What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 10am - 4pm Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 3pm

Des Moines County Historical Society

Name: Des Moines County Historical Society
Address: 501 N 4th Street, Burlington, IA, 52601, US
Telephone: +13197527449
Price range: $

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Des Moines County Historical Society

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We proudly preserve, protect, and bring to life the rich history of our county located along the Mississippi River.

10/13/2026

A VERY HERITAGE CHRISTMAS IS BACK!

Step back in time this holiday season for an unforgettable evening of Christmas nostalgia, silent cinema, and historic charm!

The Des Moines County Historical Society invites you to join us on Friday, December 11, 2026, from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM at the Heritage Center for a special Christmas celebration.

SILENT FILMS & LIVE RAGTIME MUSIC

Enjoy a series of three silent films accompanied by live ragtime piano performed by museum curator Colton Overton on the historic Martin Bruhl Steinway Baby Grand Piano. Experience the magic of early cinema brought to life through music in the beautiful surroundings of our historic former library.

AN EVENING FULL OF CHRISTMAS CHEER

Your evening includes:

• A home-style dinner
• Three silent film showings with live piano accompaniment
• An exclusive nighttime viewing of our restored artifacts and historic library furnishings
• Christmas card photo opportunities
• A silent auction featuring special items
• Cherry Bounce, a traditional alcoholic holiday aperitif

RESERVE YOUR SEATS!

Gather your friends, family, or colleagues for a memorable holiday evening!

• Table of 8: $500
• Individual chair: $75

Location: Heritage Center
501 N. 4th Street, Burlington, Iowa 52601

Date: Friday, December 11, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM

To reserve your table or individual seats, contact us at (319) 752-7449 or email [email protected].

Seating is limited, so don't wait to reserve your place! Join us for an evening where history, music, and the magic of Christmas come together at the Heritage Center.

We look forward to celebrating the season with you!

10/02/2026

🔨 A Little Behind-the-Scenes Work at the Museum! 🏛️

You may have noticed that we are closed to the public October 1–10, but things certainly haven’t slowed down!

Our staff, volunteers, and contractors have jumped into several major projects to enhance the museum experience.

Recently, we received funding from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to help bring some important pieces of the Heritage Center back to life. Work is underway to install replica historic light fixtures, reactivate the old Jewell Water Fountain, and bring our beloved historic Library Check-Out Desk back into the Galleria!

We’ll keep you posted as the projects progress!

While our contractors tackle the heavier work, our staff and volunteers have started a restoration project of their own:

🎥 Antique Movie Theater Seats!

These seats were donated to us by Preservation Station from the former Jewish Temple. They will eventually become part of our upcoming Snake Alley Exhibit at the Garrett-Phelps House, made possible through funding from the Mary Ann Baker Foundation.

But why movie theater seats?

As we developed the Snake Alley exhibit, we wanted visitors to experience more than objects and photographs. The exhibit will feature a narrative video telling the story of Snake Alley, its construction, and the people who lived around it.

And if you’re going to sit down and enjoy the story, you might as well have a comfortable historic seat!

Today, our staff and volunteers learned some of the basics of historic theater seat restoration, including box construction, springs, bridal strapping, and layering burlap, following the same methods found in the original seat bottoms.

It’s not every day that museum staff get to learn how to restore a historic theater seat! 🎞️

Take a look at their work! We’ll keep sharing the progress as these seats make their way back to the theater.

Interested in helping with this project or our other restoration work?

📞 319-752-7449
📧 [email protected]

There’s always something happening behind the scenes at the Des Moines County Historical Society!

08/20/2026

Join the August 22 Coffee with a Curator: Exhibit Conversation to learn about the seven Revolutionary War veterans who made Des Moines County their home.

08/18/2026

Stop by to see, "The Last Witnesses of 1776: Revolutionary War Veterans in Des Moines County" to learn about William Blair and more veterans who make our region their home.

08/16/2026

Did you know that Burlington is the Crinoid Capital of the World?

The Heritage Center has the THIRD largest known research collection, following Harvard and the Smithsonian.

How cool to have something so incredible right here in Des Moines County!

08/15/2026

Add to the conversation about our exhibit, "The Last Witnesses of 1776: Revolutionary War Veterans in Des Moines County" on Aug 22 at 2 pm.

Led by Colton Overton, you are invited to enjoy light refreshments and talk about the research that led to the discoveries of Revolution War veterans in the region.

We recommend reserving your spot by calling us at 319.752.7449.

08/13/2026

Stop by to learn more about John Morgan and other Revolutionary War veterans who eventually made Des Moines County their home.

We also invite you to Coffee with a Curator: Exhibit Conversation on August 22 at 2:30 to learn more about the research that led to the creation of this exhibit.

08/10/2026

Learn about this Revolutionary War veteran and more in our exhibit, "The Last Witnesses of 1776: Revolutionary War Veterans in Des Moines County."

08/04/2026

Burlington Public Library will bring a major traveling exhibition to the community this fall, offering a close look at how Americans responded to Na**sm, war and genocide during the 1930s

07/31/2026

Connecting our community to the nation's founding generation, John Morgan fought for America's independence. Years later, he crossed the Mississippi River and settled in what is now Des Moines County.

Visit our newest exhibit to learn about seven Revolutionary War veterans who made our region their home.

We invite you to join us for Coffee with a Curator: Exhibit Conversation on August 22 from 2 pm - 3:30 pm for light refreshments and an engaging discussion about what our research revealed about the brave veterans.

The program is free for members and $10 for non-members.

Please call 319.752.7449 to reserve your seat!

Address

501 N 4th Street
Burlington, IA
52601

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 3pm

Telephone

+13197527449

Website

http://www.dmchs.org/

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