The Kalona Historical Village and Museum is continuing its work to expand and add new exhibits following a summer filled with summer camps, village tours and presentations.

As the new Wahl Museum building opened this past April with exhibits covering areas of the Kalona area’s history such as the Native Americans and pioneer settlements, western railroad expansion,  high school alumni room, the historical village has applied for a Washington County Riverboat Foundation grant to begin setting up for a devastation and prosperity exhibit. Managing Director Nancy Roth explains how this will give residents a look into the devastating fires Kalona experienced in its early years and how the community responded, “We’re gonna talk about prosperity because the community of Kalona still pulled together and they rebuilt. And to be honest I think it’s what still makes our community strong today.”

The new building was erected in 2017 to replace the former Wahl Museum that was torn down. Roth says that families from all over Iowa and the United States have stopped in to see the new exhibits and she is very excited to see how the historical village will continue to grow. The village is also preparing for its annual fall festival happening September 24-25. For more information on the exhibits visit here.