1 Museum Drive, Ottumwa, IA 52501

  • Hours: Wednesday - Friday 10a-4p
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About

About Us

The Iowa Heartland Museum exhibits draw from its 20,000 item collection and trace the history and cultures of the region from natural history and pre-Columbian Amerindian life, through early European and American settlers, the emergence of a 19th-century agricultural and industrial hub and Victorian America, and 20th and 21st-century Midwestern life.

Our Mission

The mission of the Wapello County Historical Society (d/b/a Iowa Heartland History Connection) is to collect, preserve, and convey the history of southeastern Iowa. This includes but is not limited to, documents, printed materials, images, and artifacts, in order to increase and enrich our community, through educational programs, printed materials, and exhibits.

We are a private non-profit organization (501c3); not funded by the county. We rely on volunteerism, donations, gifts, memorials, sponsorships, and grants.

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Our History

The Wapello County Historical Society officially organized on October 14, 1959 with a mission to collect, preserve, and convey the rich history of Wapello County, Iowa for the community and visitors.
 
Since 1959, the Society has called a number of locations home. After 34 years in its previous location in the historic Burlington Depot, the Society purchased its new location in early 2020.
 
The new location features a new name and three distinct departments; museum, research services and archive, and events and programming space. Sitting at the crossroads of Midwestern industry, commerce, community, and culture, the Iowa Heartland History Connection is a destination in Southeast Iowa.

 

What a great little place to showcase a slice of history in your own hometown! I went with my son on his college break, and we had so much fun looking around at all of the history! The atmosphere was super relaxed, and nobody else was there, so we could look around at a leisurely pace! The gift shop had some fun gifts, as well as books. We found a few books that featured Michael W. Lemberger (local, late photographer), Doug Potter, and Leigh Michaels that we bought so that we could take some history with us!! We will definitely be back to check out the infamous Lionel Train! There was a fun kid’s room, too!
JessicaOttumwa, IA
Very neat place to go back in history. The staff was great and very knowledgeable.
PhilOttumwa, IA
Absolutely delightful. Thank you for all your work! It was a perfect field trip and loved how into it all the kids were!
Ottumwa, IA

As part of our commitment to serving you better, the Iowa Heartland History Connection will be temporarily closed during the holidays and through January and February 2026.

This strategic decision allows us to focus on planning exciting new exhibits, refreshing our space, and preparing for a vibrant spring season! Historically, these months see lower visitor traffic, making it the perfect time for us to enhance your future museum experience.

We look forward to welcoming you back with new exhibits and exciting events in March 2026!