Opening Up Our Past
The Vault is a massive display of one of 6 collections storerooms at the Putnam Museum and Science Center. Where there were once walls, you can now see through floor-to-ceiling glass shelves that come out into the exhibit hall.
Among the shelves are countless pieces of fine China dinner sets, 16th century saddles, a ship wheel, turn-of-the-century furniture, and a full-sized shrine.
You are invited to search through the over 250,000 item collections database using interactive tablets, which can sort by country, date, object, and more. Additionally, you can design your own Digital Exhibit with the objects displayed in The Vault.
The Putnam Magic Mirror
The Putnam Magic Mirror is now on permanent display in the Putnam Vault. See the mysterious item that was “discovered,” after 100 years, hiding in plain sight in the Putnam collection. Learn how it came to be here in the Quad Cities and why it is “magic.”
