Browse Museums

Hoslett Museum of Natural History
Decorah, Iowa

Natural History, University

The Hoslett collections include the Alois F. Kovarik Memorial Plant Collection, the P.B. Peabody-Frances C. Bordner Memorial Bird Egg and Nest collection, over 1000 plant specimens, over 5,000 vertebrate specimens, and over 6,000 invertebrate specimens.

Luther College Ethnographic and Archaeological Collections
Decorah, Iowa

Anthropology, Archaeology, Culture, History, Library, University

Luther College is the home of five distinct collections which provide students and faculty with access to original materials for instructional and research purposes. Together, the Luther College Archives, Anthropology Collections, Fine Arts Collection, Geology Collection, and the Hoslett Museum of Natural History contain well over a million items, ranging from rare eggs to fine art, ancient fossils to arrowheads, and insects to college memorabilia. The collections' supervisors work closely with the college's Museum Studies Program to provide on-site study, work, and research experiences.

Luther College Fine Arts Collection
Decorah, Iowa

Art, Culture, Library, University

The Luther College Fine Arts Collection presents fine art works to students and the larger community. While many of the artists represented in the Collection originated from the upper midwest, exemplified by College Artist Orville Running, most notable works were created by artists outside that area. Collection concentrations include works by California potter Marguerite Wildenhain; German Expressionist Gerhard Marcks, and New York artist Frans Wildenhain. Norwegian-American art, principally represented by the artist Herbj?rn Gausta, pre-Columbian pottery; and Inuit sculptures are also prominent elements of the Fine Arts Collection.

Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Decorah, Iowa

Children's, Culture, General, History

With over 24,000 artifacts and 16 historic buildings, this national treasure showcases the best in historic and contemporary Norwegian folk and fine arts, and explores the American immigrant experience. "USA Today" named Vesterheim one of “ten great places in the nation to admire American folk art.” Come for our folk-art classes, holiday festivals, special group tours, or any time. Open all year (closed on Mondays from November through April).

Luther College Archives
Decorah, Iowa

History

The Luther College archives holds primary source material of enduring value related to the college, its faculty, alumni and founding congregations. Over 1,800 linear feet of institutional records, personal papers, photographs, and other media are available for research projects, curricula development, and special events. The archives endowment fund provides additional support for special projects. The reading room is located on the third floor of Preus Library.

Luther College Fine Arts Collection
Decorah, Iowa

Art

The Collection is supervised by Fine Arts Collection Curator, Kate Elliott, with assistance from Gallery Coordinator, David Kamm. Numbering over 1,500 works, the Collection contains art dating from ca. 500 BCE to the present but focuses on art produced in the 20th century. While many of the artists represented in the Collection originated from the upper midwest, exemplified by College Artist Orville Running, most notable works were created by artists outside that area. Collection concentrations include works by California potter Marguerite Wildenhain; German Expressionist Gerhard Marcks, and New York artist Frans Wildenhain.

Luther College Geology Collection
Decorah, Iowa

Natural History

Houses collections of minerals, rocks, fossils. Special collections include the Marguerite Wildenlain Collection of minerals and rocks and the Wallace Skarshaug Collection which includes a fine suite of plant fossils from Mazon Creek. Our main strength is in the Cambro-Ordovician of the Upper Mississippi Valley.

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

2025 Tennessee Association of Museums Conference: HOPE

March 11 - 14, 2025

Knoxville, Tennessee

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

March 15 - 18, 2025

Blacksburg, Virginia

Ohio Museum Asociation 2025 Annual Conference - Athens

March 29 - 31, 2025

Athens, Ohio

North Carolina Museums Council 2025 Annual Conference

March 30 - 31, 2025

Raleigh, North Carolina

Arkansas Museums Association 2025 Conference

March 31 - April 3, 2025

Washington, Arkansas

RECENT UPDATES

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Museum Associations

03/05 Florida Association of Museums

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