A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

On June 13, 2008, the Museum took a tremendous hit from the flooding on the Cedar River in downtown Cedar Rapids. The Museum took every precaution to safeguard its collection, and 90% of the historic treasures have been saved. Thanks to the many volunteers that generously gave of their time, the facility is clean and dry. The Museum plans to reopen in January with an exhibit based on the historical, former town of Buxton, Iowa. The legacy of this unique town lives on and we want you to experience it.

A huge job of restoration lies before us but we are determined to rebuild at our current location. In the fall of 2009 the Museum will unveil our new permanent exhibit. You'll want to come and visit this newly designed attraction, so we'll keep you posted on the opening date.
Although the Museum building is out of commission, the staff is continuing many of the programs. The "Museum Without Walls" outreach includes presentations, classes, "History in the Park", college fairs, exhibits, and oral histories in communities across Iowa. Upcoming events include Juneteenth and the Annual Women's Conference.

Remember that a museum is more than a building. The Museum has built an incredible community of friends throughout Iowa, and we will continue to work to preserve and promote the African American heritage of our state. If you would like to support our restoration and our programs you can make a contribution online or mail in to: African American Museum of Iowa, P.O. Box 1626, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-1626. We appreciate all of you and we want you to know that we will continue our mission.

Please check back for updates. For information on specific Museum programs, please see the calendar of events. For further information on the Museum's status, see our flood updates page.

Thank you.

Thomas Moore
Executive Director