Community Open House

germanamericanheritagecenter

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

👻 🎃 Happy Halloween! Today we want to share some interesting items from our collection…
For those with morbid curiosities or and interest in the macabre, these are some of the more eerie items we have in our collection:

1. This is a memorial hair weaving from the Victorian period. Memorial hair art was a trend in the 19th century to memorialize and have a keepsake from loved ones. This one was made in 1868 in Germany and belonged to the Kindig family who immigrated to Iowa from Germany in the 1880s.

2 & 3. This small hair curl was made from Marie Lueschen`s hair. The following image is a photo of "Grandma Lueschen."

4. This necklace chain was made from human hair and includes a photo pendant. This belonged to the Becker family who lived in Scott County.

5 & 6. This news clipping refers to Henry Koltzau, a resident of Davenport who built his own casket. Henry was born in Germany in 1859 and immigrated to Iowa and worked as a cabinet maker and woodworker. He died in Davenport in 1936. The next photo is an image of his casket.

Do you have any morbid family heirlooms? 🎃🐦‍⬛👹🦇🕸️

As a museum and collection institution, we collect items related to German immigrants` lives in Scott County. If you have any family items or special history about your ancestors, inquire with the museum if you have a possible donation. Most of our collection is built on donations from local families, which helps preserve the early history of Davenport and Scott County. 🏛️ …

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🗝️ New Tour Added!

We`ve added an additional Darker Side of Davenport Walking Tour, this Saturday November 1st at 6:30 pm. Due to high demand, there are more spots available to attend our walking tours this Fall.

📕 Join us as we uncover the story of what is now the German American Heritage Center and Museum, then embark on a guided walk through downtown to explore the eerie and captivating legends that haunt the surrounding neighborhood.

👻 This tour will not only give you goosebumps—it will also reveal the mysterious stories that helped shape the city’s rich and shadowy past.

$20 per person, register online or call 563-322-8844.
https://events.humanitix.com/darker-side-of-davenport-walking-tours-6386427j/tickets …

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Visit the German American Heritage Center and Museum on Saturday for free admission and special deals:
🎃 Downtown Davenport`s Spooky Spectacular Candy Crawl!
🎟️ FREE admission to the museum
🛍️ 10% off all gift shop purchases
👻 and a special presentation-style version of our Darker Side of Davenport Tour at 10:30!

Learn about local history, attend one of our programs, see our exhibitions and learn about immigrants to the Quad Cities, See German Expressionist Prints, and more artwork from David and Sarojini Johnson.

🔑 Get a free print from local artist Joseph Lappie when you mention it at the front desk! …

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Sunday October 26th is our next Kaffee und Kuchen: The Wicked and the Weird with John Brassard Jr. This program is free for members or included with general admission. RSVP online or get tickets at the door. Learn about some wicked and weird true crime stories from one of our favorite local authors!

Also, check out John`s books in our gift shop, 10% off for #QCMuseumMonth!
Quad Cities Strange and Dreadful Things …

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Join us for a spine‑tingling stroll through Downtown Davenport on Saturday, October 25 from 12-3 p.m.

Get ready for a frightfully fun afternoon in Downtown Davenport! The Spooky Spectacular & Candy Crawl is a family-friendly Halloween event filled with treats, photo ops and festive surprises around every corner.

Local businesses will be handing out candy, offering fall-inspired specials, hosting spooky sales and creating unique Halloween experiences throughout downtown.

Visit the German American Heritage Center and Museum on Saturday for special deals:
🎟️ FREE admission
🛍️ 10% off all gift shop purchases
👻 and a special presentation-style version of our Darker Side of Davenport Tour at 10:30!

HOW IT WORKS:
Dress in your best Halloween costume
Pick up an event map at any participating business
Stroll through downtown, collect treats and enjoy all the spooky fun our local businesses have in store! …

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Back from the collections with this photograph of a man outside of Tony Hertzner`s Bar, Davenport, Iowa. 1880-1900`s. There is not much on the photo or the business as far as we know, we just think you might enjoy this photograph too!

Stop by this month to learn more about German Immigrants in the Quad Cities.
We are open Tuesday-Saturday 10 AM – 4 PM
Sunday 12 PM – 4 PM
Closed on Monday

This month we are offering FREE admission on Saturdays during #QCMuseumMonth @visitquadcities …

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🥃Otto Koechert was well known in the Tri-City area. He immigrated from Germany in 1870. It is unclear what Otto did in his free time, he most likely spent time with friends, perhaps spending Sunday afternoons at Schuetzen Park. As time went on, he frequented the saloons more often, and enjoyed alcoholic beverages, often overindulging. According to newspapers, he was "working as a clerk during the first few years of his residence, but showing no ambition and gradually drifting from bad to worse…One who knew him says that he would remain intoxicated for days at a time, until he apparently tired of that condition and would have a sober spell for a few days."

Otto died on March 10th, 1891, in the Germania House, his place of residence. His body found by the proprietress, who noted that he didn`t even take off his shoes before falling into bed. His death was likely result from a stroke induced by overindulgence of alcohol.

712 W. 2nd Street — a historic address that has stood witness to the dramatic and sometimes chilling evolution of Downtown Davenport since the Germania House was first built on this site in 1862. From a string of barbershop murders and a fire at a mental hospital to ghostly sightings at City Hall and séances on a college campus, this former hotel has seen it all. And it has its own dark and fascinating tales to share.

👻According to staff, Otto is our resident ghost. You can share your respects to him on our Darker Side of Davenport Walking Tours this month. The walking tours continue tomorrow at 6pm.

🎟️Reserve your tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/darker-side-of-davenport-walking-tours-6386427j …

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Save the Date for Christkindlmarkt Quad Cities! This free annual event celebrates the holiday season with a focus on German heritage. Like traditional winter markets around the world, the Quad Cities Christkindlmarkt is an indoor/outdoor artisan craft and gift market with live music, local foods, and local performances.

🗓️ Saturday December 13th, 2025 10 am – 6 pm.
📍 712 W 2nd Street Davenport, IA 52802

🏛️ The museum is free and open to the public all day long.
🎅 👹 Special appearances by Santa and Krampus!
🎶 Live music throughout the day.
❄️ Get Christkindlmarkt merch, try our homemade Glühwien or a German beer, and shop local vendors!

🛍️ Interested in being a vendor? Complete our vendor application by November 1st. https://forms.gle/3BozYeDu5XE6RiJM6 …

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