175 Years of Iowa Statehood

Virtual Programs

Iowa History Book Club (Adults)
- To commemorate Iowa’s 175th year of statehood, the State Historical Society of Iowa takes a deep dive into some of the best books about Iowa’s fascinating history. The Iowa History Book Club is hosted by the editor of The Annals of Iowa, and a guest author every three months for an online discussion about each book.
Iowa History 101 Series (Adults)
- Iowa History 101 is a 60-minute online learning series that focuses on the past lives of Iowans to help commemorate the 175th anniversary of Iowa. The Iowa History 101 webinars share Iowa stories and the history of the state through a cultural history lens on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month.
Days of Learning (Adults, Children & Families, Educators)
- The Days of Learning program connects educators, students, parents and lifelong learners from around the state with dynamic programming to showcase Iowa’s arts, history, humanities and film.
Iowa Stories (Adults)
- Iowa Stories is a one-hour learning showcase free and open to the public. Since 2007, over 70 historians and scholars have shared their knowledge on a wide array of Iowa topics.
Annals of Iowa (Adults)
- Subscribe to The Annals of Iowa and receive a special 175th anniversary edition in October. Crowd-Sourced Activities It’s important to collaborate with the public to increase interest in and ownership of Iowa history. The additional resources/ activities below were created to commemorate statehood through crowd-sourced resources.
“Iowa’s People & Places” Pop-Up Display (Local Historical & Cultural Organizations)
- The State Historical Society of Iowa is offering cultural, historical and other organizations a pop-up display to commemorate 13,000 years of history. (Available at the Mary J Barnett Memorial Library for viewing)
Portraits of Iowans Postcards (Adults, Children & Families, Educators)
- The self-portrait postcards are available at the museum and online. Submissions will be featured as a part of the 175th anniversary.

Hybrid Programs (In-Person & Virtual)

Museum Exhibit (Adults, Children & Families, Educators)
- Patrons can visit the “Iowa’s People & Places” exhibit at the State Historical Museum of Iowa. They also can take a virtual tour of the exhibit, which is available on the museum’s website.
Goldie’s Kids Club (Children & Families)
- Goldie’s Kids Club introduces children aged 12 and under to Iowa history. Goldie’s Kids Club membership, which is free, offers in-person, hybrid and digital programs to commemorate statehood. Some of these activities/programs include: At-Home Expeditions, Innovative Iowans, summer state capitol grounds tours and live, virtual programs.
- Goldie at Home: Innovative Iowans activity for children and adults to do together at home. These programs involve interactive activities that connect history with STEAM education – science, technology, engineering, art and math. The easy-to-follow instructions require few materials and can provide children with a fun, hands-on approach to Iowa history.