Museums Iowa
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Effigy Mounds National Monument
Harpers Ferry, Iowa

Park, Specialized

A unit of the National Park System established to preserve prehistoric Indian burial and ceremonial mounds and the environment where they are found.

George M. Verity Riverboat Museum
Keokuk, Iowa

History, Historic House, Park, Specialized

Built in 1927 at Dubuque, Iowa by the U. S. Government, the S.S. Thorpe inaugurated barge service on the upper Mississippi . The first of four steamboats built for the revival of river transportation, it was the first to move barges from St. Louis north to St. Paul. It remained in service there until 1940, when it was sold to Armco Steel Corp. and put in service on the Ohio River. Armco renamed it the George M. Verity after their founder.

Kate Shelley Railroad Museum & Park
Moingona, Iowa

Park

This restored depot honors 15 year-old Kate Shelley, who saved a passenger train from disaster in 1881. A Rock Island passenger car contains a theater where Kate's story is told in video presentation.

Nathaniel Hamlin Museum & Park
Audubon, Iowa

Park

Formerly the Audubon County Home, the Museum includes early 1900s furnishings, pioneer farm machinery and antique windmills.

The Danish Immigrant Museum
Elkhorn, Iowa

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.

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Park & Museum
Burr Oak, Iowa

Park

This 11-room hotel is THE ONLY childhood home of this internationally famous "little House" author that remains on its original site.

Forest Park Museum
Perry, Iowa

Park

Forest Park Museum is among the finest small museums in the Sate, exhibiting natural, cultural and historical events and artifacts of Central Iowa.

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.

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.

Old Bradford Pioneer Village
Nashua, Iowa

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.

The Fluxus Indian Museum
Coon Rapids, Iowa

Anthropology, Archaeology, Culture, History, Library, Natural History, Park

The museum represents 12 years of research and work by FLUXUS Midwest. The museum's current collection comprises more than 150 objects, relics and documents. This digital version of the FLUXUS INDIAN MUSEUM is part of the continuing effort to promote knowledge about the Fluxus Indians.

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

February 5 - 7, 2025

Milledgeville, Georgia

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

Wednesday, February 5 - Friday, February 7, 2025

Ina Dillard Russell Library Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, Georgia

Hosted by: Georgia Association of Museums

The Whole Story Is The Meanin

“For the fiction writer himself the whole story is the meaning, because it is an experience, not an abstraction.”― Flannery O'Connor, Mystery and Manners: Occasional Pros

Join us in Milledgeville, Georgia, for the annual Georgia Association of Museums conference as we explore the profound wisdom of Milledgeville author Flannery O'Connor’s words. In a world where narratives intersect and perspectives diverge, this theme invites proposals that delve into the essence of storytelling within museums and cultural institutions. Our work in the museum field requires us to look at stories from as many angles and perspectives as possible so that we might do our best to tell the “whole story.

Through thought-provoking discussions, interactive workshops, and engaging presentations, we will uncover the layers of meaning embedded within every artifact, exhibition, and historical account. Just as O’Connor masterfully crafted narratives that resonate with universal truths, museums hold the power to illuminate the whole story behind many objects, artworks, and cultural phenomena

We will examine how museums can embrace inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity in their storytelling practices. By acknowledging multiple perspectives and amplifying marginalized voices, we can enrich our understanding of the past and present, fostering empathy and connection within our communities.

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

February 17 - 19, 2025

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

Monday, February 17 - Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Hosted by: Small Museum Association

The annual SMA conference attracts more than 300 museum professionals, board members, and volunteers from a wide variety of small museums. They attend sessions on topics ranging from collections and education to staffing and board issues.

We offer a large Museum Resource Hall and plenty of informal networking opportunities for you to talk with (and get ideas from!) other small museum professionals and volunteers

Theme for 2025: Make It Happen!!!

Is there an exhibit, program, or fundraiser that you've been talking about doing for years? Do you feel stuck because of procrastination, lack of board support, or insufficient funds? It's time to take action

At SMA 2025, small museum professionals will share their tips and tricks of how they made it happen!

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

February 18 - 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

Tuesday, February 18 - Saturday, February 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

Hosted by: California Association of Museums

CAM is hard at work planning for the 2025 conference, set to take place from February 18–22, 2025 in San Francisco. We look forward to highlighting best practices and innovative ideas from California's museum community

The California Association of Museums is excited to continue offering in-person programming for 2025. We will not be requiring proof of COVID vaccination/s, but highly encourage vaccination and boosters. For the health and safety of our colleagues, masks are also encouraged (but not required). Capacity and spaces will be thoughtfully considered in the planning of this event.

For more information, please email programs@calmuseums.org.

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

March 15 - 18, 2025

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

Saturday, March 15 - Tuesday, March 18, 2025

The Inn at Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Hosted by: Virginia Association of Museums

2025 Conference Theme: Looking Back to the Future For the past several years, many museums have been deeply involved in planning programs and events to observe the 250th birthday of the United States of America. While this is certainly an occasion to celebrate, this anniversary also forces us as a society to reckon with ongoing inequities and challenges within the US that go back to its inception. As museums ask their audiences to look to the past to understand the present and shape a better future, perhaps now is a good moment in time for Virginia’s museum community to take pause and look back at its own history. We are excited to see you in Blacksburg in March 2025 as we take a moment in our hectic schedules to take pause and visit our diverse pasts. Let’s uncover and share our histories to build a more resilient Virginia museum community.

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

September 10 - 13, 2025

Cincinnati, Ohio

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

Wednesday, September 10 - Saturday, September 13, 2025

TBD

Cincinnati, Ohio

Hosted by: American Association for State and Local History

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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