Iowa All Over: Gladbrook changing, evolving with the times

A lot has changed over the years in Gladbrook.

Businesses have come and gone. Others have changed hands. A school building recently closed as a result of financial constraints and declining enrollment.

But residents of Gladbrook, a small town in Tama County and with a population of 945, like to believe their town still has a few shining gems left.

'We are a very down-to-Earth farming community,” said JoAnn Ruopp, manager of the City Centre building, which houses a theater, museum and city hall. 'People are proud of our community …

. Gladbrook has survived all the time and still is very strong and going.”

At the Gladbrook Movie Theater, movie tickets are $3, and movies in 3D are $4. Guests can rent a seat saver to reserve their favorite spot for the show.

'I think somebody needed to step up and offer quality entertainment at an affordable price for families,” Ruopp said.

Adjacent to the theater is the Matchstick Marvels Museum, which contains a collection of huge, 3D models of buildings, ships and houses made entirely of matchsticks and built by Gladbrook resident Patrick Acton.

One of the most impressive models is of the U.S. Capitol building, made of 478,000 matchsticks and 10 gallons of carpenter's glue.

The model is 12 feet long and 5.5 feet tall. Acton said it more than 2,000 hours to construct.

'I tried my hand at carving some of the sculptures, so it was just a little different all around,” Acton said of the U.S. Capitol model.

In the museum, there is a sculpture of an American Bald eagle in flight, as well as a 13-foot long model of the battleship U.S.S. Iowa, made of 137,000 matchsticks.

'So much of this stuff it seems that's made or created in Iowa escapes Iowa to go to other places,” he said. 'It's really nice to have somewhere in my home state that these will be preserved and kept and people will be able to view.”

Before the museum opened, residents would be hard pressed to see a tour bus pull up on Main Street, Ruopp said. Now, the Matchstick Museum draws from 5,000 to 8,000 visitors a year, she said.

'Small, rural Iowa towns are struggling,” Acton said. 'It's going to continue probably to be that way. It was the community's effort that built this building and created a place to have these displayed.”

Gladbrook's annual Corn Carnival in late June also draws thousands to town. It is not unusual for 10,000 people to attend the parade on Friday night as part of the carnival, Ruopp said.

This year will be the 93rd Corn Carnival.

More on Gladbrook

Gladbrook, in Tama County, has a population of 945, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Its major employers include Goos Implement, Gladbrook Tire Center and Luethje Auto Sales in Gladbrook and nearby Marshalltown.

If you go

What: Matchstick Marvels Museum

Where: 319 Second St., Gladbrook

Hours: 1 to 5 p.m., daily, from April 1 to Nov. 30. In other months, call to arrange an appointment.

Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for children.

Call (641) 473-2410 or go to www.matchstickmarvels.com.

What: Gladbrook Theater

Where: 319 Second St., Gladbrook

Call (641) 473-3456 or go to www.gladbrooktheater.com.