Dallas County Museums

Forest Park Museum
Forest Park Museum is among the finest small museums in the state, exhibiting natural, cultural, and historical events and artifacts of central Iowa. Displays include early transportation, farm machinery, small tools, railroading, a blacksmith shop, and much more.

The last one-room school house of Dallas County, the Alton school house is also located in the park. Alton School opened in 1867 and closed in 1961. It was originally located one mile west of Perry and was moved to Forest Park in 1964.

An 1860's log cabin is nestled beside a beautiful re-established prairie. The cabin gives visitors a sense of family life on the prairie, with typical 1880's furnishings on display.

The museums at Forest Park are located 1/4 mile south of Perry. The 17 acre park includes a 5 acre arboretum consisting of over 100 mostly native trees and shrubs planted in the 1940s' by Eugene Hastie. The walking paths through the 12 acre restored prairie are rich with wildflowers, avian diversity, and wildlife.

The Forest Park Arboretum and Museum is open seasonally May 1 to October 30. Museum hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 - 4:00; weekends and holidays 1:00 - 4:30. Appointments can be made for guided tours during regular hours, ( 8:30 - 4:00, Monday through Friday), throughout the year. Admission is free.

The Redfield Depot
Just as today's' four-lane highways provide Dallas County residents with easy access to Des Moines, the railroads of the early part of the 19th century served the same purpose. The Redfield depot stands as a reminder of Dallas county's remarkable railroad history.

The Raccoon River Valley Trail was built on the abandoned Chicago Northwestern Railroad line. Now a resting spot for trail users, the depot spans over a 150 years of providing travelers entry and exit to the town of Redfield.

There are restrooms, indoor resting area, and a railroad display area. The Redfield Development Commission operates a concession stand during the season June 1 - October 30.

Grand Army of the Republic Building
Redfield is one of the oldest towns in Dallas County, and one with perhaps the greatest involvement in the Civil War. The G.A.R. building was built in 1866 and served as a meeting place for Civil War Veterans and their counterparts, the Woman's Relief Corps. The Grand Army of the Republic building is an historic restoration project directly connected to Highway 6, once known as the G.A.R. Highway.

The restoration of this building has been controversial, but Redfield's prominence in Dallas County history makes it imperative to preserve this unique landmark.

Voas Nature Center and Geology Museum
Long - time natural history advocates and geology collectors Mae and Lyle Voas built the Voas Museum as a way to combine the rich diversity of the Voas Nature Area with a learning center that would educate visitors about the natural world around them. Both were avid mineral collectors, and built this museum to housetheir immense collection.

After Mae and Lyle donated the 265 acre grainard livestock farm and museum, Prairie and Wetland, restoration and re-establishment was implemented by the Conservation Department, Dallas County Soil and Water Conservation District, NRCS, and FWS. In the wetland restoration process, field tiles were broken or plugged and wetland basins were deepened. As water accumulated in these areas the aquatic and wetland vegetation returned. Now, the Voas nature area is a native prairie, wetland, forest, and savanna complex managed for its wildlife diversity, recreational opportunities, and environmental education.

These Wetlands have almost been erased from the Iowa landscape and are rare. They have become the theme of the Voas Nature Center. Educational exhibits are being developed to improve our understanding of the ecology of these fragile wetlands, and demonstrate the hydrology or the movement of water through our soils. With the Voas and Courntey mineral collections and wetland and geology exhibits, this museum will soon become a must see for anyone interested in the Earth Sciences.

The displays and artifacts and the Voas Museum are under renovation and will reopen in the Fall of 2001.

Other Dallas County Historical Buildings
As urban sprawl changes our landscape, we see many of our vanishing barns and farmsteads as artifacts in need of conservation. When Dallas County Conservation acquires land with existing structures, those buildings are documented and an effort is made to incorporate those buildings in our conservation plans.

The dairy barn and equipment shed at Hanging Rock Park in Redfield are examples of how historical buildings are a part of our conservation efforts. They have been retrofitted into an interpretive center and a picnic shelter while maintaining the architectural integrity.