Emmet County Historical Society Museum Complex - Esterville, Iowa

Located in Esterville, Iowa, the Museum Complex consists of the H. G. Albee Memorial Museum which is surrounded by the Bolstad School, the former Palestine Lutheran Church building, a rural farm windmill site, an outhouse, a blacksmith shop, and the Farm Heritage building. 

Special tours can be arranged.

The Memorial Museum contains displays that relate to many aspects of Emmet County’s history: home furnishings, commercial establishments, educational lore, theatre curtain painted by Jesse Cox, Estherville native, military history, sports lore, and such. The building was constructed in 1991.The Bolstad School, an example of a typical Iowa one-room rural school, was last used in 1953 and has been moved to the complex. It has been restored. The church, built in 1904 between Huntington and Dolliver, was restored in 1988 after it and its furnishings had been transported to the complex area. A 32’ high Woodmanse windmill, built by a company in Des Moines in the early 1900s, was placed in the park in 1987. The outhouse, which had been on a farm, was placed in the park in 1991 and has been restored. A typical blacksmith shop building was constructed in 1991; it has been furnished with artifacts from the Nels P. Peterson Shop that had been located on a farm near High Lake. Peterson owned his shop from 1900-1949. Artifacts from other blacksmiths in the area augment the Peterson collection. In the Farm Heritage building visitors will find exhibits of antique farm machinery, tools, a buggy, and other typical farm memorabilia.

Admission – None

Directions – turn south off of State Highway 9 onto 3rd Avenue South in Esterville, Iowa 51334

Hours – 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., daily, June—August (also by appointment)

Phone – (712) 362-2750 (summer hours) or (712) 362-2011