Matchstick Marvels Museum
What can one do with a bunch of matchsticks? When we visited the Matchstick Marvels Museum in the small town of Gladbrook, Iowa we found that with lots and lots of matchsticks some pretty amazing things can be created. The models in the museum are built with ordinary two-inch long wooden matchsticks glued together.
Near the entrance of the museum was a scaled replica of the Iowa governor’s mansion Terrace Hill. It needed 193,000 matchsticks to build and took over 800 hours to complete.
The actual Terrace Hill mansion was completed in 1869. It was deeded to the state of Iowa in 1971 with the presiding Iowa governor living there since restoration of it was finished.
Moving on to another building is the matchstick model of Notre Dame cathedral. This was built between August of 2010 and April of 2012, using 298,000 matchsticks.
The builder of the matchstick models is Patrick Acton. When it was completed it was the single most detailed structure he had made.
Construction of the real Notre Dame de Paris began in 1163 and was finished 87 years later. Additional decorative work was done on the cathedral through the 13th and 14th centuries.
Our trip to the Matchstick Marvels Museum was in the Summer of 2017 which was before the destructive fire of the real Notre Dame on April 15, 2019. Rebuilding of the Notre Dame cathedral is still in progress.
Next we step into the world of Star War to the Millennium Falcon model which has retractable landing gear and cargo ramp, running lights, engine-thruster lights, landing lights, and forward flood lights. If that isn’t enough it also includes sound, rotating dish, and laser guns.
It has a cockpit featuring fiber optic lighting.
There is a mirror to see the bottom of the model.
The model took 2500 hours to build, used 26 gallons of wood glue, and weighs 700 pounds. I think I hear some Stormtroopers so it is time to make our exit.
We escape just in time using hyperdrive.
Which brings us back to Earth to the matchstick model of the United States Capitol building which is 12 feet in length and 5.5 feet tall.
The construction of the actual U.S. Capitol building began when President Washington laid the cornerstone in the building’s southeast corner on September 18, 1793. In the years since then it has undergone building, additions, portions replaced or upgraded, and repairs. Today it measures 751 feet in length and 287 feet tall.
The Cutty Sark has 38 matchstick sails and Patrick Acton used styrofoam to size and shape each of them them.
The actual Cutty Sark was a British clipper ship built in 1869. It was in use until 1954 when it was transferred to permanent dry dock at Greenwich, London for public display.
The space shuttle Challenger model was completed in 1997.
It is dedicated to the seven Americans that lost their lives when the Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff on January 28, 1986. One of those aboard was the first teacher in space, Christa McAuiffe.
The model of the Wright brothers’ flyer is 1/8-scale and has a wingspan of 5 feet.
The real flyer had the first manned sustained powered flight on December 17, 1903 which lasted about 12 seconds and went about 120 feet.
Not all of the matchstick models that Patrick Acton has built are at the museum but are on display at other locations. Some of these have pictures on the museum wall like the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The model was based on Michael Brammans painting An Owl’s Eye View of Hogwarts with a few enhancements from the movies.
Another is the matchstick model of J.R.R. Tolkien’s City of Kings from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The model has the seven-level city and is topped with the Citadel, the Tree of Gondor, and the White Tower of Ecthelion.
This two-headed dragon measures 11 feet in length, has a wingspan of 10 feet, and stands 5 feet tall. The model is also automated with moving wings, simulated fire breathing, and fierce sound effects which of course we could not experience but it looks impressive.
This table has information for the matchstick models in this post.
| Year | Matchstick Model | Matchsticks |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Terrace Hill | 193,000 |
| 2012 | Notre Dame Cathedral | 298,000 |
| 2017 | Star Wars Millennium Falcon | 910,000 |
| 2001 | United States Capitol | 478,000 |
| 1995 | Cutty Sark Clipper Ship | 38,000 |
| 1997 | Space Shuttle Challenger | 200,000 |
| 1994 | Wright Brother’s Flyer | 10,000 |
| 2006 | Harry Potter Hogwarts | 602,000 |
| 2010 | Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith | 420,000 |
| 2016 | Two-headed Dragon | 272,000 |
Some of the models were commissioned by Ripley’s Believe It or Not and are on display at their locations around the world. I can see why they are interested in the models as it can be hard to comprehend the models are built out of matchsticks until seen in person. If you want to visit the Matchstick Marvels Museum it is open from April 1 thru November 30.
More Information:
Matchstick Marvels Museum website
