EXPERIENCE HISTORY
Experience The Jordan House, a stately Victorian home of Italianate Gothic design and Bennett School, one of the last one-room schoolhouses built in Iowa.
Plan your Visit >MEMBERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
West Des Moines Historical Society is dedicated to the mission of historic preservation and to educate public about our historic sites in Central Iowa.
Become a member >MAKE A DONATION
Your tax-deductible contribution supports community enrichment through education, preservation, and celebration of the history of the greater WDM area
Donate >HISTORY IS EVERYONE'S STORY.
EVERYONE HAS A STORY.
The pioneers who settled Iowa, the freed men and women who traveled across it and the families who now call it home. You’re invited to walk the hallways of the past, see Victorian elegance and hear stories of hardship and bravery as you become part of history.
JORDAN HOUSE AND THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
The Underground Railroad was a loosely organized system for helping escaped slaves from the southern states reach freedom in the North or Canada in the years before the Civil War.
Read MoreRecent News
History Is Hot!
The WDMHS announces its Summer Membership Drive! “History is Hot!” brings together two amazing historical places, the Jordan House Museum and the Iowa State Fair. Everyone who becomes a new member at the “Friend” ($100) level, renews or increases your membership to that level will be eligivle for a special members-only tour of the museums… View Article
Recording Now Available
The captioned recording of the April 21st Iowa Files is now available on the WDMHS YouTube channel. “Celina Beiniaz; Saved by Schindler’s List” Celina Karp Biniaz, one of the last living survivors from Schindler’s List—and the only one who graduated from North High School and Grinnell College in Iowa. https://youtu.be/lKCWfYl8bgc?si=4i3EoqDHIXxJeRYg Sandi Yoder, Director of the… View Article