RIVERSIDE

Slick, multi-million-dollar museums have their place. Glass-enclosed and filled with the latest in design and technology, they tell interesting stories.

The Voyage Home History Center in Riverside is not one of them, and that’s what makes it cool. What locals may think of as the Star Trek museum is a work of local craftsmanship and ingenuity, of community participation and of love.

It may seem a paradox that a museum largely devoted to a futuristic TV and movie franchise has been created using predominately old-school fabrication methods. But in fact, it’s not; the original Star Trek series that debuted in 1966 had such budget and technological limitations that it had to rely heavily on its characters, and that is what made it so appealing.

The Voyage Home History Center has a similar sort of appeal. Closed in January and February of this year, it reopened in March 2024 with a new arrangement of locally-produced exhibits begging to be enjoyed.

Mike Meinders is the mastermind behind many of the exhibits. You may have heard of him; he’s the designer/craftsman who created the Star Trek Delta Shield out of bicycles for RAGBRAI in 2018.

The storied shield was meant to stand behind the Captain Kirk statue that now resides in Hall Park after the event, but somehow ended up abandoned out by the water treatment plant. In 2023, the museum board paid to have it refinished, and today it stands tall against the side of the museum building.

The bright yellow and black metal sculpture has become the backdrop to many, many selfies. The creation appeals to Trekkies, bicyclists, and motorcyclists alike.

In fact, the Delta Shield is such an iconic eye-catcher, it inspired the design of a t-shirt for sale inside the museum, just in time for TrekFest, held this Thursday, June 27 through Saturday, June 29.

TrekFest weekend is a very popular time to visit the museum.

“We are swamped,” Meinders says.

Traffic through the exhibits is such that museum volunteers designate one door an entrance-only and another an exit-only to help maintain an orderly flow.

Once inside, visitors are first directed to U.S. and world maps on the wall, on which they are asked to insert a pin designating where they came from.

“I think it was in 2019 the first time we actually had someone from every continent in the world,” Meinders says, including places as far-flung as Greenland and Antarctica.

As they continue to the exhibits, visitors find the actual desk Data used on Star Trek, which was purchased at a Christie’s auction and donated to the museum. It weighs “probably about 400 pounds,” Meinders says, and he would know: he and other board members were tasked with driving it from Connecticut to Iowa, “in the middle of January, in between snowstorms.”

Like the desk, many of the collectables inside the museum were donated, and the collections are wide-ranging and fascinating. From the expected figurines and books to the rare lunch pail and ashtray, visitors will find a host of things they may never have seen before. One item of interest: a Mr. Potato Head set that includes Captain Kirk and Klingon Kor. Who knew?

Visitors can take selfies in the transporter, play with the ray guns, and pause with amusement before the Herky statue, who, after acquiring permission, has been fitted with a hand giving the Volcan greeting.

Another section of the museum veers away from Star Trek and focuses on local history. An exhibit of military uniforms, all of which belonged to local service members, a room dedicated to scout memorabilia, and a model railroad setup that helps one visualize how Riverside used to be all await discovery.

All of these exhibits are personal and closely interwoven with the lives of those who call Riverside home.

Call for volunteers

The Voyage Home History Center would love for you to be a part of it. The museum has lost five of its nine volunteers of late due to various life events, and those remaining are eager for you to join them. Volunteers are paid $15 a day for four-hour shifts, during which they assist visitors as needed and help them make gift and t-shirt purchases. If you are interested, contact the museum at 319-648-2226 or voyagehomemuseum@mediacombb.net.

The Voyage Home History Center is located at 361 E. 1st Street, Riverside. Regular hours are Monday-Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.; hours will be extended during TrekFest weekend.