Uninvited Guests: Haunted Mansions of the QC
October 15, 2022 |
2:00 pm -
3:00 pm
$0-5
Are some of the QC’s mansions truly haunted? The Quad Cities has several beautiful and stately homes. Many of them have remained, playing host to many people over the decades. But do some of them linger there still, like uninvited guests in the lives of the current occupants? Join historian and storyteller John Brassard Jr. for stories of unexpected deaths, ghosts, and the unexplained. Was the former William Bettendorf mansion haunted by Elizabeth Staby Bettendorf, the inventor’s widow? Do the former commandants still walk the halls of Quarters One on Arsenal Island? Listen, and decide for yourself if these homes have uninvited guests.
John Brassard Jr. is an author, historian, and storyteller from Eastern Iowa. He is the author of three books and has written several newspaper and magazine articles on Iowa history. John has given multiple presentations across the state, as well as given numerous radio and podcast interviews. He is also the host of his own podcast, The Kitchen Table Historian, a show about true crime, dark history, and the paranormal throughout the Midwest.
Register here
We are a proud participant in Blue Star Museums which offers free admission for active military and their immediate families. The 2025 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 17, 2025, and run through Labor Day, September 1, 2025.
Come view our exhibitions, attend a Kaffee und Kuchen program, and more. Check out all of the participating museums here: https://www.arts.gov/blue-star-museums-map
Enjoy our seasonal guided tours of the museum! Our next tour is this Saturday, May 17th at 11:00 am.
The tour is open to the public and included with regular admission.
View our admission rates: https://gahc.org/admission-2/
Tour begins at 11:00 am in the lobby. No RSVP required. The tour will last until approximately 12:30.
Visitors will explore our permanent exhibition, The German Immigrant Experience, along with our two rotating galleries.
The tour is open to all ages. We have children’s activity kits and sensory kits available at the front desk for visitors to use for free during their visit.
Learn more on our website: https://gahc.org/events/guided-museum-tour/
Our Next Kaffee und Kuchen is this Sunday, May 18th. Join us for cake, coffee, and conversation about a local historic treasure, The Hauberg Estate.
The Weyerhaeuser and Denkmann Lumber Company helped shape the Midwest’s lumber industry, with Frederick Denkmann and Friedrich Weyerhaeuser building one of the most successful timber businesses of the 19th century. The Hauberg family, through Susanne Denkmann Hauberg (Denkmann’s daughter and her husband John Hauberg), continued this legacy of business leadership and philanthropy in Rock Island. Their impact lives on in local landmarks including the estate, which is now a civic center, historic home museum, and public gathering space.
This program is free for our members and $8 for non-members. Registration is encouraged but not required: https://events.humanitix.com/kaffee-und-kuchen-the-hauberg-estate
We have LOVED seeing your favorites from our Recent Acquisitions exhibition. 💕
We are so thrilled to see our visitors make connections to items from our collection to things or people in their own lives.
This exhibition is open through June 1st, so make sure to come by and see it if you haven`t already.
📍 712 W 2nd St
Davenport, Iowa 52802
Sundays 12 – 4 pm
Tuesdays – Saturdays 10 am – 4 pm
Did you know our banquet hall is available to rent? With gorgeous views of downtown Davenport, competitive rates, ample parking spaces, no catering contracts, this is a great space to utilize for graduation parties, birthday parties, wedding showers, and more!
To inquire about rates and availability, contact [email protected] or by calling 563-322-8844. All details available on our website: https://gahc.org/private-events/
We have some new items in our gift shop! We have large canvas tote bags with various designs including Gustave Klimt and Albrecht Dürer. These would make great Mother`s Day gifts or a fun summer purchase for trips to the farmer`s market. ☀️🎁🎨🧺🌱
Purchases in our museum are always tax free!
$16.00 each
$14.40 member price
📍 712 W 2nd Street
Davenport, Iowa 52802
Become a Volunteer Tour Guide This Summer at the GAHC+M!
The German American Heritage Center is seeking volunteer tour guides to present our Historic Summer Walking Tours through the Gold Coast Neighborhood. Our tours explore the architecture and rich history of the homes and businesses in one of Davenport`s oldest neighborhoods. As a tour guide, you will lead intimate groups along a 1.5 mile route stopping at a selection of some of the most interesting sites in our historically German neighborhood.
Skills Required: Tour guides should be comfortable walking uphill and public speaking. Training will be provided.
Tours occur on the following Saturdays this summer: June 14 and 28, July 12 and 26, August 9 and 23. (Volunteers are not required to be available for all tour dates.)
To apply: Send a letter of interest to [email protected].
Choice for this position is dependent on an interview.
Please submit your letter of interest no later than Friday May 27th.
Pictured: Henry Lischer House. Lischer was the owner and publisher of one of Davenport`s German-language newspapers, "Der Demokrat." The paper was founded by German immigrants in November 1851 and went defunct in 1918 due to anti-German attitudes during World War I.
Our next Kaffee und Kuchen program is this Sunday May 4th! Linda Meadors will be talking about our upcoming Rhine cruise trip in the summer of 2026. This program is FREE and open to the public. It will be a great afternoon of learning about wonderful sites on the Rhine and the beautiful landscapes through the Netherlands, Germany, and France.
*May Kaffee und Kuchen programs are on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month due to holiday conflicts.
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