matchstick marvels museum

Little museum in a little town that is worth a detour to visit. I don't know what I was expecting, but was amazed when I walked through the door. The artist has created incredible sculptures out of matchsticks and glue. For fans of the unusual, this is a great stop.

We went to this matchstick display and were amazed at the precision of these displays. This guy was teacher at a local school and did this in his spare time. He has been building these since 1977. He has been hired by Ripley's Believe It or Not museums to do displays for them. This is a must see if you are in the area!!

Surprisingly interesting gallery of matchstick creations by Patrick Acton, Master Craftsman. He was a career counselor at Iowa Valley Community College, who turned a hobby into something amazing. Using actual matchsticks & glue, he has created many large models since 1977. All of his models are built exactly to scale. Many are featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not museums around the world. You can see many of his models at Matchstick Marvels Tourist Center, Glenbrook, IA. (located between Marshaltown & Waterloo) Check it out at www.matchstickmarvels.com

We actually drove out of our way to see this museum, and were so glad we did! (Note to self, ALL Iowa 2 lane highways are 55mph, instead of the expected 65 mph we have in OUR state. Swallow your pride and pay the parking ticket.) This small town attraction is fascinating! The things he has built out of matchsticks is just incredible! Call first to check the hours, just in case... Reasonable price for the visit. And they have little matchstick kits you can buy to build your own sculpture. If you go by for a visit, send us a frig magnate, cuz they were all out! :( Other than that, it was a visit we'll talk about often and recommend to all headed that way.

It is just fascinating what he has done and the amount of time it has taken to turn out the realistic looking models.

Pat's creations are now in Ripley's Believe it or Not museums, but you can see them in tiny Gladbrook, Iowa. It's worth a trip if you are wandering around the Cedar Rapids or Marshalltown areas. The models are truly marvelous. We saw Notre Dame, the U.S. Capitol, Terrace Hill (Iowa's governor's mansion), an eagle, conestoga wagon, airplanes, and spaceships. Plus, the museum is next to a movie theatre, so you can stop by to see a show—or at least buy popcorn. Go to the Traer Salt and Pepper Gallery as well—it's about 12 miles away (in Traer, Iowa) and a real treat.

If you are close to Gladbrook, IA you should stop by and see the amazing things that can be made out of matchsticks and glue. They are not open in the winter and there hours are only 1-5. His creations out of matchsticks are pretty unbelieveavle. The state capital, the space shuttle, a catheridal, and many other things. We were only there about 30 minutes but it was still fun to see.