Past Exhibitions

Past Exhibitions

View our past exhibitions

We are happy to bring new, fresh, exhibitions to the museum multiple times a year. Scroll below to view our past exhibtions.

Past Exhibtions

Some of our exhibitions are available for rental. To inquire about borrowing an original exhibition from the GAHC&M, contact [email protected].

+ Available for rental

What’s New? Recent Acquisitions to the Collection February 15 – June 1, 2025

With You, I Am Myself January 12 – April 6, 2025

Beer Beyond Germany: History of Brewing in the Quad Cities June 2 – October 20, 2024

Immigration Then and Now: Finding Refuge in the Quad Cities May 26 – September 15, 2024

Sweet Treats: German Influence on the QC Candy Industry March 5 – May 19, 2024

Breaking Barriers: Walls Throughout History February 6- May 5, 2024

Art from the Archives September 10, 2023 – February 18, 2024

Klassiks for Kinder: German Toys with Joy August 13th, 2023 – January 7th, 2024

Los Desconocidos: The Migrant Quilt Project May 30th – August 27th, 2023

Todos Somos Luchadores Inmigrantes – We Are All Immigrant Warriors  June 13th– August 27th, 2023

Neighbors to the North: German Influence in New Ulm, Minnesota March 12th – July 30th, 2023

+ Preserving a Dyeing Art: German Blueprint September 18th, 2022 – May 21st, 2023

The White Rose Student Resistance Against Hitler: Munich, 1942-43 October 2nd, 2022 – February 26th, 2023

Witness to the Holocaust: The Mattes Family Letters October 16th-November 27th, 2022

Our Neighbors, Our Friends: Unsere Nachbarn, Unsere Freunde February 18th – September 18th, 2022

+ Hidden Habsburgs: Immigrants in Iowa, 1846-1868 April 24th – August 28th, 2022

Jugendstil: Art for All July 11th, 2021 – January 9th, 2022

Power Frauen February 16th – June 14th, 2020

GoldCoast Glass: Works from the German Home November 3rd, 2019 – January 12th, 2020

Better than Sliced Bread: German Scientists and Inventors June 9th – October 27th, 2019

An Austrian Overture: Classical Composers May 19th – September 15th 2019

German American Heritage Center and Museum

germanamericanheritagecenter

1,280 1,583

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. …

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

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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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