JEFFERSON, Iowa — The Greene County Historical Museum in Jefferson not only showcases artifacts detailing the county’s history, but also 1,000 Barbie dolls.

Since the 1970s, a vintage Barbie exhibit has been on display at the museum after a resident donated her 400-doll collection. That exhibit expanded after another resident recently donated her collection, featuring 600 Barbies still in their original packaging.

Last year, Jefferson displayed the entire 1,000 Barbies in a pop-up exhibit, called Barbie by the Bells, during the month of June.

Now, the museum displays around 250 Barbies at a time, frequently rotating which dolls are on display.

“You need to preserve them as best you can for the future because it’s part of our history that isn’t going to repeat,” said volunteer Mikki Schwarzkopf, who has researched every Barbie at the museum.

The dolls have their own stories to share. From the first dolls made in 1959, to the evolution of Ken’s looks, and even some questionable designs like the Talking Barbie, which offended many women after the doll said, “Math class is really hard.”

Barbie’s history is front and center in the museum, and visitors can go from seeing the dolls to physically becoming Barbie and walking through a life-size dollhouse that brings 1900s Greene County to life.

“It’s a real glimpse into a life that is far gone,” said Schwarzkopf.

The museum shows what different household rooms would have looked like during the Victorian Era. Museum co-director Dianne Piepel said that their primary focus is to have artifacts from their county on display.

Like the dolls, each artifact has its own story to tell.

One of the artifacts is a cloth doll which sits on a rocking chair in the 1900 children’s room exhibit. The doll was dropped from a covered wagon while a family was traveling from Illinois to Iowa in the 1890s. Miles later, the father went back to retrieve the doll so his little girl wouldn’t cry.

That little girl’s granddaughter later donated the doll to the museum. The story of the doll is also displayed next to the artifact.

The museum also shows a parent’s bedroom, kitchen, dining room, parlor, room, and porch. Each has authentic artifacts from county residents.

Besides a Victorian household, the museum also preserves Greene County history. From the presence of coal mines in the county to the evolution of farm equipment and some patented medicines that contained no effective ingredients, visitors travel back in time walking through the museum.

Unlike most museums, the Greene County Historical Museum allows visitors to interact with artifacts. Green paper dots posted throughout the museum tells kids what artifacts they can touch. This includes things like using a typewriter, ringing a vintage doorbell, hanging clothes on a line, and more.

“Kids don’t even have to know how to read. They just know that if there’s a big green dot, they can play with it,” said Schwarzkopf.

Some of the history is even told from those who lived through it. For 25 years, the museum has recorded residents’ interviews, telling stories about growing up in the county.

Through the Barbie dolls and the artifacts, the museum reminds visitors that history should not only be preserved, but played with, passed down, and displayed.