Shelby County Historical Museum

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Shelby County Historical Museum Shelby County Historical Museum is located in historic Potter's Park, just one block west of 12th Street in Harlan, Iowa. Admission is FREE.

Stop by and see us!

1805 Morse Avenue
Harlan, Iowa 51537

09/16/2026

🎃 Western Iowa Arts Association & Harlan Community Theatre are Looking for Actors! 👻

The Western Iowa Arts Association and Harlan Community Theatre are partnering with the Shelby County Historical Museum for a special one-night Halloween event on *Friday, October 30th!*

More details about this exciting event and partnership will be announced as plans continue to develop.

We are currently looking for actors and performers to participate in two different types of roles:

👻 Haunted Historical Character Actors:
Portray a historical figure with a haunted twist! These performers will have a few prepared talking points to learn and use while interacting with guests throughout the evening.

🧟 Scare Actors:
Bring the scares! We are looking for performers who enjoy creating a spooky, fun, and entertaining Halloween experience. Scare actors will also be responsible for helping prepare their own costumes.

📅 Date: Friday, October 30th
🕡 Event Time: 6:30 PM
🎭 Commitment: One Night
⏰ Call Time: Earlier call time will be determined and communicated as plans are finalized.

Whether you love history, character acting, Halloween, or simply enjoy giving people a good scare, we'd love to have you involved!

*Interested in participating? Please fill out our interest survey below!*

🔗 https://forms.gle/B7GtgLwF6Qj98XJo7

For questions regarding the event, please contact the Shelby County Historical Museum:

📞 712-755-2437
📧 [email protected]

More exciting event details will be shared soon! 🎃👻

In 1928, the "most documented exorcism in history," and the last known to be performed in Iowa, occurred over 23 days ri...
09/15/2026

In 1928, the "most documented exorcism in history," and the last known to be performed in Iowa, occurred over 23 days right here in our little corner of Iowa. The affair took place in Earling, and inspired a lot of modern supernatural media, with the records taken during the ordeal serving as one of the basis for much of the modern supernatural lore in the United States.

During the exorcism, four spirits were expelled from the victim. Two of them were her father, Jacob, who had cursed her, and her aunt, Mina, who was a witch. These two spirits were greatly weakened by the ritual expulsion and the power of the priest and the church, but now, nearly 100 years later, they have gained back some strength. They do not yet have enough power to affect the living as they once did, but by joining their power together, they have succeeded in unleashing a powerful curse. The old and unmoving artifacts here in the Shelby County Historical Museum have taken the brunt of the curse.

The curse was discovered when the museum director came in one morning and found mannequins had spread around the museum, appearing out of the corner of her eye whenever she lowered her guard. The curse is luckily still weak, but as winter approaches and the veil between worlds weakens, as the most haunted night of the year draws nearer, the curse will grow drastically in power. Already, the director is beginning to hear movement around the building when she looks away. On October 30, the day before All Hallows' Eve, our exhibits will come alive, and evil spirits will prowl in the shadows. At dawn on Halloween, the curse becomes permanent, but it cannot be broken until it truly activates. We only have one night to figure out how to break the curse.

Will you be the one to find the answer and set us all free?

🎃👻🌙

Today we recognize 25 years since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in 2001.4 planes, 19 hijackers, nearly 3,000 casualties....
09/11/2026

Today we recognize 25 years since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in 2001.

4 planes, 19 hijackers, nearly 3,000 casualties.

No matter who or where you were, everyone in this country was affected. Every community was touched, every life impacted, in those moments when our world stood still. Everyone either knows someone with a story or has their own story of that day. Take a moment to reflect on where you were, what you were doing, who you were with. What were you thinking about it that moment when you first heard the news? What did you do after?

Devastation has a way of making life hold its breath, of making time pause. Today, on the 25th anniversary, take the time reflect on a moment of silence for those lost and those who lost someone. This was a tragedy, but it brought together families and communities in a way that is so rarely seen. Take the time to hug someone close to you and remind them they are loved.

For more information on this anniversary, please check out the 9/11 memorial’s website:
https://www.911memorial.org/marking-25th-anniversary

If you have any memories of that day, 25 years ago, we’d love to hear them! Please feel free to share your stories with us by commenting here or by emailing us at [email protected].

Today, let’s not be alone. Let’s take a moment together to remember, to grieve, to hope, to dream… to love. And maybe this day of darkness can see a bit of light that isn’t the raging fire of a changing world and a falling landmark.

#🇺🇸🗽 #🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

08/19/2026

ANNOUNCEMENT
Wednesday, August 19

Due to staff obligations off site this morning, the museum will be closed until noon today.

Any questions or concerns until that time may be directed to [email protected] or by calling (712)755-2437 and will be addressed as soon as possible.

A Fond Farewell & A New Adventure Ahead 💛After a year and a half of making a little bit of museum magic, the time has co...
08/12/2026

A Fond Farewell & A New Adventure Ahead 💛

After a year and a half of making a little bit of museum magic, the time has come for me to say farewell to the Shelby County Historical Museum.

When I joined the museum in March 2025 as the Administrative-Operations Assistant (aka your Museum Magic Maker), I expected to spend my days helping with the behind-the-scenes work that keeps a museum running. What I didn’t expect was just how much this place (and the people who make it special) would become a part of my own story.

Over my time spent with the museum, I’ve had the privilege of researching local stories, creating social media content, helping with projects and grants, welcoming visitors, working alongside our incredible volunteers and board members, and, most importantly, listening to the stories of the people who make Shelby County what it is.

I’ve learned that history isn’t simply something we find in books, photographs, or artifacts. History lives in people. It lives in the stories we inherit, the memories we share, the places we call home, and the countless threads of everyday lives that come together to create something much bigger than any one person.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who welcomed me, taught me something, trusted me with their stories, and let me be a small part of preserving them. This community has given me far more than I could have expected when I walked through the museum doors in March 2025.

And while one chapter is coming to a close, another grand adventure is just beginning. ✨

I’m excited to see where the road ahead takes me, but I know I’ll carry a little piece of Shelby County (and all of its wonderful stories) with me wherever I go.

Thank you for letting me be your Museum Magic Maker. It has truly been a privilege. ❤️

With heartfelt gratitude,
Margaux Justice
Museum Magic Maker
March 2025 – August 2026

08/11/2026

Before it became bread pudding, it had to become bread!

On this week’s episode of Hearth & Heritage, we’re going back to the beginning with Knittle Bread, a recipe from the Knittle Family at Living History Farms.

And if you joined us last week, you may remember that the leftover Knittle Bread found a second life as our old-fashioned bread pudding! This week, we’re showing you where that delicious story started.

Recipes like this remind us that history isn’t always found in grand events or important dates. Sometimes, it’s in the kitchen; in the breads we bake, the recipes we pass down, and the ways a simple loaf can bring people together.

Find the episode and follow along on our YouTube channel ▶ https://youtu.be/87PXFo-pDAE?si=cfTCs9Dt-OB4vNgy

Before it became bread pudding, it had to become bread!On this week’s episode of Hearth & Heritage, we’re going back to ...
08/11/2026

Before it became bread pudding, it had to become bread!

On this week’s episode of Hearth & Heritage, we’re going back to the beginning with Knittle Bread, a recipe from the Knittle Family at Living History Farms.

With a few simple ingredients: warm water, butter, sugar, eggs, salt, flour, and yeast; this recipe turns into a hands-on breadmaking process. The dough is kneaded, allowed to rise, punched down, and given another chance to rise before being shaped into rolls or loaves and baked until golden.

And if you joined us last week, you may remember that the leftover Knittle Bread found a second life as our old-fashioned bread pudding! This week, we’re showing you where that delicious story started.

Recipes like this remind us that history isn’t always found in grand events or important dates. Sometimes, it’s in the kitchen; in the breads we bake, the recipes we pass down, and the ways a simple loaf can bring people together.

Find the episode and follow along on our YouTube channel ▶ https://youtu.be/87PXFo-pDAE?si=cfTCs9Dt-OB4vNgy

08/05/2026

Before there was Spotify or even radio, people listened to records by playing them on machines like this one! This is a special type of phonograph called a Victrola. A Victrola revolutionized home audio systems by hiding the horn (the equivalent of a speaker) inside a decorative cabinet.

Our Victrola is spring operated, meaning we power it by winding a crank to tightend a spring and then release the catch so that the spring slowly loosens, spinning the turn table the record is seated on. As the table - and therefore the record - spin, a special type of needle made out of a soft metal runs through the channel carved in the surface of the record. Tiny bumps and grooves in the channel cause the needle to vibrate as it passes over them, and the Victrola turns those vibrations into sound and plays them back to you as music!

It is important the the needles used are a soft metal, so as to not damage the fragile records and affect the sound over time. Because they are made out of a soft metal, they wear down with each use, making it important to use a new needle every time!

We are very fortunate to not only have a collection of records to accompany our phonograph, but needles as well!

This song was written by an Angelican cleric in 1847 as its writer was dying of tuberculosis. Nowadays, it is typically set to the tune "Eventide," written by an organist named William Henry Monk in 1861.

Can you name this song?

🍨 July temperatures called for ice cream... so who were we to argue?On this week's episode of Hearth & Heritage, we dust...
07/31/2026

🍨 July temperatures called for ice cream... so who were we to argue?

On this week's episode of Hearth & Heritage, we dusted off a recipe for old-fashioned bread pudding from the Laurel Fourth Grade Bicentennial Cookbook, a community treasure donated to the museum in 1976. Served with vanilla bean ice cream, this historic dessert was every bit as delicious today as it was fifty+ years ago.

Proof that some of the best recipes, and stories, are hiding in the pages of old cookbooks. Try it out and let us know what you think! Find the episode and follow along on our YouTube channel ▶️ https://youtu.be/F5YOuJTnK_0?si=ZW0zxHGdXIP6MRJI

🫖 Thank You for Joining Us!Our inaugural Tea Social is in the books, and we couldn't be more grateful to all who took th...
07/28/2026

🫖 Thank You for Joining Us!

Our inaugural Tea Social is in the books, and we couldn't be more grateful to all who took the time to escape the heat and join us. (Peep the snapshots down below!) We were delighted to spend the afternoon with you sharing tea, seeking hidden treasures, and discussing our nation's revolutionary history.

The success of this first gathering was made possible by our fabulous hosts (shout out to our new director Maggie Buman and member Linda Mosher), as well as our wonderful guests! Your enthusiasm and participation helped create a welcoming and memorable experience for us all.

If you weren't able to join us this time, don't worry ~ our Tea Socials are just beginning! We're already looking forward to our next gathering in October, where we'll celebrate all things Home & Harvest with another afternoon of fellowship, history, and tea.

Thank you for helping us make our first Revolutionary Tea Social a tremendous success. We hope to see you at the next one! 🍂☕✨

Address

1805 Morse Avenue
Harlan, IA
51537

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

(712) 755-2437

Website

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