Only in Muscatine, Iowa
The Gold Rush of the MidwestLearn Muscatine’s unique tale of a bend in the river, a freshwater friend, the growth of a worldwide industry, and the transition to the modern world.
Visit
A tour through the National Pearl Button Museum is part of a great day in Historic Downtown Muscatine.
Shop
One of a kind treasures and memories of your trip can be found online and in our gift shop.
Learn
Brign your school or other organization to learn our history with an engaging group event.
CHECK OUT OUR UPCOMING EVENTS
Small-Town Determination.
Global Impact.
About Us
LEARN HOW A Little BUTTON PUT OUR QUIET RIVER TOWN ON THE MAP!
In the early 1900s, Muscatine, Iowa was known as “the Pearl Button Capital of the World,” manufacturing more than 1.5 billion mother-of-pearl buttons annually, and 3/8ths of all pearl buttons sold in the world. Drawn from the natural bounty of mussels in the Mighty Mississippi, nearly everyone in town was employed by the luxury pearl button industry in one form or another. Our museum tells the story of the immigrant-entrepreneurs, the laborers, the buttons, and even the mussels!
As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, The National Pearl Button Museum is made possible by our community donors and corporate sponsors.Thanks to your contributions, we are able to continue to tell the amazing story of The Pearl Button Capital of the World.
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