchers and scientists, corporations, and social media platforms. This consistent finding underscores our institutions’ unique position in society as stewards of knowledge, culture, science, and history—areas where credibility and reliability are paramount

In an era marked by mistrust and misinformation, museums have a rare ability to counterbalance the proliferation of false narratives and polarized perspectives. Using our trusted position, we can cultivate a more healthy, empathetic, and informed society.

But to do so, we must maintain our credibility proactively, embracing thoughtful, transparent, and collaborative practices that will defend against influences like bias, resource challenges, abuse of power, and social injustice

An Incredible MuseumExpo

AAM is again partnering this year with the Museum Store Association to host an incredible combined expo hall. Find the most innovative services, products, and solutions in the museum field. With 350 exhibitors, you are bound to find the right partner for your museum’s current challenges and opportunities.

May 5 - May 9, 2025

Museum Store Association FORWARD 2025 in LA

The Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Join MSA in LA

We’re excited about our next MSA FORWARD Conference & Expo in “The City of Angels” – Los Angeles, California in conjunction with the American Alliance of Museums

Join the Museum Store Association (MSA) and hundreds of nonprofit retail professionals for the 70th Annual MSA FORWARD Retail Conference & Expo, taking place May 5-9, 2025 at The Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California

Once again, MSA FORWARD will be held in conjunction with the 2025 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Annual Meeting & Expo

Learn best practices and new ideas for store merchandising, operations, marketing, and sale

Participate in dedicated networking events and create connections that will inspire new ideas

Meet with over 200 MSA vendors about your product needs

Hear from knowledgeable industry experts during session breakouts and keynote presentations

Network with AAM attendees and exhibitor

September 10 - September 13, 2025

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

TBD

Cincinnati, Ohio

The 2025 AASLH Annual Conference, in partnership with Ohio Local History Alliance, will take place as the history field makes the final preparations to kickoff off the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States.

The 2025 conference theme, inspired by AASLH’s Making History at 250: The Field Guide for Semiquincentennial, is an opportunity to broadly explore one of the guide’s themes, The American Experiment. For many in the American colonies in 1776, independence from Britain represented a “leap into the dark” into an unknown future

We are excited for you to join us in Cincinnati as we encourage discussion about our democracy and civic institutions and how they can help strengthen understanding, inspire action, and reveal ways that all of us can participate in and shape the ongoing American experiment.

For more information, please call 615-320-3203 or email info@aaslh.org.

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