You can always learn a lot about a city from its museums. Through collections of art, music, historic items and interactive exhibits, museums present opportunities for delving into the story of the area you are visiting. Cedar Rapids offers up museums you would expect to find in a city its size, but there are quite a few surprises scattered throughout town. Here are a few that you should “Czech” out.

(During our visit we were guests of Cedar Rapids Tourism. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. )

The National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library

Located on a hill above the Cedar River, a grand museum celebrates two European cultures that contributed greatly to the success of America.  The National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library traces the often-troubled journey of the Czech and Slovak people.  This top notched, Smithsonian affiliated museum houses an impressive permanent collection and traveling exhibits year round. 

On our visit we started at the Immigrant Home, which is just outside the doors of the museum.  The simple structure was one of many homes that once lined the banks of the river housing people who came to Cedar Rapids to work in the factories in the late 1800’s.  While I could say everything about it was “simple” I would be wrong.  A Bohemian family built this one-an-a-half story house.  The father was a carpenter and his detailed touches in the woodwork can be found throughout the home.  It stayed in the family for five generations.  

Museums are a place where you are supposed to learn new things and that was certainly the case at the NCSML.  

Did you know that a Czech writer coined the word “robot”?  Karel Capek did in his book R.U.R. which he wrote a hundred years ago. 

Ever wonder what it was like to ride on a steamer ship across the ocean to settle in a “new world?”  Inside the Faces of Freedom exhibit, you can enter the sleeping quarters of a ship to find out.

Did you know that there was such a thing as Czech Bagpipes? You can listen to them in an interactive exhibit demonstrating the wide range of music you’ll find in the Czech-Slovak region of Europe.

Have you ever heard of a car called the Tatra?  This sleek and somewhat mysterious car is a product of one of the oldest car companies in the world and one is on display in the museum.

And for those, like me, who aren’t exactly sure about the difference between the Czech and Slovak languages, there is an interactive kiosk that will have you speaking phrases in both languages in no time.

 Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

An Iowa farmer holding a pitchfork, standing in front of a small home with his wife;  it’s a painting that has transcended time becoming not only an iconic portrait of rural life in America, but is also the subject of countless parodies.  This classic work of art is American Gothic, a masterpiece that made Iowa native Grant Wood world famous.

Today, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art houses the largest collection of Grant Woods’ work anywhere in the world.  And while you won’t see all of them on display, what is on the floor of the museum gives you a look at the many talents of Grant Wood.  While Wood’s paintings are the focus of the exhibit, visitors might also catch a glimpse of his woodworking skills and artistry with glass.  

There is much more to see at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.  Step into the Atrium, pick up your tickets and explore a wide collection of both modern and historic art pieces.  On our visit,  a couple of pieces really caught my eye.   Both were part of the 125 Masterworks exhibition,  a celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.  One was Mildred Pelzer’s Symphony of Iowa 1833 – 1933 is a massive painting telling the story of the state’s history. The other, which was timely considering the time of our visit during a Presidential election season, was Norman Rockwell’s Election Day 1944, a piece based on Rockwell’s visit to Cedar Rapids during an election season.

There are two floors of art work to explore so visitors can spend plenty of time in the museum admiring everything on display..  When you’ve finished looking at the art you’ll want to head into the part of the building with the gift shop.  While one side of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art has a quite modern feel, the other half has you thinking you stepped back in time with its ornate columns and ceiling.   The gift shop is filled with a wide assortment of items for art lovers of all types.

Veterans Memorial Building

Grant Wood’s most visible art project in Cedar Rapids isn’t on display in a museum, it’s the focal point of one of the city’s most famous buildings which stands tall in on an island in the middle of the Cedar River. The Memorial Window of the Cedar Rapids Veterans Memorial Building stands 24 feet high and is 20 feet wide and while you can definitely enjoy it from the outside of the building, seeing it from the inside makes you appreciate it even more.   Back in the mid 1920’s, the city commissioned the relatively unknown Grant Wood to create this stained glass masterpiece. 

Teri Van Dorston of the Veterans Memorial Commission met us at the Hall to give us a tour.  We spent quite a bit of time at the window where you there seem to be as many interpretations of the meaning behind the elements as there are panes of glass in it.   There are soldiers representing every American war through World War I, the last war fought before the building was constructed.  

Teri told us that Wood went to Germany to have the glass for the window made, immersing himself in the culture of Europe while he was there.   And while that might seem okay now, the decision proved to be quite controversial at the time as many veterans (and others) had just fought the Germans just a few years prior.  Regardless of the controversy, the stained glass window has stood the test of time even surviving record floods along the Cedar River and the 2020 Derecho.

The Memorial Window may be the focal point of the building, it’s far from the only thing to see inside.  Off to each side are museums highlighting veterans from different wars. Memorial Hall is just a short distance from the famed window. This magnificent space has hosted hundreds of concerts, receptions and other large events through the years.   In recent years, the Ballroom in another part of the building was restored to its former glory.   Its floor to ceiling windows provide everyone with an amazing view of the Cedar River and Downtown Cedar Rapids.   The Ballroom, Memorial Hall and another large room underneath it are all available to rent for special occasions.

 African-American Museum of Iowa

The town I live in made history back in 1956, when 12 African-American students integrated a state supported school in the South.  It was a landmark Civil Rights event that many people still don’t know about.  That’s why, when I was looking at places to visit in Cedar Rapids, I really wanted to make sure and visit the African-American Museum of Iowa. 

The museum sits next to one of the bridges crossing the Cedar River in the NewBo Neighborhood of Cedar Rapids.  While it isn’t a particularly large museum, it is filled with important and fascinating exhibits telling the story of African-Americans in the Hawkeye State.

Visitors start with a journey of “Endless Possibilities” a collection of stories and artifacts which set the stage for the trip through the museum.   It is here that you learn about Viola Gibson, the woman who helped reactivate the Cedar Rapids branch of the NAACP after learning her nephew wasn’t allowed to share one of the city’s swimming pools with white children.

From there, the curators of the museum bring you stories and displays that are designed to paint a realistic picture of the struggles and triumphs of African-Americans as they made the journey out of Africa to the shores of America and eventually to the heartland.  There is display showing what a slave ship was like and within it, there is a wheel to spin to see what might have happened if you were captured as a slave back in 1780.

Just a short distance away there are two doors heading into the next section of the museum.  One of them has a “Whites Only” sign above it, while the other says “Colored,” examples of how segregation did reach beyond the South.  The next room is filled with stories about well known Iowans and an historic win in the Iowa Caucuses that ushered in the nation’s first African-American President.

 Grand Lodge of Iowa – A surprising find

After years of watching movies like “National Treasure” and hearing about Freemasons, I was surprised to find out the Masonic Library and Grand Lodge of Iowa is open to the public for tours.  After taking the tour, I highly recommend a visit if you love history and/or art.   The collection of artifacts, artwork and books inside this massive building rival that of most museums I have visited.  Even the building itself is a work of art, clad in shiny white marble and “guarded” by two lions facing First Avenue.

There are several rooms where you can learn more about the Masonic movement and its history in Iowa.  That includes a Grant Wood painting, titles “First Three Degrees of Freemasonry.”  You’ll also catch a glimpse of the Masonic Library which is recognized as one of the most complete Masonic libraries in the world.

Not everything you’ll find in the Grand Lodge is about Freemasons.  There is an extensive collection of artifacts spanning hundreds (if not thousands) of years including a flag flown at the battle of Vicksburg, an extensive collection of currency and stamps and plenty of weapons representing conflicts throughout American history.

(A special note from our visit: The Grand Lodge is a big white building with two lions out front. Don’t confuse it with the Scottish Rite lodge just a couple of blocks away.)

There are other museums in Cedar Rapids and maybe on my next visit, we’ll have a chance to see them too. Grant Wood’s studio is behind the Grand Lodge and is open to the public with limited hours.