The park was established in 1927 and the lodge was built in 1934 as a project of the Civilian Conservation Corps.[1] The museum itself opened in the lodge in 1939[2] with a collection started by Dr. John Hauberg, a Rock Island philanthropist. The museum interprets the story of the Sauk and Meskwaki tribes that lived in the area in a village called the Saukenuk.[3] It was considered one of the largest Native American villages in North America. [2] The collection includes winter and summer houses used by the tribes, and dioramas that depict the lives of the people who lived here from 1750 to 1830. [1] Artifacts include authentic trade goods, jewelry, and domestic items.