Accessibility

The GAHC&M prioritizes the accessibility of our building and making it a welcoming space for everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, economic status, and other diverse backgrounds. Explore below to find out more about the steps we are taking to make a more accessible space. If you have questions or concerns regarding ways we can best accommodate you please contact our DEAI Coordinator: Aaron Baker at 563-322-8844 ext. 105 or by email at [email protected].

  • Our parking lot is on the north side of the building. It includes handicap accessible parking spaces.
  • The pathway leading to the entrance is fully handicap accessible as well.
  • Wheelchairs are available for those that need them at no cost.
  • All museum spaces are accessible by wheelchair.
  • Each floor is accessible by elevator.
  • The museum contains 2 restrooms each on both the 1st and 4th floors.
  • All restrooms are handicap accessible.
  • The 4th floor restrooms are both gender neutral.
  • English subtitles are featured in all of the museum’s video content.
  • German subtitles are also available in the introductory video of the permanent exhibit.
  • Sensory kits for children with sensory sensitivities can be checked out at the Front Desk.  The goal of the kits is to provide children with such sensitivities resources that help to ensure a better experience at the museum. 
  • The kits include headphones, sunglasses, communication cards (for non-verbal children) and a fidget toy. Each kit has a different wooden fidget toy made by HABA (a German toy company). 
  • This project was supported by a grant from The American Legion of Iowa Foundation.

 

  • The GAHC&M is a proud participant of the Museums for All initiative. Through Museums for All, those receiving food assistance (SNAP benefits) can gain free or reduced admission to the GAHC&M simply by presenting their EBT card and a photo ID.

 

  • The GAHC&M offers free docent guided tours accompanied by an ASL interpreter. These tours are held quarterly throughout the year.
  • ASL Tours can also be scheduled by appointment.
  • For more information about the quarterly ASL tours or to schedule a tour please contact Aaron Baker at 563-322-8844 ext. 105 or [email protected].
  • ASL tours are available through a grant from the Regional Development Authority.

Regional Development Authority (Quad Cities) logo

  • Service animals are the only animals allowed in the museum at any time. Service animals are dogs that are trained to perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. This can include a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability. Tasks performed by the animal may include pulling a wheelchair, retrieving dropped items, alerting a person to a sound, pressing elevator buttons or a variety of other tasks. The work performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability. This does not include Therapy animals.

German American Heritage Center and Museum

germanamericanheritagecenter

1,280 1,582

Museum exploring the German immigrant experience and history of Davenport and Iowa!

Open
Now Hiring: Paid Tour Guides for the “Darker Side of Davenport” Walking Tours 👻 Share chilling tales of crime and the paranormal in downtown Davenport! The German American Heritage Center and Museum is looking for engaging and reliable tour guides to lead our popular Darker Side of Davenport Walking Tours. These evening tours take guests through the heart of downtown, sharing true stories of historic crime, mystery, and paranormal activity. 🚶 As a guide, you will: - Lead groups along a 1.5-mile walking route, stopping at select downtown locations tied to the city’s darker past. - Present well-researched, engaging stories in a theatrical and informative way. - Represent the German American Heritage Center with professionalism and enthusiasm. Skills Required: - Comfortable with extended periods of walking and standing. - Strong public speaking and storytelling abilities. - Training and historical background information will be provided. 💵 Compensation: $60 per tour 🗓️ Tour Dates: Friday October 24th, Saturday October 25th, and Friday October 31st. 📝 How to Apply: Send a letter of interest to aaron@gahc.org. Applicants will be contacted to schedule a brief interview. Bring Davenport’s haunted history to life—if you dare.

Now Hiring: Paid Tour Guides for the “Darker Side of Davenport” Walking Tours

👻 Share chilling tales of crime and the paranormal in downtown Davenport!
The German American Heritage Center and Museum is looking for engaging and reliable tour guides to lead our popular Darker Side of Davenport Walking Tours. These evening tours take guests through the heart of downtown, sharing true stories of historic crime, mystery, and paranormal activity.

🚶 As a guide, you will:
– Lead groups along a 1.5-mile walking route, stopping at select downtown locations tied to the city’s darker past.
– Present well-researched, engaging stories in a theatrical and informative way.
– Represent the German American Heritage Center with professionalism and enthusiasm.

Skills Required:
– Comfortable with extended periods of walking and standing.
– Strong public speaking and storytelling abilities.
– Training and historical background information will be provided.

💵 Compensation:
$60 per tour

🗓️ Tour Dates:
Friday October 24th, Saturday October 25th, and Friday October 31st.

📝 How to Apply:
Send a letter of interest to [email protected].
Applicants will be contacted to schedule a brief interview.
Bring Davenport’s haunted history to life—if you dare. …

Open
We are a couple weeks away from our first film in our series at the The Last Picture House! 🎥 From Hitler to Hollywood: Film Series at the Last Picture House. Step into the dramatic world of 1930s Hollywood, where the silver screen became a beacon of hope and resistance. As the Nazi regime took hold in Germany, more than 800 filmmakers, directors, actors, technicians, and artists, fled persecution and found refuge in Los Angeles. United by their love of cinema and a determination to survive, these exiles became a vibrant creative community, supporting each other through hardship and forging new pathways in American film. Stay after each film for an optional Q&A session about the films and actors. September 3rd - Sunset Boulevard September 10th - The Big Heat September 17th - Shanghai Express September 24th - From Here to Eternity October 1st - Casablanca* 3 pm or 6 pm showing *Guests with the 5 film pass must choose one of the two showings. Films are $15 each or get a 5 film pass for a discount: GAHC and LPH Members – $50 General Public – $60 Get Tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house Guests will choose their seats upon arrival. Make sure to check in at the GAHC+M table in the lobby. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the German American Heritage Center and Museum's programming.

We are a couple weeks away from our first film in our series at the The Last Picture House!

🎥 From Hitler to Hollywood: Film Series at the Last Picture House.
Step into the dramatic world of 1930s Hollywood, where the silver screen became a beacon of hope and resistance. As the Nazi regime took hold in Germany, more than 800 filmmakers, directors, actors, technicians, and artists, fled persecution and found refuge in Los Angeles. United by their love of cinema and a determination to survive, these exiles became a vibrant creative community, supporting each other through hardship and forging new pathways in American film.

Stay after each film for an optional Q&A session about the films and actors.

September 3rd – Sunset Boulevard
September 10th – The Big Heat
September 17th – Shanghai Express
September 24th – From Here to Eternity
October 1st – Casablanca*
3 pm or 6 pm showing
*Guests with the 5 film pass must choose one of the two showings.

Films are $15 each or get a 5 film pass for a discount:
GAHC and LPH Members – $50
General Public – $60
Get Tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house

Guests will choose their seats upon arrival. Make sure to check in at the GAHC+M table in the lobby.

Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the German American Heritage Center and Museum`s programming. …

Open
The 19th Amendment went into effect on August 18, 1920, giving women the right to vote in the United States. Today we highlight Wilhelmine Kekelaokalaninui Widemann Dowsett: the powerhouse behind Hawaii’s suffrage movement! Born in 1861 in Lihue, Kauai, Dowsett came from a unique mix of heritage: her father, Hermann A. Widemann, was a German immigrant and coffee planter who served as a cabinet minister to Queen Liliʻuokalani, while her mother was a Native Hawaiian chieftess connected to the royal family. This blend of German and Hawaiian roots set the stage for Dowsett’s bridging work on behalf of all women. After witnessing the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and the annexation by the United States, Dowsett founded the National Women’s Equal Suffrage Association of Hawaii (WESAH) in 1912, the first of its kind in the islands. Her efforts united women across backgrounds and faced down lawmakers, often leading groups of hundreds to demand “Votes for Women” right on the House floor! Dowsett’s organization connected Hawaii’s suffragists to influential national groups like the National American Woman Suffrage Association, making the islands’ voices heard in the larger women’s rights movement. Although she didn’t live to see Hawaii become a U.S. state, her activism paved the road for women’s voting rights and inspired generations throughout the United States. Wilhelmine’s legacy is one of cross-cultural leadership, resilience, and unwavering commitment to justice—a true trailblazer for both Native Hawaiian and German-American women everywhere. Photo: Wilhelmine with her father Hermann A. Widemann, c. 1881. Public Domain.

The 19th Amendment went into effect on August 18, 1920, giving women the right to vote in the United States. Today we highlight Wilhelmine Kekelaokalaninui Widemann Dowsett: the powerhouse behind Hawaii’s suffrage movement!

Born in 1861 in Lihue, Kauai, Dowsett came from a unique mix of heritage: her father, Hermann A. Widemann, was a German immigrant and coffee planter who served as a cabinet minister to Queen Liliʻuokalani, while her mother was a Native Hawaiian chieftess connected to the royal family. This blend of German and Hawaiian roots set the stage for Dowsett’s bridging work on behalf of all women.

After witnessing the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and the annexation by the United States, Dowsett founded the National Women’s Equal Suffrage Association of Hawaii (WESAH) in 1912, the first of its kind in the islands. Her efforts united women across backgrounds and faced down lawmakers, often leading groups of hundreds to demand “Votes for Women” right on the House floor!

Dowsett’s organization connected Hawaii’s suffragists to influential national groups like the National American Woman Suffrage Association, making the islands’ voices heard in the larger women’s rights movement. Although she didn’t live to see Hawaii become a U.S. state, her activism paved the road for women’s voting rights and inspired generations throughout the United States.

Wilhelmine’s legacy is one of cross-cultural leadership, resilience, and unwavering commitment to justice—a true trailblazer for both Native Hawaiian and German-American women everywhere.

Photo: Wilhelmine with her father Hermann A. Widemann, c. 1881. Public Domain. …

VISIT US

German American Heritage Center & Museum
712 W 2nd St.
Davenport, IA 52802

HOURS

Tuesdays – Saturdays open 10 am – 4 pm
Sundays open 12 – 4 pm
Closed Mondays

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German American Heritage Center & Museum
712 W 2nd St.
Davenport, IA 52802
Tuesdays – Saturdays open 10 am – 4 pm
Sundays open 12 – 4 pm
Closed Mondays

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