WEST BRANCH, Iowa – Iowans can pay homage to their only native son to be elected a U.S. president when his hometown hosts a Life Celebration for President Herbert Hoover’s 150th birthday this weekend.
The two-day event, planned for Friday and Saturday, Aug. 9 and 10, will include a ceremonial groundbreaking for a major renovation project for the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. Construction of the anticipated remodel is scheduled to begin in early 2025. The official reopening date is the summer of 2026.
The groundbreaking ceremony will be at noon Saturday on the east lawn of the presidential library at 210 Parkside Drive. It is expected to draw local and state dignitaries and coincides with Hoover’s Hometown Days, which begins today, Aug. 9.
Speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony will include: Iowa Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg; Hoover Presidential Foundation President and CEO Mundi McCarty; Hoover Presidential Foundation Chairman Betsy Corridan, and Tom Schwartz, director of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum.
The City of West Branch will celebrate the president’s 150th birthday with free family entertainment. There will be inflatables, crafts, and activities for children on Main Street and at the library and museum. Visitors also will find live music, beer gardens, food trucks, vendors, a parade, historical talks, demonstrations, and more will be offered.
The 150th birthday celebration is hosted by The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, Hoover Presidential Foundation, and Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.
As part of the family fun, Hoover’s Hometown Days will feature the annual National Hoover-Ball Championship. Children and adults are invited to participate. To learn more and register, visit hooverdays.org/hooverball.
First renovation since 1992
The Hoover library and museum is one of 13 physical presidential libraries and museums that are part of the National Archives and Records Administration. Of all the facilities, the museum located in the heart of West Branch has gone the longest without a renovation or addition. The last one was in 1992.
The ambitious modernization and renovation project involves BRC Imagination Arts of Burbank, California. It is overseeing the concept design with a goal of creating a more engaging museum for all. Shive Hattery of Iowa City will oversee the architectural and engineering aspects of the renovation and addition.
The museum originally opened in 1962 for the former president’s 88th birthday. On Saturday, there will be free admission to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum.
In 2022 QCBJ stories, museum leaders said a $20 million re-imagination is planned for the eastern Iowa library and museum. The enhanced museum experience will bring the story of Herbert and Lou Hoover to a new generation of visitors with the latest technology. It will create an immersive and emotional experience.
In a recent news release, leaders said the new renovation relies largely on donations. To date, the campaign has raised 74% of the support from Iowa individuals, foundations, and companies. The effort has been aided by the Hoover Tax Credit Bill. It was signed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2021. The law gives donors a 25% Iowa tax credit for their gifts to the project through Dec. 31, 2024.
The Hoover Presidential Foundation is leading the fundraising efforts through its Timeless Values | Modern Experience campaign. For more information or to donate, visit timelessvaluescampaign.org.
Fun for all ages
Hoover’s Hometown Days is coordinated by local volunteers in partnership with Main Street West Branch, the Hoover Presidential Foundation, Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, and Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. It is supported by stage sponsors Altorfer Ag Products, Green State Credit Union, Maisi, Nordex, Acciona Windpower, and West Branch Animal Clinic. For more information on festival events, visit www.hooverdays.org.
For the children, the library and museum will have a scavenger hunt and STEAM stations. On Main Street, kids will be entertained with a parade, bounce houses, giant bubbles, face painting, balloon twister, water-ball fights, Hoover-Ball clinics, a petting zoo, and more.
Other festivities are designed to help visitors explore the history of the Hoovers and President Hoover’s hometown of West Branch.
Pete Swisher, superintendent of the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, will be one of the guest speakers at the celebration. Historical reenactors of Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover will hand out birthday cake. It wlil be made from the same recipe that was used for Hoover’s 80th birthday celebration in West Branch.
Interpretive talks will be given by National Park Rangers from Shenandoah National Park and the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site. The site also will host blacksmith demonstrations at Jesse Hoover’s Blacksmith Shop.
Free music will be available throughout the celebration. Rock, bluegrass, big band, jazz, Classical, indie, pop and more will be performed throughout the festival grounds. The performances will be capped with a concert by Shades of Blue, the Air Force Band of Mid-America, on Saturday night. This will be a rare free performance by this top military group.
Special Big Grove brew
Adults also are welcome to enjoy a cold “Thirty-One”. It’s an exclusive beer brewed in honor of Hoover’s 150th birthday by eastern Iowa’s Big Grove Brewery. The limited-edition brew will only be available at Hoover’s Hometown Days at Herb N’ Lou’s Pizza and The Down Under pub.
On its Facebook page, Big Grove said the new ale – named in honor of the 31st President – is inspired by the brewery’s classic wheat ale. It’s flavor profile featuring hints of honey and citrus. Big Grove said the brew adheres to traditional Midwest brewing styles, offering a modern twist on a historical taste.
It was created with support of the Hoover Presidential Foundation and Solon Brewpub.
For a full schedule of events, visit hooverdays.org.
