Visit the Wells Fargo History Museum in Des Moines, Iowa

by Erin Huiatt

Recently, I took my 2 kids to the Wells Fargo History Museum. This small museum is the 9th museum that Wells Fargo has opened around the country. Here are some of our favorite exhibits:

Concord Stagecoach

This was my daughter’s favorite exhibit! Kiddos (of all ages, even grown-ups) can dress up in dresses, bonnets, jackets, and western hats and “ride” in the stagecoach while watching scenery “pass” by them on screens inside. The stagecoach even rocks to simulate how it really felt to ride in one of the original Wells Fargo stages. Kids can sit in the driver’s seat, hold the reins, and watch videos on how the horses were hitched up.

Telegraph Machine

This fully functional telegraph allows you to send messages to the other 8 museums. How neat is that?

Candlestick Phones

This isn’t really an exhibit, but it was a really neat feature that my 3-year old enjoyed. There is a set of connected candlestick phones in the museum. C loved that she and I could stand on opposite sides of the room and hear each other through the phones.

Drive Thru Bank

Modeled after the first drive up bank windows, this exhibit features a car seat, steering wheel, radio (that even plays music!) and bank window. C was very distraught that the seat of the car did not have a seat belt, but she did have a great time making the music play and giving me her “food” order through the bank window. I am not entirely sure she grasped the concept, but it was still fun.

The museum has something for all ages—interactive exhibits for the kids, lots of fun history for the adults. I loved getting to learn a little bit more about the history of Wells Fargo and banking. There are also several picture stations throughout the museum where you can take a picture of your group to take home as a free souvenir.