Guide to the Sioux City Public Museum

In the heart of downtown Sioux City lies one of its most popular attractions and a hub of community activity. If you're considering visiting the Sioux City Public Museum, here's what you should know:

Where is the Sioux City Public Museum?

The Sioux City Public Museum is at 607 Fourth Street in downtown Sioux City. There is metered parking on the museum block, which is free after 5pm and on weekends. The closest public parking ramp is the Discovery Parking Ramp on Jones St.

Permanent Collection of the Sioux City Public Museum

The Sioux City Public Museum permanent collection has exhibits featuring artifacts from throughout Siouxland history, from plesiosaur and mastodon fossils to Gateway computers. The museum has an open floor plan, but is broadly divided into sometimes-overlapping sections:

Corn Palaces, Grandma's Attic & more

After you pass the corn palace selfie station, you next head to Grandma's Attic, which is a fun and very eclectic collection of Sioux City artifacts! I love the needlework with I heart you embedded in the words "Sioux City" and would love to replicate it someday, and my kids are always impressed with the giant shell. Be sure to play "Sioux City Sue" for atmosphere! And at the next stop, be sure to open the antique chest to hear from some of Sioux City's most infamous residents in the ghostly mirror, which is one of my kids' favorite exhibits!

Nature's Kaleidoscope

Geology and paleology fans will adore the rock room, with a small but mighty collection of rocks and fossils, including therizinosaursus eggs, a fun fluorescent rock collection with a black light, a huge amethyst geode, and much more. Kids love "the Big Dig" which is a rubber chip based (no dust or mess!) dino dig area where kids can use paintbrushes to uncover fossils built into the bottom of the dig pit.

People & Places

The People & Places section of the museum focuses on the prehistoric, tribal, pioneer, and early industrial people who lived in the Sioux City area. Kids love playing in the log cabin, and in the tipi!

There's also an ongoing exhibit of impressive Native American art by Winnebago Artist Chuck Raymond.

Transportation

Look to the skies--and all around you--for this fun set of artifacts. Throughout the central part of the museum are carriages, construction vehicles, airplanes, and other things that zoomed through the Sioux City of days gone by.

Create & Innovate

This corner of the museum is dedicated to Siouxland innovations and inventions, like Jolly Time Popcorn, Gateway Computers, Palmer's Candy, and more!

Agriculture

Learn about Siouxland's agricultural heritage and the Sioux City Stockyards in this part of the museum! Kids love the colorful animal statues!

Temporary Exhibits at the Sioux City Public Museum

The Sioux City Public Museum hosts travelling and temporary exhibits in a large room and in the hallway adjoining that room. Some previous themes have included a tribute to the Beatles, an exploration of Brazilian culture, the history of the Saturday in the Park Music Festival, quilts, WWII photography, and many other fascinating topics that aren't normally seen in Sioux City, so be sure to check them out while you can!

Plus, once a year, the Sioux City Public Museum hosts a history project contest for 4th graders in the city, who are invited to create miniatures or poster boards dedicated to something unique in Sioux City history. The best of these projects are displayed each year at the museum, usually for the months of April and May, and they are always delightful. 

Sioux City Public Museum Gift Shop

The Sioux City Public Museum has a small gift shop with a selection of fun gifts including t-shirts, plush, puzzles, candy, Sioux City sarsaparilla, rocks, prairie bonnets, and a wide variety of books on topics of local interest and/or written by local authors. While there are a range of prices, I especially appreciate that they have some inexpensive options kids can get including $1.50 Palmer's candy like gummy worms or Bings, 50c arrowheads and 25c toy dinosaurs! (*as of October 2022. Prices and selection will change occasionally so this may not be accurate when you visit)

Events, Camps, & Activities at the Sioux City Public Museum

The Sioux City Public Museum is home to many special events and activities so be sure to check out their website and social media to see the latest! They host historical tours and lectures for adults, plus tons of great cultural and historical events for kids, and summer day camp events ranging from an hour to multi-day events depending on the class and the age of participant! The museum also frequently has free, fun scavenger hunts for kids (with small prizes while supplies last, like pencils or stickers!), so be sure to ask at the front desk when you come in whether there is one currently available. When we visited in October 2022, there were mum-bedecked skulls hidden throughout the museum in honor of Dios de Los Muertos!

found one!

The Sioux City Public Museum also has rooms available for rental for private events by individuals, families, businesses, or community groups.

And community events hosted by the city are often on the museum lawn, like a fall 2022 tailgate party, or the annual community Christmas tree lighting at the end of the holiday lights parade.

Admission, hours, and more information

The Sioux City Public Museum is FREE to visit! The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm and on Sunday from 1-5pm, as of October 2022. 

There are free restaurants open to museum guests to use and in my experience, they are kept clean. 

There is no food or drink allowed in the Sioux City Public Museum, nor any food or drink available aside from a few varieties of candy and pop in the gift shop. 

 

For the latest info, visit the Sioux City Public Museum website or connect with them on Facebook or Instagram.