Prairie Trails Museum of Wayne County

06/17/2026

06/17/2026

Prairie Trails Museum
Freedom Ring – July 4, 2026 3:00 p.m.Fr

Prairie Trails Museum will hold the 28th Annual Freedom Ring on July 4th at 3:00p.m in Corydon, IA. Make plans to attend this great event to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.

July 4th activities in Corydon: The day begins with a Vendor Fair 9am – 12pm on the square. A parade at 1p.m. is open to any participants. Head down to the Prairie Trails Museum at 3pm for the Freedom Ring program. A time capsule was filled and buried on the courthouse lawn, 25 years ago, will be opened on July 4th at 4:30p.m. The grand finale is a spectacular fireworks display at dusk over the Corydon Lake sponsored by the Corydon Lions Club.

Freedom Ring Program with Dave Baker
"Spirits of "76" -Five Voices of the Revolution
Step into the Revolution through five unforgettable voices in Spirit of ’76 – Five Voices of the Revolution. From the halls of independence to the front lines of everyday life, this program brings the era to life through the words and experiences of Abraham Clark, John Hart, Abigail Adams, Thomas Paine, and Jeffrey Brace. Portrayed in part through the first-person performance by Dave Baker, Iowa writer and blogger of “The 29th State”, this one-hour program explores how the Revolution began, why independence was declared, and what it meant to those who lived it. From a signer and a statesman to a writer, a woman, and a man who fought for freedom while still enslaved.
Dave Baker is a writer, photographer, and speaker who has spent the last decade and a half chasing Iowa’s past, one town, one ghost town, one road, and one story at a time. He created The 29th State Facebook group in 2015 as an ongoing effort to preserve and promote Iowa history through writing, photography, and live public programs. Baker’s focus is on interesting sights, people, and places that don’t always make the history books—small towns, ghost towns, lost landmarks, country churches, one-room schools, cemeteries, train depots, and main streets that may have seen better days but still have something to say.

06/17/2026

Come on down to Prairie Trails Museum this morning to see more of these beautiful buttons! 10am

06/16/2026

It's time for buttons! Wednesday June 17 @ 10am Prairie Trails Museum in Corydon. Free admission for Coffee and Conversations!

Coffee & Conversation June 17 @ 10am
Free event with donations gladly accepted.

Button Crazy, Small Buttons with Big Personalities
by Donna Gillman

Donna Gillman has collected buttons for many years. She is a member of the Iowa State Button Society and once served as an officer in the organization.
Donna will share the history of buttons, when they became a necessity for everyday life and how. The first buttons were made of bone, wood, horn or metal and were decorative rather than functional.
Did you know the town of Muscatine, Iowa was once the pearl button capital of the world? The first button factory in the city opened in 1891 by John Boepple. This factory harvested mollusk shells and created highly desired pearl buttons. Even Centerville, Iowa once had a button factory.
Join us at Prairie Trails Museum June 17 @ 10:00am to hear this fascinating story of the button and how it came to be a necessity for all of us.

06/12/2026

Museum are essential. Small town museums are important because they preserve, protect and share the history of their community. A museum in a small town attracts visitors from near and far to explore the history of the community. While in the community those visitors shop and dine which helps bolster the local economy. Visit a museum this week and learn more about the community's history.

06/11/2026

Scenes from 2023 Walldog event in Wayne County

06/09/2026

Museums Are Fun for everyone!

06/09/2026

July 4th Freedom Ring 3:00pm at Prairie Trails Museum in Corydon, IA. Join us for this celebration of America's 250th birthday!

06/08/2026

Celebrate Iowa Museum Week by visiting Prairie Trails Museum or an Iowa museum of your choice. Iowa museums preserve, display and share the history of each county and our great state.

06/04/2026

Coffee & Conversation June 17 @ 10am
Free event with donations gladly accepted.

Button Crazy, Small Buttons with Big Personalities
by Donna Gillman

Donna Gillman has collected buttons for many years. She is a member of the Iowa State Button Society and once served as an officer in the organization.
Donna will share the history of buttons, when they became a necessity for everyday life and how. The first buttons were made of bone, wood, horn or metal and were decorative rather than functional.
Did you know the town of Muscatine, Iowa was once the pearl button capital of the world? The first button factory in the city opened in 1891 by John Boepple. This factory harvested mollusk shells and created highly desired pearl buttons. Even Centerville, Iowa once had a button factory.
Join us at Prairie Trails Museum June 17 @ 10:00am to hear this fascinating story of the button and how it came to be a necessity for all of us.