State Historical Society of Iowa

10/14/2026

History has a future, and it starts with the next generation! 🏛️ The State Historical Society of Iowa had a great time connecting with students at Central’s college career fair, sharing the many ways to turn a passion for history into a career. From education and historic preservation to museum work, collections care, research, and beyond, there are so many ways to help preserve and share Iowa’s stories.

🎓 Interested in a career centered on history or a related field, or wish to volunteer? We’d love to hear from you! Reach out to our museum education team at [email protected] to learn more about opportunities in the field.

10/07/2026

REMINDER: Two great ways to make history part of your week, this week! 🏛️

🇨🇳 Tomorrow, Oct. 8 | 12-1 p.m.
Iowa History 101: Envoy to the Qing Empire: Iowa's First Ambassador to China
Join us virtually for this fascinating "Lunch Hour Webinar" Iowa History 101 presentation!
👉 Get the Zoom link: https://history.iowa.gov/events/iowa-history-101-envoy-qing-empire-iowas-first-ambassador-china

🪦🍂 Saturday, Oct. 10 | 1-3:30 p.m.
Guided History Field Trip: Woodland Cemetery Tour
Explore the stories of Des Moines and the Iowans who helped shape our state on this special guided tour, led by Des Moines Parks and Recreation!
👉 Reserve your spot: https://history.iowa.gov/events/guided-history-woodland-cemetery-guided-tour

10/06/2026

We’re excited to help Iowa Communications Network celebrate young artists and future digital citizens! 🎨💻 K-8 winners can score history-inspired swag from the State Historical Society of Iowa, along with much more in their prize packages for ICN’s “Be Cyber Safe!” Poster Contest.

There’s still time to enter! 👉 Learn more about the contest and submit your poster by October 16: https://icn.iowa.gov/outreach/icn-cybersecurity-poster-contest-guidelines

🚨 PRIZE REVEAL! 🚨

The deadline for the ICN "Be Cyber Safe!" K-8 Poster Contest is fast approaching on October 16, and we are thrilled to announce what our winners are taking home! 🎨💻

After all entries are judged, we will announce two winners per grade bracket (K-2, 3-5, and 6-8) right here on social media and via an official press release.

Each of our winners will receive an incredible prize package featuring:
🤖 A Robotics STEM Kit and Cybersecurity Books
💳 A Gift Card provided by Tier 3 Technology Solutions in Ankeny
🖍️ Fresh art supplies, activities, and gifts from the ICN
🎟️ Special gifts from the State Historical Society of Iowa of Iowa and the Iowa State Fair!

(...maybe a few extra surprises...🎁)

Don’t miss out! Get those submissions in by October 16. Help us spread the word and empower our youth to be smart, safe digital citizens.

10/04/2026

October is American Archives Month! 📚 This month, we’re celebrating the archival collections at the State Historical Society of Iowa and the people who care for them and make them available for you to explore.

🏛️ Archives can include letters, diaries, photographs, sound recordings, government records, digital records, and so much more. Archivists preserve and organize these materials, describe them so they can be discovered, and help connect people with the records they’re looking for.

💡The result? Opportunities to ask questions, uncover stories, conduct research, and learn more about Iowa’s past.

Throughout October, we’ll be highlighting the collections, people, and behind-the-scenes work that help make history accessible. Follow along and discover what you might find in the archives. 🔎

What are archives? Archives are records of enduring value, including letters, diaries, photographs, sound recordings, government records, and digital records.

Who cares for archives? Archivists are professionals trained to preserve, organize, describe, and provide access to archival collections.

What do archivists do? They help preserve these materials and make them discoverable so researchers, students, educators, and curious visitors can use them.

Why does it matter? Because archives help us explore, understand, and learn from the past.

Your next discovery starts here! Explore Iowa’s history, discover the collections and online resources, and start your own research journey at the State Historical Society of Iowa.

✨ Visit us or learn more: history.iowa.gov/research
Society of American Archivists

10/02/2026

🍂 Start this beautiful fall weekend with a morning at the museum! Join us tomorrow for Mornings at the Museum: Fall Into History! 🍂 Enjoy a themed scavenger hunt, activities, and a craft inspired by Iowa’s past.

📅 Saturday, Oct. 3 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
🏛️ State Historical Museum of Iowa
🎟️ Free and no registration required!

👉 https://history.iowa.gov/events/mornings-museum-not-so-spooky-history

🍂 Fall into history this Saturday! 🍁

Start your weekend at the State Historical Museum of Iowa with Mornings at the Museum: Fall Into History! 🍂 From 9 a.m.-12 p.m., families can drop in anytime for a morning of hands-on fun, including a themed scavenger hunt, activities, and a craft inspired by Iowa’s past.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Bring the kiddos, bring your curiosity, and make a morning of it!
📅 Saturday, Oct. 3 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
📍 State Historical Museum of Iowa
🎟️ Free and no registration required!
👉 Learn more: https://history.iowa.gov/events/mornings-museum-not-so-spooky-history

10/01/2026

🍂 October is here, and there’s no shortage of ways to fall into history! 🎃 Here's what’s coming up!

🍁 Saturday, Oct. 3 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m. | Mornings at the Museum: Fall Into History! 🍂

🇨🇳 Thursday, Oct. 8 | 12-1 p.m. | Iowa History 101: Envoy to the Qing Empire: Iowa’s First Ambassador to China (Register to get the 🔗)

🏛️ Saturday, Oct. 10 | 1-3:30 p.m. | Guided History: Woodland Cemetery Tour (Registration required)

🙋 Thursday, Oct. 15 | 6-8:30 p.m. | Museum Docent Orientation (Sign up today)!

🖼️ Friday, Oct. 23 | 11-11:45 a.m. | Guided Exhibit Tour: Portraits and Paintings (Save your spot today!)

🔎 Friday, Oct. 23 | 2-2:45 p.m. | Family Museum Collection Tour

🎃 Saturday, Oct. 24 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Goldie’s Halloween Bash (No registration required!)

🌾 Saturday, Oct. 24 | 9 a.m.-6 p.m. | America's Harvest Festival at the Iowa Capitol Complex + extended museum hours (No registration required!)

👻 Saturday, Oct. 24 | 2-4 p.m. | Kids Gothic Halloween Party at the American Gothic House & Center in Eldon (No registration required!)

💻 Visit history.iowa.gov/visit/events for registration information, event details, and our full calendar. 📅

09/30/2026

This week, we were honored to welcome descendants of Inkpaduta to the Abbie Gardner Cabin, where they spent time exploring the site, sharing stories, and connecting with the history preserved there.

Welcoming descendants of Inkpaduta to this historic place, hearing their stories, and learning from their family’s knowledge and traditions made this an especially meaningful visit. We’re grateful for the opportunity to continue building these connections and learning together.

Thank you to the family members who generously shared their time, stories, and knowledge, and to everyone who helped make this special visit possible!

Friends of The Abbie Gardner Cabin Historic Site

We had some very special visitors in the area this week. A group of descendants of Inkpaduta visited both the Abbie Gardner Cabin and the Dickinson County Museum. We so enjoyed their visit and stories! We are looking forward to continuing our friendship, and to learning much more about their history and culture. In this photo, a great-grandson of Inkpaduta examines a ceremonial pipe probably used by Inkpaduta and tells us how he crafts pipes today.

Many thanks to the all the family members for visiting, Anita Bomgaars, Drew Hage, Mike Plummer (State Historical Society of Iowa), Lee Sorenson (Dickinson County Nature Center), Gardner museum docents Jack Jones and Beryl Marra, Jean Ann Myhre and the Dickinson County Museum for making this unforgettable visit happen!

Dickinson County Museum - Iowa State Historical Society of Iowa Dickinson County Nature Friends of The Abbie Gardner Cabin Historic SiteLakes Area Museum Alliance

09/29/2026

🍂 Fall into history this Saturday! 🍁

Start your weekend at the State Historical Museum of Iowa with Mornings at the Museum: Fall Into History! 🍂 From 9 a.m.-12 p.m., families can drop in anytime for a morning of hands-on fun, including a themed scavenger hunt, activities, and a craft inspired by Iowa’s past.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Bring the kiddos, bring your curiosity, and make a morning of it!
📅 Saturday, Oct. 3 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
📍 State Historical Museum of Iowa
🎟️ Free and no registration required!
👉 Learn more: https://history.iowa.gov/events/mornings-museum-not-so-spooky-history

09/21/2026

🎉 We’re proud to celebrate National History Day in Iowa educator Shauna Cihacek (Gerald W. Kirn Middle School, Council Bluffs) on receiving a 2026 American Civic Education Teacher Award from the Center for Civic Education! Congratulations, Shauna, and thank you for inspiring the next generation of historians and engaged citizens. 👏🇺🇸

Iowa Department of Education