Public meeting will unveil vision for new Great River Road Discovery Center

A Monday, May 15 public meeting will unveil the vision for the McGregor Historical Museum expansion project—the new Great River Road Discovery Center.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Backwoods Event Center in McGregor, and include representatives from the McGregor Historical Society Board and city of McGregor, as well as project philanthropists Jeff and Jenifer Westphal. Design firm Edwards Creative an consultant Cynthia Sweet, executive director of the Iowa Museum Association, will also be on hand.

The goal of the meeting is to share the Great River Road Discovery Center (GRRDC) project background while gathering public feedback on preliminary designs and ideas.

The GRRDC is the culmination of a four-year process that began when Jeff Westphal, whose wife Jenifer (Collins) Westphal is a McGregor native, visited the McGregor Historical Museum. An historic photo of a McGregor baseball team inspired him to share the community’s important, yet often under-appreciated, role in American history.

Project talks were initiated with the museum board, and the vision began to take off even more in 2021, when the Westphals purchased the Sullivan Opera House building next door to the museum along with the Alexander Hotel.

The Westphals’ intent was for the acquired properties to potentially expand the historical and cultural experience in McGregor. As Jeff put it, the couple wants to serve as a catalyst for opportunities in the community.