The National Pearl Button Museum tells the story of how one quiet river town on the Mississippi became known as the Pearl Button Capital of the World in the early 1900s, with everything from Button Queens to union organizers, in a historic downtown storefront. 

Founded as Historic Muscatine by a group of locals interested in preserving Muscatine’s unique history in 1993, the museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit that functions as the town’s history museum. 

Over the years, our collection has grown through the dedicated work of a series of directors and staff, as well as item donations from community members and local button manufacturing companies. The biggest bequests came from McKee and Weber Button Companies when they closed their doors in 2020.