Sioux City Public Museum

The Sioux City Public Museum is a museum about the history and culture of Sioux City, Iowa. Displays include a video about the city's history, Native American artifacts, pioneer artifacts, historic transportation vehicles, agriculture, industry, geology and fossils.

Sioux City Public Museum
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Established1960; 2011 in current location
Location607 4th Street , Sioux City, Iowa
Coordinates42°29′42″N 96°24′11″W / 42.495006°N 96.403043°W / 42.495006; -96.403043
TypeHistory
Websitehttp://www.siouxcitymuseum.org/

The Sioux City Public Museum also operates the Sergeant Floyd River Museum & Welcome Center and the Peirce Mansion in Sioux City.

Peirce Mansion from SE

History

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From its opening in 1960 until 2011, the museum was located in the 1893 Peirce Mansion at 2901 Jackson Street. First purchased by a group called the Junior League in 1959, the opening of the mansion as a museum was in September 1960.[1]

Exhibits focused on the city's history and there were also exhibits detailing the Lakota people, Omaha people, and Winnebago people.[2] Subjects in the museum included anthropology, archeology, natural history, science, and the military.[3]

There was a robbery of a saddlebag from the museum in 1996 that was part of a string of museum thefts which involved stealing Native American artifacts.[4]

A new location was opened in 2011 in Sioux City's downtown at a former J. C. Penney store which includes a theater, classrooms, and exhibition rooms.[5] The museum project cost $12.5 million. A new exhibit was opened that is all about the song "Sioux City Sue".[6] The museum takes up 10,000 square feet.[7]

The Peirce Mansion is still owned by the Museum. It is open to the public for quarterly open house events and is available for rental.

Activities and recognition

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Students from the Sioux City Community School District make models of local landmarks that are judged every year by the museum and the Historical Association.[8]

The museum's deaccession criteria is a six step process that was used as an example in the book Museum administration: an introduction.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Sioux Citian To Talk Here". The Telegraph-Herald. April 1, 1964.
  2. ^ Whye, Mike (2001). Great Iowa Weekend Adventures. Big Earth Publishing. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-931599-03-0.
  3. ^ Fanselow, Julie (2007). Traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail. Globe Pequot. p. 70. ISBN 978-0-7627-4437-4.
  4. ^ "Iowan accused of stealing Indian artifacts". The Gazette. Associated Press. August 17, 1996.
  5. ^ Caniglia, Ross (March 9, 2011). "Grand Opening set for Sioux City Public Museum". KTIV.
  6. ^ Zerschling, Lynn (March 27, 2011). "New Sioux City Public Museum will open April 23". Sioux City Journal.
  7. ^ "Sioux City Museum Home Page". Sioux City Public Museum.
  8. ^ Magelssen, Scott; Justice-Malloy, Rhona (2011). Enacting History. University of Alabama Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-8173-5654-5.
  9. ^ Genoways, Hugh H.; Ireland, Lynn M. (2003). Museum administration: an introduction. Rowman Altamira. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-7591-0294-1.
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