Quick Info:
$4 Adult/$3 Ages 4-12; 3 and under FREE
Tues-Sat 10AM-6PM; Sun-Mon 1PM-5PM
2231 Grant Street, Clinton, IA
563.242.0343
Clinton can boast not just one, but really two children's museums. I argue Clinton County can actually boast three, when you add Turtle Island at the Rock Creek Eco-Center. More on that later. Today, I tell you, you simply MUST visit the Sawmill Museum.
There is a kid-sized lumberjack village, adorably fashioned from landscape timbers into a very convincing series of cabins, where kids can run the camp store, cook up a storm on the potbellied stove, crash out on the bunks, go feed the chickens, then go around back to the blacksmith shed and tinker around, then pet the horse in the stable.
Then kids can go play in the forest playground, climbing through a log tunnel, up a stump staircase to visit a woodpecker, and into a playhouse complete with slide. There are also a bevy of plush forest creature friends, and a great life-size forest photo mural on one wall and a beautiful painted mural of the Mississippi on another.
When the kids are ready to settle down, there's also a train table, giant checkers on a tabletop rug, a ton of Lincoln Logs, and a wooden-track toy train set.
If at all possible, call ahead and make sure you're going on a day when the trackless kiddie train is out for a ride. This outdoor feature is beautifully crafted and delightful for both children and parents--as well as a great photo opportunity. There is a great summer lumberjack festival with historic re-enactments, lumberjack games, and plenty of food.
Throughout the year, the museum offers free or low-cost kids' craft-making events. Our family's favorite by far was the decorate-a-hat fancy tea party. We came home with some impressive bonnets, and brought an older gentleman friend of the family along who so completely enjoyed himself and got into his role that our kids collapsed in giggles.
There's also a quirky cool set of animatronic lumber barons who talk about boon times on the Mississippi, since Clinton was a major milling town on the river--a good spot between the logging sites up north and good for distribution around the Midwest. A brief DVD with bluegrass music that my kids really enjoy (they played about fifty times each trip) explains the history and background of the museum and milling in the area.
At this point, I want to confess: I avoided this place at first, thinking, "this does not sound like a place for children." Perhaps a certain horror movie franchise prejudiced my view. Also, the fact that there is actual saw equipment on-site. Being as my children are rather rambunctious, I was pretty sure this was going to end badly. So my husband took the kids one day without telling me and came back with a glowing report. I was still skeptical and grudgingly went along on his next trip, then I was kicking myself for not bringing the kids sooner. My husband was happily vindicated.
Now let me address your safety concerns, dear skeptical parent: there is indeed a fully-functional sawmill on site--safely encased behind a thick glass wall. The kids can learn all about industry (and they did find it fascinating) while still being well-protected. Also, there's a lot of old sawmill equipment on site. My kids, rascals that they are, did wander over to check them out. Fortunately, they too have been cleaned up and made quite safe. We've never needed so much as a band-aid in all our visits here. I would, however, supervise curious kids carefully in this area, as well as the ample museum display about the history of lumber milling and woodwork. That said, our kids were 6, 4, 3, and 1 when we went most, and the museum is still standing.
Bathrooms are great with changing stations, and there's a cute, reasonably priced gift shop. The staff are gentle, friendly folks who will either visit with you happily or let you explore on your own. A renovation is underway, and I can't wait to see what else will be there when we visit next.
If you plan to travel the area more than once a year, get the membership. At just $50 for the year, it's worth every penny, many times over. Enjoy!
