Monroe County History Museum

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The History Museum of Monroe County in Waterloo offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience history through a variety of permanent displays and changing exhibits. The History Museum represents a broad span of eras and interests anchored by the extensive and famed “Kueker Collection”. The collection representing the settlement of the west, agriculture, local commerce and transportation, several wars and much more was gifted to the History Museum by Col. Edd and Violet Kueker of Waterloo. The History Museum, which opened in 2008, was built to preserve, exhibit and maintain the Kueker Collection and museum owned, donated and loaned collections for future generations. Past museum exhibits include a Quilt Display, Old Fashioned Christmas, Wedding Bells of the Past, Salute to our Military, and Antique Toy Exhibit.

Although the Smithsonian exhibit has returned to Washington D.C., our local exhibit “The Lure of the Land” is still on display. This exhibit depicts the influence of the immigrants who settled in Southern Illinois and Monroe County and the changes and growth that occurred due to their hard work.

The History Museum’s Luhr Lobby, Allscheid-Metzger Gallery, Harrisonville Telephone Co. (HTC) Learning Center, and the Kueker and Zimmer Exhibit Galleries have an inviting, secure, and comfortable environment, air-conditioned and handicapped accessible. In the HTC Learning Center visitors may take a few minutes to watch a short video to learn more about Edd Kueker and his years of collecting. The reception desk in the Luhr Lobby is manned by our awesome and dedicated volunteers! There is no admission charge.

Tours to the History Museum are always welcome, any day of the week! Appointments are easily scheduled from this website or by calling 618-939-5008. Please leave a contact number and brief message so our Tour Coordinator may return your call.

The History Museum operates on individual donations, honorariums, memorials, bequests, endowments, fundraisers and memberships to the Waterloo Museum Society, a 501(C3) organization and the business corporation for the History Museum.

The Waterloo Museum Society is a member of the Southern Illinois Association of Museums, the Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, a recipient of the Illinois Governor’s Award in 2008 and 2009 and received the honor of hosting two Smithsonian Traveling Displays, “The Way We Worked” in 2012 and Hometown Teams in 2014.

The Waterloo Museum Society for The History Museum of Monroe County is very appreciative of all of our volunteer help and the continued support and assistance of our community and Monroe County.