The Grout Museum District is a set of museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

s in Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...

. The District consists of the Grout Museum of History & Science, Bluedorn Science Imaginarium, Rensselaer Russell House Museum, Snowden House, and the Sullivan Brothers

Sullivan brothers

The Sullivan brothers were five siblings who were all killed in action during or shortly after the sinking of the light cruiser USS Juneau , the vessel on which they all served, on November 13, 1942, in World War II....

 Iowa Veterans Museum.

General history

The museum started with the private collection and endowment of Henry W. Grout

Henry W. Grout

The Honorable Henry Whittemore Grout was a financier, state legislator, and philanthropist from Waterloo, Iowa. The Grout Museum is one of his legacies.- External links :*...

, a Waterloo financier

Financier

Financier is a term for a person who handles typically large sums of money, usually involving money lending, financing projects, large-scale investing, or large-scale money management. The term is French, and derives from finance or payment...

 and legislator

Legislator

A legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are usually politicians and are often elected by the people...

. The original Henry W. Grout Historical Museum was dedicated in October, 1934.

The district is a nonprofit educational entity that is active in engaging the students and all people from the surrounding communities. The district is accredited by the American Association of Museums

American Association of Museums

The American Association of Museums is a non-profit association that has brought museums together since its founding in 1906, helping develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and advocating on issues of concern to the museum community...

.

Grout Museum of History & Science

The first museum which would grow into the museum district was displayed for many years in the building that was the local YMCA

YMCA

The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...

. The current building was completed and opened to the public as a not for profit museum in 1956.

Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum

Opened in November 2008 at a cost of eleven million dollars funded in part by a grassroots campaign by average citizens. This museum is the site for a copy of The Lone Sailor

The Lone Sailor

The Lone Sailor, a 1987 bronze sculpture, is a tribute to all the personnel of the sea services. The sculpture was created by Stanley Bleifeld for the United States Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C....

statue, honoring sea service veterans. The statue stands in front of the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum.

Rensselaer Russell House Museum

The Rensselaer Russell House, located at 520 W. 3rd Street in Waterloo, Iowa. Built in 1858, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

. Rensselaer and Caroline Russell built the house utilizing Italianate architecture

Italianate architecture

The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...

 in 1861 for $5,878.83.

Bluedorn Science Imaginarium

The Carl A. and Peggy J. Bluedorn Science Imaginarium

Imaginarium

An imaginarium refers to a place devoted to the imagination. There are various types of imaginariums, centers largely devoted to stimulating and cultivating the imagination, towards scientific, artistic, commercial, recreational, or spiritual ends....

 opened in 1993 and provides both interactive exhibits and formal demonstrations in various fields of science.

Snowden House

A two-story brick Victorian era house built in 1875, is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was once used as the Waterloo Woman's Club. The front lawn of the house was used for Michele Bachmann

Michele Bachmann

Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...

's Presidential Candadacy announcement on June 27, 2011.

Picture Gallery