Current Exhibits

There is a lot to see and learn when you visit The History Center in the historic Douglas Mansion. Our permanent gallery showcases a number of unique and interesting artifacts, photos, stories and information regarding the history of Linn County's culture, people, businesses, neighborhoods and more.

 

*Please note that all exhibits and galleries are self-guided.

New Exhibits Coming Soon!
Open to the Public Beginning August 28, 2021

Fashion and Philanthropy:
The Armstrong Family

For three generations and over 100 years, the Armstrongs invested in the future of Linn County through incorporating new technology, improving city infrastructure, and fighting for more inclusive hiring and housing practices. Explore the lasting impact of the family behind the beloved Armstrong’s Department Store.

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Victory:
Adapting to Peace

By the end of World War II, more than 400,000 Americans had lost their lives, and life on the home front had been permanently altered. Explore the lasting impact of the war as veterans returned home and settled into life: purchasing homes, pursuing education, building families and re-adjusting to the job market.

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To prepare for these exhibits, The History Center will be closed August 12 through August 27. Both exhibits will be available to the public for viewing upon the reopening of The History Center on Saturday, August 28.

 

Spirited: Prohibition in America
Now Open
(June 19, 2021 - August 11, 2021)

In a tumultuous era spanning thirteen years, Americans could no longer manufacture, sell or transport intoxicating beverages. Prohibition was now a part of the Constitution, holding the same status as freedom of speech and the abolition of slavery. Ratified in 1919, the 18th Amendment stirred up a passionate and sometimes volatile debate between “wets” and “drys” that will forever cement Prohibition’s place in history. Spirited: Prohibition in America, a new traveling exhibition from NEH on the Road, brings visitors back to this period of flappers and suffragists, bootleggers and temperance lobbyists, and real-life legends, such as Al Capone and Carry Nation.