George Maier Rural Heritage Center of Clayton County

04/11/2026

A big THANK YOU to the Central Students for helping us load the numerous volumes of past Clayton County Registers from the Elkader Library. The Rural Heritage Museum was asked by the the editor of the Times-Register if we could preserve the newspapers. The museum board felt that it was our responsibility to preserve them. A new room was refurbished along with installation of shelving to display the newspapers. Please come and visit the museum - the opening date for the season is April 25th. Also, mark your calendars for the 2nd annual Clayton County Museum Crawl during the month of June.

Our Central LEAD students recently partnered with the Rural Heritage Museum for a hands-on learning experience! They helped transport historical newspapers from the library to the museum and will spend time organizing materials that date all the way back to the 1800s.

Thank you to Roger and Steve for providing this meaningful opportunity for our students to connect with local history!

03/17/2026

Roger and Steve wow the crowd with our remarkable float in beautiful downtown Elkader in this year’s cold, cold St Patrick’s Day parade.

11/26/2025

We were honored to receive this significant award. Thank you Silos and Smokestacks.

04/27/2025

🗺️ 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲’𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞! 🏛️

Join us for the 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐥—a FREE, month-long adventure happening every 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 & 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟏𝟎 𝐀𝐌 𝐭𝐨 𝟑 𝐏𝐌!

🔍 Visit participating museums
🧳 Collect passport stamps
🎁 Enter to win a 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭

It’s the perfect way to discover local heritage, support our county’s incredible museums, and celebrate the stories that connect us all.

📍Mark your calendar and stay tuned for a full list of participating locations!

12/06/2024

Are you planning on checking out the Light Display in Elkader tonight or Saturday night? If so, stop at the Rural Heritage Center to see George's Christmas collection. Jane will be the host, serving up hot cider or hot chocolate from 5-8.

11/23/2024

Here's a sneak peak of part of George's Christmas collection. Lots of music boxes, unique pictures, and more. Open Friday and Saturday night from 5-8.

11/22/2024

If you are driving thru the Elkader City Park light show tonight, be sure to stop in at the George Maier Rural Heritage Museum to view George's Christmas collection. Open from 5-8 both Friday and Saturday night.

08/23/2024

The Red Hat Ladies toured the Rural Heritage Center today.

08/11/2024

Gemma, Jake, and Morgan enjoyed visiting the Heritage Center with Gemma's grandfather, Fred.

06/02/2024

It was time to mow the grass at the George Maier Rural Heritage Museum today. We took out the old fashioned reel mower to get the job done. It still works great! Stop in today before 4 pm to check out the museum

06/01/2024

New hours of operation at the Rural Heritage Center in Elkader beginning today, June 1st - 10am to 4pm Saturdays and Sundays til mid October. Stop in to check out the newest displays.