Main Artwork by Abbey Harkrader

Celebrating 60 Years of Preservation.

On October 25, 1949, President Harry Truman signed a proclamation that established Effigy Mounds National Monument under the authority of the 1906 Antiquities Act. This created the Monument as part of the National Park System to protect one of the best surviving collection of pre-European earthen American Indian mounds, featuring magnificent "Effigy Mound" formations, in the United States.

During 2009 Effigy Mounds National Monument will celebrate its 60th anniversary through a series of events, programs, and exhibits that will highlight the theme "The Movement for a National Park in Iowa".  In anticipation of this significant milestone in the history of the Monument, staff has been working on improvements to park programs and facilities that will engage the local communities, as well as the many visitors to northeast Iowa.

Effigy Mounds National Monument Museum Collection.

Portrait of Ellison Orr circa 1881. Portrait taken in Postville, Iowa

Come Join Us in the Celebrating 100 years of the Movement to create a National Park in Iowa - and - the 60th Anniversary of Effigy Mounds National Monument.

The anniversary celebration will formally begin on April 5, 2009 in the visitor center of the Monument with a special exhibit and program to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the national park movement in Iowa.

Ellison Orr of Waukon, Iowa (pictured on the left) was a central figure in the movement to create a national park in Iowa and the eventual establishment of Effigy Mounds National Monument.

The April 5th event will kick off a series of programs focusing on a variety of topics related to the past, present, and future of Effigy Mounds. These topics will include: New programs and activities will be conducted throughout the summer months. These will include:

• Guided hikes
• American Indian Cultural Celebration, July 10th & 11th.
• Programs in the visitor center area
• Junior Ranger activities for kids  

A special 60th anniversary program and exhibit will be held on the Monument's establishment date of October 25th.

We hope you will join us in 2009 as we remember the past, examine our role in the present, and prepare for the future...