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Cedar Falls, IA
Best History Museums (Attractions & Activities)
(10 Overall Closest) |
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George Wyth House & Viking Pump Museum |
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(Attractions & Activities - History Museums) |
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303 Franklin St, Cedar Falls 50613 • 319-266-5149 |
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Description:
DOWNTOWN. The George Wyth House has been carefully restored to its appearance circa 1925, complete with a 48-star American flag. Wyth, who lived in the house with his family until the 1950s, was founder and president of the Viking Pump Company. The third floor of the home contains a museum devoted entirely to the history of the company, which still maintains a strong presence in Cedar Falls. The Cedar Falls Historical Society manages the property, and will conduct tours by appointment, in addition to the stated open hours. |
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Grout Museum District |
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(Attractions & Activities - History Museums) |
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W 3rd St at Washington, Waterloo 50702 • 319-234-6357 |
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Description:
GROUT MUSEUM DISTRICT. Henry Grout was a curious man, and generations of Cedar Falls visitors and residents are the lucky beneficiaries. Grout's interest in history and the natural world led him to amass several collections, which are now displayed to great effect at the three facilities here. The Grout Museum of History & Science uses interactive exhibits and demonstrations to explore earth and physical science, plus pioneer history. The Imaginarium offers plenty of opportunity for hands-on experiments such as riding in a gyroscope, bottling lightning and shooting an air cannon. The Rensselaer Russell House captures home life in Cedar Rapids in days gone by, where you can learn the difference between a parlor, a sitting room and a drawing room, and other niceties. |
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Ice House Museum |
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(Attractions & Activities - History Museums) |
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Franklin St at W 1st St, Cedar Falls 50613 • 319-277-8817 |
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Description:
NORTH OF DOWNTOWN. Due to flood damage, the Ice House Museum is currently closed. Originally, this facility was built in 1921 to house an ice harvesting business. Today a small museum displays photos of ice farming, ice-harvesting equipment--like tongs for lifting the ice--and old iceboxes. A mural of old Cedar Falls decorates one wall of the museum and a coal burning stove, cistern pump and pie safe show what a kitchen would have looked like in the days before refrigeration. |
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Iowa Band Museum |
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(Attractions & Activities - History Museums) |
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203 1/2 Main St, Cedar Falls 50613 • 319-266-4308 |
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Description:
DOWNTOWN. From 1860 until around 1940 military bands, municipal bands, touring concert bands and even circus bands commonly performed in towns around the country. This museum is unchanged from how it looked in the 1920s, during this golden age. The Cedar Falls Band was first organized in 1891, and it is the oldest—and the only remaining—municipal band in Iowa. The museum is located in the former rehearsal hall, which was built in the 1870s and purchased by the band in 1916. Old uniforms, photographs, and rare instruments are on display. There is also a music library. |
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Little Red Schoolhouse |
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(Attractions & Activities - History Museums) |
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1st St at Clay St, Cedar Falls 50613 • 319-266-5149 |
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Description:
DOWNTOWN. Though Iowa's last one-room schoolhouse closed for business in 1966, this museum ensures that no one forgets that part of history. The Little Red Schoolhouse was built in 1909 and served the community as more than just a school—it was also the polling place. A pot-bellied stove, blackboards, old desks and books and the bell tower, complete with bell, are all meticulously maintained. |
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University Museum |
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(Attractions & Activities - History Museums) |
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3219 Hudson Rd University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls 50613 • 319-273-2188 |
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Description:
University of Northern Iowa professors first started this museum in 1892, by pooling their classroom exhibits so that students from various disciplines could learn about topics outside their area of study. Today the museum has the largest natural and human history collection in Northeast Iowa. Some of the numerous exhibits are about the Japanese kimono, the role of animals in Nigerian art, medical conditions during the Civil War and a look at Iowa's change from a rural to an urban culture. |
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Victorian Home & Carriage House Museum |
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(Attractions & Activities - History Museums) |
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308 W 3rd St, Cedar Falls 50613 • 319-266-5149 |
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Description:
DOWNTOWN. This Civil War-era home was built in 1863. It is typical of the Italianate style of architecture, identifiable by the home's square shape and cupola. Today the house is furnished with antiques from the 1880-1900 period. The landscape design and plants are also time-period appropriate. In 1992 the reproduction Carriage House was built to house a special exhibit gallery, a research library and collection storage. It also displays the an impressive model train collection. |
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