Museum Crawl invites people to explore Clayton County’s rich history

By Audrey Posten

History is coming alive this June with the launch of the first-ever Clayton County Museum Crawl. Every Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors can explore the rich and diverse history housed within 13 Clayton County museums.

Participation in the Museum Crawl is free, although some museums charge admittance. Visitors can pick up a Passport to the Past at their first stop, collect stamps at participating museums throughout the month and become eligible for a grand prize basket drawing once they visit at least six locations.

“This event is a wonderful celebration of our county’s heritage,” said Roger Thomas, a representative of the Clayton County Historic Preservation Commission. “It’s a unique opportunity to explore hidden gems, revisit favorite exhibits and support the local museums that work tirelessly to preserve our history for future generations.”

The Clayton County Museum Crawl will feature a variety of experiences, including special exhibits, hands-on activities, live demonstrations and scavenger hunts. Participating museums span the county—from historic homes and pioneer settlements to river history exhibits and one-room schoolhouses.

Those participating include the Marquette Depot Museum and Information Center, Edgewood Museum, Volga Library Historical Exhibit, Monona Historical Museum, McGregor Historical Museum, Lockmaster’s House Heritage Museum in Guttenberg, Garnavillo Historical Museum, Froelich Tractor Museum between McGregor and Monona, Wilder Memorial Museum in Strawberry Point and the George Maier Rural Heritage Center, Elkader Depot Museum, Earthmoving Legacy Center and Motor Mill Historic Site, all in or near Elkader.

The Clayton County Museum Crawl kicked off Sunday, June 1 and continued last weekend. It will run all month. The response from museums has so far been positive. 

Lee Rose, coordinator at the McGregor Historical Museum, said she welcomed families from out of town the first day, as well as a local resident who heard about the event and shared stories about his home and the area.

“It was so much fun to see how excited the kids were to come into the museum,” Rose said. “They did a scavenger hunt the best they could and had so much fun with artwork,” including making their own sand bottles modeled off those by McGregor artist Andrew Clemens. 

At the Depot Museum in Marquette, Deidre Vick-Froehlich said both older adults and kids have participated in the Museum Crawl.

“We do an ‘I Spy,’ which helps kids explore the museum,” she explained. “I heard someone comment today, ‘Oh, this is a good idea.’ It gets more people in and helps them learn about the history and have fun. And it’s fun for me too. Any time you can get people in to look and be able to talk to them, it’s beneficial.”

Praise continued around the county. Board member Carol DeSotel was volunteering at the Garnavillo Historical Museum on June 7. The Museum Crawl expands their location’s normal hours, making it trickier to find volunteers, “but we got it done,” she assured. 

DeSotel is excited that the event “highlights all the museums we have,” particularly Garnavillo’s. “Garnavillo has an interesting history—a long history. We try to have Garnavillo things that pertain to Garnavillo people.”

Farther north, Suzanne Kaber also touted the Monona Historical Museum. Not only does the stop boast the world’s largest collection of hand-carved wooden chains, but it’s a great source for genealogy searches with information from obituaries, military records, churches, organizations and businesses.

“There’s great history with this building and a lot to look at. We just need to get the word out,” Kaber said. 

Those who visit during the Museum Crawl could receive copies of extra school yearbooks, bicentennial editions of the Monona Billboard newspaper and historic lids from the Monona Dairy, which were found behind the building where milk was bottled.

For Sally Stendel at the George Maier Rural Heritage Center in Elkader, “there’s always power in being part of a collective.” She hopes the Museum Crawl can become an annual event.

“Promoting going to all the museums brings awareness. A lot of people have never been here. They know of it, but they’ve never been in,” she said. “But once you get in, you’re usually pretty fascinated.”

McGregor resident Bonnie James, who’s also a member of the McGregor Historical Society, has been inspired to visit every museum. She made it to the Wilder Memorial Museum, Volga Library, Motor Mill, Elkader Depot Museum and Rural Heritage Center the opening day, then visited the museums in Edgewood, Guttenberg and Garnavillo on June 7.

While James had been to several museums on the list previously, the Museum Crawl “is a great opportunity to visit so many museums that we otherwise might not have visited. Now, I want to go back.”

James found each stop unique. Whereas the Wilder Museum in Strawberry Point houses a broad collection ranging from dolls to military and geological artifacts, places like the Elkader Depot are singularly focused. 

The Volga Library Historical Exhibit features a collection of World War I artifacts “that don’t exist anywhere else,” she remarked. 

“That’s what distinguishes the museums,” James noted. “They all have a particular mission.”

James also found the Clayton County Museum Crawl helpful as a museum board member. While some museums operate with coordinators, there are many where trustees/board members and community volunteers keep them open. Knowing what other communities offer can help historical societies work together, too. 

“Seeing all the collections also makes me want to be a better steward of what we have at our McGregor Museum,” she reflected. “We can all be leaders in the idea that small museums are valuable.”

No matter a person’s interest in or knowledge of history, James believes participants will have fun exploring the cultural items and stories local museums have preserved. 

“The museums are open and receptive, and they’re all very different. And everyone’s perspective is going to be different,” James said. “You will develop an understanding of what was important in the past, how the community values the past and how they might go forward to honor that history.”

Visitors can stay up to date on participating locations, special activities and event details by following the “Clayton County Museum Crawl” Facebook page.