Grout Museum of History & Science

The Grout Museum of History & Science explores the cultural and economic history of Waterloo. It located directly next to the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum and is part of the Grout Museum District. It features two permanent exhibits and temporary exhibits, the largest genealogical reference library in northeast Iowa, and the only planetarium in northeast Iowa. One of the permanent exhibits, Engine of the Heartland, shows how Waterloo became an important industrial center. The other permanent exhibit, Pioneer Hall, tells visitors about pioneer life when Iowa became a state in 1846. The genealogical library houses a collection of over 21,000 items including photographs, maps, and oral histories.

The museum is named after Henry Whittemore Grout (1858-1932), who was a local entrepreneur, politician and collector. As an adult he was a railroad worker, farmer, miner, realtor, traveling salesman, and a state legislator from 1910 to 1918. He also traveled extensively and collected items from the places he visited. There were over 2,000 items in his collection by the time he passed away (he died suddenly of a heart attack while giving a talk). Before he died, Grout drafted a will that established an endowment and named trustees to be in charge of the collection, which was first put on display at the YMCA. The current building was erected in 1956 and the museum has remained here ever since.

"Henry W. Grout Dies as He Talks to Optimist Club". Water Daily Courier. June 28, 1932. p. 1. Retrieved September 8, 2021 from Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55005557/henry-w-grout-dies-as-he-talks-to.

"History of Museum." Grout Museum of History & Science. Accessed September 8, 2021. https://www.groutmuseumdistrict.org/sites-exhibits/grout-museum-of-history-and-science/history-of-museum.aspx.