Museum History

Open since 1965, the Laura Musser Museum/Muscatine Art Center is many things to the community of Muscatine — Historic House Museum, Art Gallery and Local History Museum. The people of Muscatine have made 1314 Mulberry Avenue a gathering place for celebrating the area's history, art and culture. As a department of the City of Muscatine, the Art Center's mission is to collect, preserve, interpret and exhibit objects of historical and aesthetic importance for the benefit of present and future generations.

The Muscatine Art Center was established as a museum in 1965 when Laura Musser's heirs, Mary Catherine McWhirter and Mary Musser Gilmore, donated the Musser Mansion to the City of Muscatine.

Showcasing the 1908 Musser Mansion and the contemporary Stanley Gallery, the Muscatine Art Center offers decorative arts associated with the original home, as well as new and exciting exhibitions in constant rotation. We invite you to spend an afternoon with us. Admission is free of charge.

The Muscatine Art Center is one of only 1,070 museums nationwide accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM). This honor signifies that the Muscatine Art Center has undergone a rigorous and lengthy process involving intensive self-examination, peer review and a thorough examination by the Accreditation Commission. Accreditation by AAM means the Muscatine Art Center is recognized for demonstrating excellence and operating in accordance with the best practices and highest standards in the field.