Welcome to the Porter House Museum!
Home of A.F. Porter, Naturalist
Decorah, Iowa
Located in the former Decorah home of Adelbert Field Porter (1879 – 1968) and Grace Young Porter (1880 – 1964), the Porter House Museum is an inspiring exploration of history, nature, and art.
“Bert” (as he was more commonly called) was a gentleman naturalist, collector, and photographer who traveled throughout the world in pursuit of butterflies, rocks, and other curiosities. A man of artistic sensibilities, Bert used his nature collections to create unique “nature art,” for which he became well known during his lifetime.
At the museum, visitors experience the historic travels, art, and collecting of this naturalist and his wife against the backdrop of Victorian elegance that was their home and heritage.
Hours and Location
The Porter House Museum is located in the Broadway Historic District, two blocks south of downtown Decorah.
401 West Broadway Street
Decorah, Iowa 52101
REGULAR HOURS :
The Museum is open May & September Saturdays and Sundays; and Daily from June through August with guided tours beginning at 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. We are closed October through April, except for special events.
We encourage guests to enjoy the free outdoor Rock Wall and Gardens during daylight hours.
Graveyard Art Talk at Porter House
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Join us for this years' “After Dark” lecture, "How to Read a Graveyard: The Art of Phelps Cemetery," presented by Dr. Lindsey Row-Heyveld.
Row-Heyveld, a scholar, educator, and calligrapher has long been fascinated with gravestones: the stories they tell, the feelings they evoke, what they convey about peoples’ attitude toward death, the way they force the living to confront death.
Row-Heyveld’s free lecture, open to the public, will be given twice: at 6:00 and 7:30 at the Porter House Museum, 401 W. Broadway in Decorah.