Over the holidays, I had an opportunity to meet with executives at two of Iowa’s historic gems, Salisbury House (top) and Living History Farms (below), to discuss participating on The History List and get feedback on what we have planned for 2013.

Earlier in the month, Tara Richards, Marketing and Program Director at Brucemore, an historic home in Cedar Rapids that is Iowa’s only National Trust Historic Site, added her organization and events to The History List and became the first Iowa institution to participate.  (Brucemore’s holiday event was also featured as part of our “Make this holiday historic! campaign.  Check out December 11.)

With my trip to Des Moines over the holidays, I wanted to build a critical mass of Iowa institutions.

During my meetings, these institutions came up:

• The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque
• The Grout Museum District in Waterloo, including the Grout Museum of History and Science, The Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum, and the Rensselaer Russell House Museum
• The Sioux City Museum and Historical Association
• The State Historical Museum in Des Moines and the State Historical Society of Iowa
• Terrace Hill in Des Moines

Who else should be on that list?

Let us know and we’ll reach out to them, as we do everyone who is recommended to us.  (Of course, anyone can list their organization and events now.  No invitation needed.)

Thanks to Leo Landis, the education director and curator at Salisbury House and Katie Wengert, director of marketing and community relations, and to Ruth Haus, president of Living History Farms, for the interest and good suggestions.

We ended 2012, our first year, with 244 organizations listed and are looking forward to continuing to grow and expand in 2013.