The Kalona Historical Society is ready to begin phase two of their new Wahl Museum project.

The group tore down the old Wahl Museum that stood in the Kalona Historical Village and constructed a new building last year. This museum is planned to have a diorama streetscape, and pioneer, railroad, and Native American exhibits. Work will soon begin on finishing the interior, such as HVAC and plumbing which was funded in part by a $50,000 grant from the Washington County Riverboat Foundation.

Kalona Historical Society board member Jan Ferry says these exhibits will be interactive for visitors, “And we also for the last several years have been doing a lot of research into our history. So this Native American, pioneer exhibit is something that is new and is going to be giving visitors new information about the area and it’s tying things together. We’re calling it Connections Through Time is the theme.”

Ferry says these exhibits will also show the connections from the pioneers who came to Kalona to the businesses and communities that were started. The historical society is working on raising funds for phase three, which they hope to complete this museum by the village’s 50th anniversary in 2019. For a link to the project website, click here.