5 quirky museums to visit in Davenport

Residents of and visitors to Davenport, Iowa, have likely planned stops at the Figge Art Museum, with its collection of art housed in an impressive glass building you can see on the banks of the Mississippi River, and the Putnam Museum and Science Center, where kids and kids at heart can learn about history and the natural sciences.

But this river town also has some more unique museums that will give you distinct knowledge that is sure to impress guests at your next dinner party. Read on to see if you’ve already discovered these local hidden gems (and if not, be sure to add them to your list!).

Bix Beiderbecke Museum & Archives 

129 N. Main St., Davenport

(563) 293-4046

One of Davenport’s most famous residents is Bix Beiderbecke, a prominent musician and icon of the Jazz era who got his start playing music on the riverboats passing through Davenport on the Mississippi River. Bix is so famous that they even named a seven-mile road race after him; it happens each year in Davenport (with a notably hilly climb out of downtown).

Opened in 1017, the Bix Beiderbecke Museum & Archives allows visitors to learn all about his short (he lived from 1903-1931, dying when he was just 28 and at the height of his career) and impactful life as well as the musical legacy he left behind. The museum, which is both literally and figuratively underground (located in the basement of the River Museum Experience, a live music venue) is now open daily during the week and with limited hours on the weekend. Visitors are encouraged to call and make an appointment for a weekend or evening hours visit.

They also recently launched a guided tour available through an app so visitors can learn as much as possible while visiting the Bix Beiderbecke Museum and experiencing some of the sounds of the Jazz era days gone by.

Mississippi Spoon Gallery

902 E. River Dr., Davenport 

(563) 370-5556

Believe it or not, the world’s largest collection of antique and souvenir spoons is housed at the Mississippi Spoon Gallery right near the heart of downtown Davenport. Spoon collecting was quite the pastime of days gone by and stepping one foot into this truly unique (it’s the first of its kind!) museum will transport you right into the past. There is an impressive collection of sterling silver spoons collected from all over the world mounted on every square inch of wall space.

You’ll learn about the collection starting with the St. Louis World’s Fair spoons, see collections of spoons from indigenous peoples, from Salem, Massachusetts, and the suffragette movement, and even learn about the craft of silversmithing. As they like to say at this museum, every spoon has a story and you are sure to spot at least one piece in the Mississippi Spoon Gallery that piques your interest.

German American Heritage Center & Museum

712 W. 2nd St., Davenport

(563) 322-8844

Right on the banks of the Mississippi River, the German American Heritage Center & Museum in Davenport is set up to tell the stories of German settlers to the area. It’s a fitting setting as Davenport was once called “the most German city, not only in the State, but in all the Middle West, the center of all German activities in the State,” by Joseph Eiboeck, a veteran German newspaperman in 1900.

Because the first passenger railroad crossed the Mississippi in Scott County, Davenport was the introduction to the Upper Midwest region. Millions of German citizens had been immigrating to the United States and in 1900 it was documented that more than half of the residents of Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota were German immigrants or their descendants.

The German American Museum opened in 1994 and to this day keeps up permanent exhibitions and welcomes traveling exhibitions as well in a former hotel, a likely stop for many of the first German immigrants to the area. The historic 1860 building is the ideal setting to tell the immigrant story.

The museum is closed on Mondays but is open for tours every other day of the week. They host many educational programs and events throughout the year as well.

Chiropractic History Museum

115 W. 7th St., Davenport

(563) 884-5714

Palmer College of Chiropractic is a noted and respected institution in the chiropractic community. To help honor the college’s history, they dedicated a portion of one of their buildings on campus to explore the legacy of the Palmer family for which the school is named and the history of chiropractic practice.

There are a number of fascinating historical displays, including the extensive Palmer osteological collection. Before college founder D.D. Palmer started doing adjustments, he began collecting and studying bones. The collection was later added to by other family members and now includes more than 25,000 different specimens, some of which can be viewed while on a visit. The museum also showcases a unique collection of Roycroft furniture items from the early 20th century.

Self-guided tours of the museum are allowed, but arrangements must be made in advance by reaching out to the college.

Davenport School Museum

1702 N. Main St., Davenport

(563) 336-7540

The Davenport School Museum was created to be a resource for learning about and preserving the history of Davenport Community Schools. It covers the elementary, intermediate, and high schools currently and formerly part of the Davenport School District and features several interesting collections, including yearbooks, registration records, and items related to notable students like Bix Beiderbecke (discussed above), Phebe Show (an important figure in the equal rights movement), and Susan Glaspell, an author, playwright, and Pulitzer Prize winner.

The museum first got its start in the 1960s thanks to long-time Davenport School teacher Mary A. Baker, who taught for 42 years in the district and personally saved and preserved many items to start the museum’s collection of artifacts and memorabilia.

Because the museum is currently run by volunteers, all research, tours, and lectures should be set up in advance by calling the museum. However, visitors are also welcome to stop in their permanent location on Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to see the exhibits that are on display free of charge.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.