From the Heartland to the Heavens

Pretend you're a pioneer. Reach for the stars. Explore your ancestry. Your curiosity will take you far.

The Grout Museum of History and Science features permanent and continually changing exhibitions of area history, regional flora and fauna, and the only public planetarium in Northeast Iowa.

It's also home to the Hans J. Chryst Library/Archives, northeast Iowa's largest genealogical reference library. The library also contains an archival collection numbering 21,617 maps, photographs, oral histories, audio/video tapes, clippings and documents relating to the Cedar Valley.

Planetarium Shows

September-May

Wednesday
3pm

Saturday
11am, 1:30pm & 3pm

June-August

Tuesday-Saturday
11am, 1:30pm & 3pm

Engine of the Heartland

View the evolution of Waterloo from a small county seat town into a Midwest industrial center. Machines of transportation and power are featured along with agri-production, food processing, farm implement manufacturing, and printing. Interactive elements and compelling displays allow you to explore the events and people that make up the "engine of the heartland."

Pioneer Hall

Experience what life was like around the time Iowa became a state in 1846. Life-size scenes, a mural of the prairie before the pioneers came, and a computer kiosk help tell the story of pioneer life.

From Black Soil to Golden Ears

Enjoy hands-on learning with this new exhibit that includes how a silo works, products made from corn and the biology of corn.
Sponsored by Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area

Star Parties

Join our staff for free stargazing parties on select evenings, May through September. Explore the night sky with our telescopes, or bring your own and share your enthusiasm and knowledge of astronomy with others. Star parties will not be held if it's cloudy, so check the skies before heading to the park. View the 2012 Star Parties Brochure for dates, times and locations.