National Pearl Button Museum
National Pearl Button Museum
5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
The ultimate museum for the pearl button enthusiast! The pearl button industry - the "gold rush of the Midwest" - was centered in Muscatine, the Pearl Button Capital of the World, in the early 1900s. We feature Muscatine's entrepreneurial, ecological, & philanthropic stories from the 1890s to modern times. Free entry, donations welcomed.
Duration: < 1 hour
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
65 reviews
Excellent
53
Very good
8
Average
4
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Sandra R
16 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
So interesting! This museum is a well-organized, very informative gem located in downtown Muscatine. Lots of period photos, 3D exhibits, and text, plus a 6-minute film. Learn all about the pearl button industry in Muscatine, the ecology of freshwater mussels, and more related topics. Free, suggested donation $5 per adult. Downtown Muscatine is a nice place to explore too.
Written October 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cenzt
Ohio19,575 contributions
Jul 2023
Great trip. We arrived at approximately 12 pm and made our way towards the entrance of the museum. Admission into the museum was free, which is always a plus. The museum was on the smaller side, but contained many informational plaques about the history of button making in Muscatine and the importance of that industry to the town and its surrounding areas. There were also many artifacts out for display, relating to button making. There was a short documentary that was playing in the back of the museum, that detailed the significance of buttons and how they were created. The museum was very interesting and contained a lot of fun information about mussels and buttons.
Tip: I recommend spending 1.5 hours here if you truly want to see everything.
Tip: I recommend spending 1.5 hours here if you truly want to see everything.
Written August 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MNmover
Rosemount, MN233 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
We ended up here on an unplanned rainy day. It’s a small one-level museum but very interesting. We learned a lot about this area during the early 1900’s. It had interesting pictures, stories, and historical equipment used during this time.
Written July 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LuvToTravel0899
Owatonna, MN395 contributions
Sep 2020
We did a quick three day trip to Muscatine Iowa and this was recommended to us by the front desk at the Merrill Hotel. It was only a block away and well worth the time. Admission is donation only and plan on spending about an hour.
Written September 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HJD435
Johnson City, TN44 contributions
Sep 2019 • Couples
Went to the Pearl Button Museum today with my wife. I had some pretty clear images of what I was in for. Well I got a surprise. Sure, this is about buttons, but we were guided by Terry Eagle, director through a saga of innovation, history, good and bad business decisions and mechanical geniuses. The facility is laid out very well and I learned so much in a very well presented format. My hat’s off to this museum. Guys, don’t be afraid. Take the tour...you’ll be glad you did.
Written September 24, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
irishuscouple
Dublin, Ireland47 contributions
Nov 2019
Stopped off in Muscatine while driving part of Great River Road. This museum is a little gem(!) telling the history of button making in the US from river mussel shells, the main characters involved, and the lives of the people who worked in the industry (and occasionally took labour action). And then , post WW2, of its decline. Great introduction and information from staff at the museum.
Written November 25, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
michaelRehwaldt
washington dc93 contributions
Apr 2015 • Business
Outstanding displays of local industrial history, very well done.
From the early days of the button business using river clam shell to make "pearl" buttons to today
Local industry has supplied the museum
with everything they need to be unique and special
From the early days of the button business using river clam shell to make "pearl" buttons to today
Local industry has supplied the museum
with everything they need to be unique and special
Written April 21, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
88Tropicsfan
North Port, FL375 contributions
Jun 2015 • Friends
We didn't know the real name of what we thought was The Button Museum. It has a remarkable photographic history of the rise and fall of the pearl button industry. The wonderful variety of buttons, buckles, and related articles on display is fascinating, as is the review of the tools and techniques used to make them. Unfortunately, none of the videos were working when we were there. The second floor is devoted to the largest local industries, featuring both their histories and present. What we found unsettling was how terribly the early button workers were treated, even recognizing that good working conditions were uncommon almost anywhere during that period. The museum is free, although a $5 donation per person is suggested. It had no flyers, business cards, or written information available at all.
Written June 25, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MitziDee
Columbus, OH158 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
not technically the history and industry center, just a nice walking path along the Mississippi, and a wonderful monument to the clam diggers that made Muscatine the "pearl button" capital of the US. Who knew?
Written June 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rod H
Evergreen, CO135 contributions
Mar 2014 • Family
If you lived in Muscatine or the surrounding area you MUST see these fabulous exhibits! If you are from out of town it gives a great overview of the town's history as "Pearl City" and the industry that created it at the turn of the last century. The lower floor is a very professional recreation of the button industry including historical devices used to gather clams, machines used to drill the shell blanks, and other contraptions developed to drill, surface, and polish the pearl buttons that abounded in the early 1900's dress.
Upstairs there are exhibits of the history and current day industry - all sponsored by the firms that make up present day Muscatine. My dad and I enjoyed this as well as he spent most of his professional life at one of the companies. The sponsoring firms include Stanley Consultants, Musco Lighting, Kent Feeds & Grain Processing Corporation, HON Office Furniture, Bandag Industries, and Carver Pump. I may have missed one but it was all informative and nostalgic for a local.
The second floor also is accessed by a modern elevator or steps. This is a great place to take a senior who remembers the "good old days" to relive their past.
Upstairs there are exhibits of the history and current day industry - all sponsored by the firms that make up present day Muscatine. My dad and I enjoyed this as well as he spent most of his professional life at one of the companies. The sponsoring firms include Stanley Consultants, Musco Lighting, Kent Feeds & Grain Processing Corporation, HON Office Furniture, Bandag Industries, and Carver Pump. I may have missed one but it was all informative and nostalgic for a local.
The second floor also is accessed by a modern elevator or steps. This is a great place to take a senior who remembers the "good old days" to relive their past.
Written March 8, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How long should be allowed to see the museum and visit the gift shop?
Written January 18, 2020
We had a tour with the director and it lasted about 90 minutes. It was very interesting. By ourselves we probably would have taken 45 minutes but wouldn’t have gotten as much out of it. There’s a 10 minute video you can watch.
Written January 19, 2020
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