Putnam Museum

08/28/2026

As America continues reflecting on the legacy of its 250th anniversary, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is telling the story of this nation through its landmark exhibition, In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness. Spanning all three floors of their museum and featuring 250 objects from across American history, the exhibition examines how people have pursued the promises of the Declaration of Independence across generations.

Join us as we welcome Theodore S. Gonzalves, Ph.D., curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and lead curator of In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness. An accomplished scholar, author, and cultural historian, Dr. Gonzalves has dedicated his career to exploring the diverse stories, objects, and experiences that shape American identity.

During his presentation, Dr. Gonzalves will discuss several fascinating objects featured in the exhibition, including a rare surviving photograph of abolitionist Harriet Bell Hayden, who helped shelter hundreds of freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad; the apparatus used to create the first Bose-Einstein Condensate in a gas of atoms; and Marcella Hazan's copper zabaglione pot, representing the lasting influence of one of America's most celebrated culinary educators.

Thursday, September 3
Lecture begins at 6:00 PM
🎟️ FREE

A question-and-answer session with Dr. Gonzalves will follow the presentation, offering an opportunity to learn more about the exhibition, its curatorial process, and the stories behind these remarkable objects.

08/25/2026

It’s Artifact Tuesday! At first glance, the long pointed nose of this mask may look unusual, but it is exactly what earned it the nickname “Mosquito Mask.”

Created in the Sepik River Region of Papua New Guinea during the mid to late 1800s, this carved wooden mask represents a powerful male spirit, sometimes known as parak, barak, or brag. More than decorative objects, masks like this played important roles in initiation ceremonies, marking a young man’s transition into adulthood or entry into the hunt. Through these ceremonies, participants connected with the spiritual world, their ancestors, and their responsibilities within the community.

The artifact was donated to the Putnam Museum in 1925 by Charles E. Russell, a Davenport-born journalist, activist, author, and Pulitzer Prize winner. Today, it serves as a reminder of both the rich cultural traditions of Papua New Guinea and the fascinating stories behind the objects preserved in our collections.

08/20/2026

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended last night's event. We loved seeing our community come together to celebrate storytelling, inclusion, and the power of the arts!

08/20/2026

Last night, we had the honor of welcoming Academy Award-winning actress and advocate Marlee Matlin as the keynote speaker for an evening dedicated to celebrating inclusion in the arts. We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us and helped make the event so meaningful.

We also owe our community a sincere apology. Due to technical difficulties, we were unable to screen I Am disABLED as planned. While we hoped to resolve those issues and offer additional screenings over the following days, we were unable to do so in a way that would provide the experience our audience deserves.

At this time, we are postponing all planned screenings of I Am disABLED. We will announce new screening dates once the technical issues have been resolved and we can ensure the film is presented as intended, including all accessibility features.

Thank you for your patience, grace, and understanding as we work to make this right. We remain committed to creating welcoming, accessible experiences for all and look forward to sharing this important film with our community in the near future.

We will provide updates as soon as new screening dates are confirmed.

08/18/2026

The Silk Road was a vast network of trade routes that connected civilizations across Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe for more than 1,500 years.
 
This week, for Artifact Tuesday, we’re featuring two artifacts that help tell that story.
 
Our first artifact, a dark-and-white glass bottle dating from the 10th to 12th centuries, was produced in the Middle East during the Islamic Golden Age. By this time, Islamic merchants dominated many of the world’s trade networks, linking China, India, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The era saw remarkable advances in science, medicine, mathematics, and glassmaking, and these ideas traveled the same routes as trade goods. Bottles like this carried perfumed oils, but they also represent the movement of knowledge and artistic traditions across continents.
 
The second artifact, a small green glass unguentarium, dates to the Roman Empire (100-300 CE) and comes from the Levant, in present-day Lebanon. It once held valuable perfumed oils, cosmetics, or medicinal substances. During the Roman period, the eastern Mediterranean served as a gateway between the Mediterranean world and the trade routes stretching deep into Asia. Luxury goods like perfumes, spices, incense, gemstones, and glassware moved alongside silk, creating a thriving exchange of wealth and culture.
 
The Silk Road exchanged far more than merchandise. Buddhism spread from India into China, Christianity and Islam traveled across vast regions, technologies like papermaking transformed societies, and diseases such as the Black Death moved along these same networks. The objects we study today are tangible reminders of a world that was more interconnected than many realize.
 
Want to learn more about the people, goods, and ideas that traveled these routes? Join Museum Curator of History and Anthropology Christinia Kastell for History on Tap: Silk Road Exchanges on Thursday, August 20.

08/16/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Dino Days and made this year’s event absolutely AMAZING!

A special thank you to Modern Woodmen of America and MidAmerican Energy. This event would not have been possible without your incredible volunteers and support.

The museum will return to our regular hours and admission pricing tomorrow. See you soon! 🦖🦕

08/15/2026

Come nerd out with us tomorrow at Dino Days!
 
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out today and helped make Day One such a success! Don’t worry if you missed it, or if you’re ready for round two, because we’ll be back tomorrow, Sunday, August 16! 
 
Check our website and socials for the schedule, and grab your tickets online or at the door.

08/14/2026

Dino Days is taking over the museum this weekend!
 
Please note that general admission will not be available August 15 & 16. The museum will be open only to guests with Dino Days tickets.
 
Check out the event schedule and get ready for a prehistoric adventure! 🦴🦖🦕

08/14/2026

A huge thank you to the Capption team for bringing this outstanding accessibility tool to the Putnam!

Capption is an assistive technology that helps remove barriers to engagement for low-sighted, aging, non-native speaking, learning-disabled, and socially anxious visitors.

We're proud to offer this innovative resource as part of our commitment to accessibility and inclusion. Stop by and try it out for yourself in our Common Ground exhibit!

We're pleased to announce the debut of Capption at the Putnam Museum & Science Center in Davenport, Iowa, in their Common Ground exhibit showcasing the rich history of the Quad Cities region.

As one of the region's oldest and most loved cultural centers, the Putnam has a deep history of inclusion and works tirelessly to eliminate barriers to education and involvement for every guest. We are proud to help this amazing team tell their stories.

The debut is being celebrated at Inclusion in the Arts, a keynote and film screening on August 19. The evening features a screening of the Fresh-Films documentary I am disABLEd and a keynote from Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin on accessibility and belonging. Guests will be among the first to experience the Putnam's new accessibility features powered by Capption.

This addition was made possible by The Cultural Trust, whose Legacy Partners are building the Quad Cities into the most inclusive creative capital in the Midwest. It's the kind of work that proves Culture Matters Here.

Learn more about The Cultural Trust and its Culture Bright series in the links below.

08/13/2026

Our brand-new window graphic is here just in time for Dino Days! While the real Triceratops won’t arrive until 2027, you can get a sneak peek of what’s to come THIS WEEKEND!

Join us for a weekend packed with dinosaur-themed fun, discovery, and adventure. Stop by to see the new graphic, celebrate all things dino, and get excited for what’s coming next at the Putnam!

August 15-16
Get your tickets now! https://27223.blackbaudhosting.com/27223/tickets?tab=3&txobjid=19e410cc-3308-4bbb-9153-ac0958d8c663