Sioux City Public Museum opens Toys & Quilts

 

The Sioux City Public Museum announces the opening of its newest exhibition, Toys & Quilts, an inviting exploration of the warm, handcrafted traditions that have shaped childhood and community for generations—just in time for the holiday season.

Visitors are invited to discover a charming selection of classic toys from the Museum’s collection, including a circa-1900 cast-iron floor train, a 1909 Milton Bradley cardboard toy village, and a miniature farm set hand-carved by a Sioux City resident around 1950. The exhibit also highlights beloved post-World War II favorites such as 1950s–60s Fisher-Price toys, 1960s–70s Barbie dolls, and a 1967 G.I. Joe figure.

Complementing the toy display are ten handmade quilts crafted between the 1840s and 1940s. Featured patterns include Log Cabin, Crazy, Patchwork, Friendship, Patriotic, North Carolina Lily, Dresden Plate, Flower Basket, and Six-Point Star. Notable pieces include a Log Cabin quilt made by Emeline Moyer-Harding—mother of former Iowa Governor William L. Harding—at the time of her marriage in 1868, as well as an embroidered patchwork quilt created by the Ladies Aid Society of Haddock Memorial Methodist-Episcopal Church for the 1890 Sioux City Corn Palace Festival.

Exhibition: Toys & Quilts
Host Organization: Sioux City Public Museum
Runs: December 13, 2025-April 5, 2026

The Sioux City Public Museum is located at 607 4th Street in downtown Sioux City. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 712-279-6174 or visit SiouxCityMuseum.org.