Entry No. 35 — the Des Moines file — filed under: washing machines
Jasper County Historical Museum
Newton's Jasper County Historical Museum is a legitimately peculiar shrine to the appliance that built the town — over 70 antique washing machines from Maytag and its nine local rivals line the floors, telling the story of how this small Iowa city became the self-proclaimed "Washing Machine Capital of the World." Beyond the machines, the 16,000-square-foot campus sprawls into WWII exhibits, an 1865 barn, a blacksmith shop, and Victorian rooms, making the weirdly compelling washers just the opening act.
The story
Before Maytag shuttered its local operations, Newton, Iowa held the unglamorous but unassailable title of "Washing Machine Capital of the World." The town didn't just build washers; at one point, Maytag and nine distinct local rivals were all locked in a ferocious mechanical arms race to patent, manufacture, and sell the ultimate home laundry agitator. The Jasper County Historical Museum keeps that hyper-specific industrial rivalry alive, lining its main floor with over 70 antique washing machines ranging from hand-cranked wooden barrels to early gas-engine monstrosities.
Walking the rows is an unexpectedly captivating lesson in American industrial design. You trace the raw, dangerous early years of home automation—uncovered gears, wringers that look built to crush fingers, and heavy cast-metal tubs—right through to the streamlined, pastel-painted boxes of the mid-century boom. It’s a shrine to the exact appliance that constructed this entire town's tax base and social identity.
The washers are the crown jewel, but the museum sprawls far past them across a 16,000-square-foot multi-building campus. Once you finish inspecting washing machine agitators, you step outdoors to explore an 1865 timber-frame barn, a blacksmith shop, an engine house, an agricultural building, WWII military exhibits, and full Victorian room recreations. It’s the ultimate local history hoard—dense, unvarnished, and delightfully idiosyncratic.
What it's like
Plan your run for a sunny afternoon between May and September, when the museum opens its doors from 1:00 to 4:00 PM, Tuesday through Sunday. You'll enter through the main building, pay a small admission fee if you live outside Jasper County (county residents get in free), and start in the main hall. Wear comfortable shoes: because the exhibits spread across several detached structures like the 1865 barn and blacksmith shop, you'll be walking open-air paths between buildings.
The move: Arrive in the afternoon (open Tue–Sun, 1–4pm, May–September) and do a slow lap through the washing machine hall, rating the machines on aesthetic merit and arguing over which era had the best industrial design — then grab a late lunch in downtown Newton and poke around the small-town main street before heading back.
📍 Before you go The museum sits on Newton's south side, just off I-80 — an easy half-hour-plus run east of Des Moines and simple to find on the drive in. It's a seasonal stop, generally open afternoons from roughly May through September, so aim for a fair-weather day: the collection spreads across a multi-building campus — main hall, an 1865 barn, blacksmith shop, engine house, and ag building — and you walk the grounds between the structures. Out-of-county visitors pay an admission fee (Jasper County residents get in free), so bring a card or cash. Pair it with a wander through downtown Newton, a few minutes north.
- 📍 Newton
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1700 S 15th Ave W, Newton, IA 50208
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Joy the Movie Theater Pig (Capitol II Theatre) — After inspecting mechanical agitators, head into downtown Newton to greet Joy, a Guinness World Record-holding mini pig who lounges in the lobby of the town's historic movie house.
- Big Aluminum Bugs — Keep the hyper-specific rural industrial motif going by driving two miles down the road to admire giant praying mantises welded out of recycled farm hog feeders.
- Valle Drive-In — If you're visiting on a summer weekend afternoon, wrap up your museum wander and catch a sunset double feature at Iowa's oldest operating drive-in theater just down the road.
Good to know
When is the museum open to visitors?
It operates seasonally, generally from May through September, Tuesday through Sunday between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM. Always confirm seasonal dates before heading out.
How much is admission?
Jasper County residents enter for free, while out-of-county visitors pay a small entry fee at the door.
Where is the museum located relative to Des Moines?
It sits in Newton, Iowa—roughly 30 to 35 miles east of Des Moines just off I-80 on the south side of town.
What is there to see besides washing machines?
The 16,000-square-foot campus includes an 1865 barn, an agricultural building, an engine house, a blacksmith shop, WWII military displays, and staged Victorian period rooms.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: traveliowa.com · Tripadvisor · newtoniachamber.com
last checked: 2026-06-07