Years in the making, Grinnell Historical Museum opens its doors

After three years of work, Grinnell Historical Museum’s long-awaited new location on 703 1st Ave. is open for those who wish to learn more about the Jewel of the Prairie and beyond.

The new building for the Historical Museum, purchased by the museum board in November 2022, was built in 1973 and previously housed the Uhlmann furniture store.

The museum is currently open Tuesdays through Fridays from 1 to 5 p.m..

Museum board member Ann Igoe said the new space makes it possible for the Museum’s growing collection to be more effectively preserved and presented in context.

“If you say the history of your town, and you share it with the people that live there, then it creates a sense of place, that they belong. That’s important to us,” Igoe said.

Prominent artifacts on display include carriages built by Grinnell’s Spaulding Company, antique medical equipment, pictures of Grinnell before and after the cyclone of 1882 and goods manufactured in town.

Betel Aga `27, an intern at the museum since 2024, said the need to house such large objects was one of the reasons that sparked the move to the new space.

“We have other things that we want to display, that we need more room to expand into our vision,” said Aga.

In addition to allowing for the display of collections in an open area of approximately 8,400 square feet, the new space includes a catering kitchen and classroom spaces for events, as well as a collection room.

Over 35 local businesses donated to the new museum space, enabling the creation of a dedicated area for processing and cataloging new donations, permanent displays for large agricultural artifacts and climate-controlled storage for preserved items.