Fort Des Moines Museum and Education Center
Calendar of Events

2012 Calendar of Events

Friday, January 27th, 7:00 PM-"Share the Mic: Community Voices Creating Change" State of Iowa, Historical Building, 600 East Locust, Des Moines, Iowa 50319. The students of Warren G. Harding Middle School and Movement 515 are using their voices to create positive change in the community. All proceeds benefiting the Fort Des Moines Museum & Education Center. ($5 for adults, $1 for students)

Fort Des Moines Museum Black History Month Calendar, February 2012

Sunday, Feb. 5, 2:00 PM—Celebrate Ronald Reagan's 101th Birthday (February 6) at Fort Des Moines, the place he earned his commission as a Second Lieutenant in 1937.   Featuring the film “This Is the Army” (1943) a wartime musical designed to boost morale in the U.S. during World War II.  Starring Lt. Ronald Reagan, this movie tells the story of WW I dancer Jerry Jones who stages an all-soldier show on Broadway, called Yip Yip Yaphank.  During WW II, his son Johnny Jones (Ronald Reagan) gets orders to stage a new all-soldier show called “THIS IS THE ARMY”!   Birthday cake and jelly beans will be served!  Tickets are $6 each and are available at the door. 

Tuesday, February 14, 7:00 PM—Valentine’s Day Mystery Dinner Party:  Looking for a fun night out! Join your loved ones and friends for a night filled with love, wine and amazing food, and mystery!  $30 per person, $25 per person for members and $50 for couples.  Please RSVP by calling Tina at 515-282-8060.  For more information visit: http://www.mymysteryparty.com/vadaymumydo.html   A Support the Fort Event

Saturday, February 18, 1:00 PM—Chicago Storyteller Linda Gorham presents “Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott”—Rosa parks is the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.  In 1955, in a simple act of defiance, she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery Alabama.  Linda tells this powerful and reverting story through the eyes of three people Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old teenager, James Blake, the bus driver on the day Rosa Parks was arrested, and Rosa Parks herself.  Dynamic and exciting, Linda Gorham uses movement, humor, and sometimes zaniness as she tells imaginative folktales updated with “attitude!” Her personal stories, keynotes, twisted folktales, and history programs inspire, entertain and engage people of all ages. Be prepared to get involved, laugh and maybe even sing along as Linda performs (4th grade – Adults) For info about Linda Gorham visit http://www.lindagorham.com/

Sunday, February 19, 2:00 PM—Movie at the Museum: The Tuskegee Airmen Movie— Based on a true World War II story, The Tuskegee Airmen tells the remarkable story of the U. S. Army Air Corps Fighting 99 the first squadron of African-American combat fighter pilots who were forced to battle two powerful enemies—the prejudices at home and the Axis powers in Europe.  Tickets $6 free popcorn and pop included.

Saturday, February 25, 11:00 PM—The Crocker Street YMCA: Legacy of Leaders (New Traveling Exhibit), Michael Kates, Executive Director Ft. DM Museum, will discuss his new traveling exhibit on the first African American YMCA in Des Moines.  Since 1975, Crocker YMCA members have held a reunion during the Drake Relay weekend.  Legacy of Leaders explores the history of the YMCA, its connections to Fort Des Moines, the Des Moines African American community, and the origins of the Crocker Street YMCA as a place where boys became men.  It is a lasting tribute to the men that made the Crocker YMCA more than a building or a name, but a place that changed lives.    Sponsors: YMCA of Greater Des Moines, American Equity Insurance, Iowa State Historical Society Inc., Friends of Iowa Civil Rights

Saturday February 25, 1:00 – 3:00 PM—Black History Month Family Fun Day! Stop in at the Museum for fun, hands-on activities that allow you and your children to explore the stories of Fort Des Moines’ African American history, such as the Buffalo Soldiers, the black officers, the black doctors, and the black WAACs/WACs who trained at the fort. Fun activities, music, and storytelling mark this free family event. Free 
 Also, the VFW Post 12105 will be on hand to help Veteran or survivors read their DD214, identifying where the Veteran served and assist them in filling out the paperwork to request  or replace medals/war ribbons.  The DVA staff will also be on hand to help with filing claims for disabilities and Agent Orange. 

SUMMER CAMPS ARE ALMOST HERE! The Museum will be releasing its 2012 Summer Camp schedule shortly.  If you are not on our email list and would like a copy, call the Museum or email katesedu@qwestoffice.net.

Volunteers The Fort Des Moines and Education Center is currently seeking volunteers to staff our Visitors Desk. For more information, please contact Tina Achebe at tachebe@qwestoffice.net

The Fort Des Moines Museum and Education Center is located at 75 E. Army Post Road in Des Moines. The Museum is open regularly Monday-Saturday, 10 AM-4 PM. The Museum honors the U.S. Army's first officer candidate class for African American men in 1917, and the establishment of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC's) in 1942. There are group tour and museum rental dates available for summer! Call 515-282-8060 or visit www.fortdesmoines.org for more information.

Additional support for Women’s History Month is provided through a grant from the Museums for America Program of the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences, and from the Iowa Community Cultural Grant Program administered by the State of Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.