Grout Museum District

01/08/2024

The Grout Museum District will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, January 8th, due to winter weather.

Stay safe out there!

01/05/2024

Experience Waterloo’s brand new visitors guide will be available at the Museum next week! Make sure to grab one on your next visit.

01/05/2024

The Imaginarium is open today until 5PM and tomorrow from 10AM-5PM.

Science demos will be held tomorrow (Saturday) at 11AM, 1:30 & 3PM.

Current Museum District Hours: https://www.groutmuseumdistrict.org/visit/hours.aspx

01/04/2024

Grab your sweetie on February 9 and search for love throughout the cosmos in "Stellar Love" a Valentine planetarium show.

Explore the romance of constellations, planetary unions and galactic relationships. See all the places love can be found in our night sky.

Admission, $20 Members, $25 Non-Members, includes a box of chocolate & champagne. A cash bar and fun photo booth will also be available!

Shows will be held at 6pm, 7pm, and 8pm and spots are limited! Register today to secure yours: https://www.groutmuseumdistrict.org/calendar/stellar-love-planetarium-show-D02092024.aspx

01/02/2024

Imaginarium Winter Hours go in to effect today. The Imaginarium will resume normal hours of operation after March 2.

12/29/2023

Join our team! The Grout Museum District is currently looking for an Outreach Assistant.

Apply here: https://www.groutmuseumdistrict.org/get-involved/careers.aspx

12/29/2023

City of Waterloo, Iowa has been named a World War II Heritage City.

"The American World War II Heritage Cities Program honors the contributions of local towns, cities, counties and their citizens who stepped into the workforce to support America's war effort during World War II. Only one American World War II Heritage City can be designated in each state or territory." https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/national-park-services-announces-new-american-world-war-ii-heritage-cities.htm

The Grout Museum currently has an exhibit on display, "War Work: Defense Manufacturing in the Cedar Valley" that explores Waterloo's contributions to the war effort. https://www.groutmuseumdistrict.org/calendar/cedar-valley--D08152023.aspx View this exhibit Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM.

12/28/2023

Join us today as we recognize one of our staff members for her years of service with the Grout Museum District!

December marked 4 years at the Museum for Jenny, the District's Exhibit Coordinator.

Congratulations, Jenny!

12/27/2023

Visit the Grout Museum District in Waterloo and check out the temporary exhibit- Who We Are: Bosnians in the Cedar Valley.

12/27/2023

The Museum District is open until 5PM today.

Visit the Grout Museum and check out the current in-house exhibits; The Toybox: Generations of Play, War Work: Defense Manufacturing in the Cedar Valley, and Who We Are: Bosnians in the Cedar Valley.

Catch a Planetarium show at 11, 1:30 or 3 PM at the Grout and science demos at the same time at the Imaginarium!

12/26/2023

Spend your winter break with the Grout Museum District! We're open today through Saturday, 10AM-5PM. Daily planetarium shows and science demos will be held at 11AM, 1:30 & 3PM.

While visiting, make sure to stop by the Toy Exhibit at the Grout Museum! Mr. Spud has a few new hats, and customizing the giant Lite Brite is always fun!

12/21/2023

A friendly reminder that the Grout Museum District will be closed tomorrow through Christmas Day, December 25.

The District will be open December 26-30 from 10AM-5PM with planetarium shows and science demos at 11, 1:30 & 3.

Please note that the Imaginarium will have new winter hours in the new year!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

12/21/2023

Optum will be in the Imaginarium parking lot until noon today offering free exams for Veterans.

12/20/2023

Still in need of a few last minute gifts? Purchase a Museum Membership or a Veterans Plaque on the Wilbur and Mildred Demmel and Melvin Juel Veterans Memorial Plaza.

Memberships start at $75 and allow the card holder year-long admission to all GMD sites, discounts in the store, on programs and facility rentals as well as admission to 100s of museums across the US through a reciprocal program. It's a gift that truly keeps on giving! https://www.groutmuseumdistrict.org/get-involved/membership.aspx

Veterans Plaques are $200 and are the perfect way to recognize and honor a special veteran in your life. Each plaque displays name, branch and years of service. Plaques are indefinitely displayed on the Wilbur and Mildred Demmel and Melvin Juel Veterans Memorial Plaza. https://www.groutmuseumdistrict.org/store/c10/veteran-memorial-plaque/p67/veteran-memorial-plaque/

12/20/2023

Tom Brickman was a valued volunteer here at the Grout Museum District. A Vietnam veteran, he secured the photos of all the Iowans who were killed in Vietnam for the Museum's "Faces to go with Names" kiosk and he also sent them to the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.

Tom contributed a great deal of his time to the Museum's 2015 Vietnam Exhibit, assisting with its construction and creating dog tags for every fallen Iowan, by hand. These dog tags are now on display in the permanent Vietnam portion of the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum.

Tom also prepared and served chili for several Sullivan Brothers Veterans Memorial 5K/10K runs and other events here at the museum -- including the 2022 run, even though he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Tom served in the 196th Light Infantry Brigade in Vietnam and was a longtime custodian at the Janesville Schools.

The Museum District will miss his positive attitude and great spirit.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/waverlydemocrat/name/thomas-brickman-obituary?id=53882645

12/19/2023

Each manned mission into space requires a hand-picked crew of astronauts. At NASA, the astronaut crew works with a graphic designer to create a patch representing the crew and their mission.

Enter the NASA Iowa Space Grant Consortium Design Sprint Challenge to have a chance to be the mission patch designer for a new ISGC "mission" in STEM education! ISGC is partnering with their informal education and outreach affiliates to launch an innovative ISGC internship program.

ISCG invites the state of Iowa to help design a mission patch for the new program that pairs student interns interested in STEM and STEM education with a museum/science center affiliate.

The affiliates participating in this new program are:

- National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
- Grout Museum District
- Putnam Museum
- Science Center of Iowa

For full design sprint information, visit:https://www.iaspacegrant.org/files/2023/12/ISGC-EO-Mission-Patch-Design-Sprint-.pdf

12/18/2023

Happy Holidays from your friends at the Grout Museum District!

Please note our holiday hours, and new winter Imaginarium hours that will begin in 2024.

12/15/2023

Join us in recognizing long time volunteers and donors, Howard and Roberta Craven!

The couple have recently made a donation to the Grout Museum District to fund landscaping efforts in front of the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum. The Cravens, along with their grandsons, Luke and Cole Earnest, have also spent approximately 60 hours cleaning up other outdoor areas at the District.

Howard Craven has been a volunteer with the Grout Museum District for over two decades. He has helped with numerous projects over the years and enjoys assisting with keeping the Museum exterior looking nice. His grandson, Luke, said “When grandpa sees something that needs to be done, he does it!”

The Museum thanks them for their generosity and support! We could not continue to do what we do here at the Museum District without our volunteers and donors!

12/13/2023

Update: The Imaginarium remains closed on Friday, December 15 due to low staffing. Thank you for understanding!
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Update: Due to low staffing, the Imaginarium will remain closed today, Thursday, December 14.
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The Bluedorn Science Imaginarium will be closing at 3PM Wednesday, December 13.

We apologize for the inconvenience!

12/13/2023

Tomorrow is your last chance to sign up for this Saturday's Yule Tidings Tea Party! Mr. & Mrs. Clause will be in attendance; the perfect photo opportunity!

Secure your spot now: https://www.groutmuseumdistrict.org/calendar/yule-tidings-tea-party-D12162023.aspx

Join us on December 16 for a Yule Tidings Tea Party at the historic Snowden House!

Enjoy a variety of foods including Christmas cupcakes and cookies. Make popsicle stick Christmas Tree ornaments, decorate your own gift box, complete a Christmas wordsearch, play "Pin the nose on Rudolph," and "Minute to Win It Jingle Bell Toss!"

Tea Parties are $10 for members and $12 for non-members. Pre-registration is required by December 14. Sign up today! https://www.groutmuseumdistrict.org/calendar/yule-tidings-tea-party-D12162023.aspx

12/13/2023

12/12/2023

Give a gift that gives all year long; a membership to the Grout Museum District or a plaque for a Veteran in your life on the Wilbur and Mildred Demmel and Melvin Juel Veterans Memorial Plaza.

Museum Memberships allow the card holder unlimited access to all GMD sites and the planetarium for a full year, discounts on programs, store purchases, and event rentals and access to museums across the US through reciprocal programs. Memberships start at $75: https://www.groutmuseumdistrict.org/get-involved/membership.aspx

Our plaques are a special way to honor a Veteran. The $200 plaque includes name, branch and years of service. Once created and installed, plaques remain on the plaza indefinitely: https://www.groutmuseumdistrict.org/store/c10/veteran-memorial-plaque/p67/veteran-memorial-plaque/

12/11/2023

Ryan Christoffer is the Elementary Curriculum Coordinator for the Waterloo Community Schools. Ryan attended Museum School as a child, experienced it again through his own children, and with the Waterloo Schools.

Ryan sat down with the Museum and talked about his experience with the program as well as his favorite Museum School memories.

Help the Museum continue to offer Museum School to area third graders! Visit www.gmdistrict.org/donate to support.

12/08/2023

Join us on December 16 for a Yule Tidings Tea Party at the historic Snowden House!

Enjoy a variety of foods including Christmas cupcakes and cookies. Make popsicle stick Christmas Tree ornaments, decorate your own gift box, complete a Christmas wordsearch, play "Pin the nose on Rudolph," and "Minute to Win It Jingle Bell Toss!"

Tea Parties are $10 for members and $12 for non-members. Pre-registration is required by December 14. Sign up today! https://www.groutmuseumdistrict.org/calendar/yule-tidings-tea-party-D12162023.aspx

12/08/2023

Thank you to John Deere for renting the Museum's Mess Hall for your Formal Recognition Luncheon yesterday. And a BIG thank you to our wonderful volunteers who helped make the rental run seamlessly; (pictured left to right) Luanne Puhl, Marcea Seible, and Marilyn Rasmussen. Not pictured: Joe Pryor, Julie Zell, and Alice Rohret.

12/08/2023

Oral Historian, Pat Kinney, recently sat down with attorney, business consultant and Grout Museum District Board Member Matthew Gilbert to talk about 415 Walnut Collective and the restoration of the 115-year-old former Walnut Street Baptist Church.

To learn more, the full interview is now available on our blog:
https://www.groutmuseumdistrict.org/about/news/coalition-finding-new-life-for-centuryold-waterloo-church-building.aspx

12/07/2023

December 7th is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

We take a moment to remember those lives who were lost, including Iowans like Francis Manske, on what would go on to become a "Date which will live in infamy."