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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) -The National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa (Iowa) has announced plans to close its doors after 22 years. The closure comes after a vote from the board of directors.
Jill Parham is the Chairman of the Board of Directors. She and her husband helped get the museum going which operates as a nonprofit. Parham told TV9 the museum has struggled for many years to be financially stable. When her husband passed in 2017, Parham says she did what she could to keep the museum going.
The pandemic didn’t help matters as the museum was closed at one point for nearly three months and never fully bounced back. The winter months have been particularly difficult.
”It was a very hard decision and it was an emotional decision because you know my husband and I started this together but as I age I want a new chapter of my life I guess. So I actually because we can’t afford hardly any employees, I do the accounting and now I’m doing the directing of it,” Parham said.
For now, the displays are still up for anyone still wanting to make a visit. Some of the bikes on display were loan bikes, those are already being returned. The large Parham collection will likely be sold after the museum closes, but Parham does plan to keep some of the motorcycles she’s really fond of.
The museum will close on September 5th. Then the building will be put up for sale. Parham hopes something new and exciting will move into the building.
Copyright 2023 KCRG. All rights reserved.
I have personally donated over 1400 books, magazines and club newsletters to the library of this museum, in the hope that they will be preserved. This Spring I have been contemplating donating another 1000 or so.
Also this Spring my wife is retiring and one of our ideas for retirement was to move to the area of this museum so I could volunteer there. Also I have toyed with the idea of Loaning or Donating my Laverda to them when I cannot ride safely.
I cannot fully express how upset and sad I am with this announcement.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) -The National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa (Iowa) has announced plans to close its doors after 22 years. The closure comes after a vote from the board of directors.
Jill Parham is the Chairman of the Board of Directors. She and her husband helped get the museum going which operates as a nonprofit. Parham told TV9 the museum has struggled for many years to be financially stable. When her husband passed in 2017, Parham says she did what she could to keep the museum going.
The pandemic didn’t help matters as the museum was closed at one point for nearly three months and never fully bounced back. The winter months have been particularly difficult.
”It was a very hard decision and it was an emotional decision because you know my husband and I started this together but as I age I want a new chapter of my life I guess. So I actually because we can’t afford hardly any employees, I do the accounting and now I’m doing the directing of it,” Parham said.
For now, the displays are still up for anyone still wanting to make a visit. Some of the bikes on display were loan bikes, those are already being returned. The large Parham collection will likely be sold after the museum closes, but Parham does plan to keep some of the motorcycles she’s really fond of.
The museum will close on September 5th. Then the building will be put up for sale. Parham hopes something new and exciting will move into the building.
Copyright 2023 KCRG. All rights reserved.
I have personally donated over 1400 books, magazines and club newsletters to the library of this museum, in the hope that they will be preserved. This Spring I have been contemplating donating another 1000 or so.
Also this Spring my wife is retiring and one of our ideas for retirement was to move to the area of this museum so I could volunteer there. Also I have toyed with the idea of Loaning or Donating my Laverda to them when I cannot ride safely.
I cannot fully express how upset and sad I am with this announcement.
