‘History on the Move’ to visit Marengo week of June 26

The State Historical Society of Iowa’s “History on the Move” mobile museum will visit Marengo Monday, June 26, through Friday, June 30. The museum will be parked on Marengo Avenue, west of the Marengo Public Library.

The public is invited to take free, self-guided tours of the new exhibition called “Iowa’s People and Places.” The interactive exhibits explore the history of Iowa’s people from the Meskwaki who called the state home 10,000 years ago through the women’s suffrage movement to astronaut and Iowa native Peggy Whitson.

The mobile museum will be staffed by employees of the Marengo Public Library, notes Marengo library director Jackie Jordan, and will reflect regular library hours as close as possible. Special evening hours will extend the opportunity for area residents to visit the museum. It is free and open to the public.

Tentative hours for the museum are: Monday, June 26, museum arrives in the morning and will be open until 4 p.m.; Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, TBD, pending museum’s departure.

Housed in a custom-built Winnebago, the 300-square-foot museum on wheels launched in 2017 and completed its first 99-county tour in 2019. During that time, it made 175 stops along the way, attracting nearly 65,000 visitors.

The current exhibition, “Iowa History 101: Iowa’s People and Places,” debuted in 2021 and will continue its 99-county journey through the end of this year.

The museum is part of the Marengo Public Library’s summer reading program, which has also included programming from the Children’s Museum, Coralville; Science Center of Iowa, Des Moines; Grout Museum, Waterloo; Mississippi River Museum, Dubuque, and Iowa County Conservation.

According to Jordan, this is not the first time the mobile museum has come to Marengo, although it has been a number of years since its last visit.

Exhibit impact

“This traveling exhibit has been a huge success because it shares Iowa history in towns across the entire state, and Iowans are eager to have that experience in their communities,” State Historical Society of Iowa Administrator Susan Kloewer said. “We're grateful to our community hosts and generous sponsors who are helping make this next 99-county tour possible.”

“These images and objects remind us of the role Iowans played in global events,” State Curator Leo Landis said. “It’s easy to overlook the significant contributions Iowans have made in promoting equality and liberty, but this exhibit can inspire all Iowans to understand and appreciate our past and promote these values.”

The idea for the mobile museum was developed in 2014 from a series of community conversations organized by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, which oversees the State Historical Society of Iowa. Iowans had made it clear they wanted new ways to access the State Historical Museum’s resources.

Iowans may request a visit from the mobile museum for their local schools, libraries, museums, community festivals, county fairs and other places where people gather. Visits are complimentary and the tours are self-guided.

More details are available at iowaculture.gov. Iowans can also follow the mobile museum's statewide journey on Facebook at facebook.com/IowaHistory.

The traveling exhibition presenting sponsor is EMC Insurance Companies and fuel sponsor is Casey’s. Additional partner support is provided by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Winnebago Industries, Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Mike Wolfe.

Comments: Melinda.Wichmann@southeastiowaunion.com