Deere and Company is planning to build a museum at its tractor production factory in Waterloo. Deere spokesperson Ken Golden says the tractor works plant already hosts up to 30,000 tourists a year. The new museum will include more about the history of tractor and engine manufacturing in the Cedar Valley. “Going back to before even John Deere owned the tractor works there,” Golden said. “We’ll talk about the history of tractors and engines…and how these products have added to the productivity of the farmer in the U.S. and around the world.”
Financial details of the development are not being disclosed. Construction on the John Deere Waterloo Tractor and Engine History Museum is expected to begin later this year with an opening of the facility scheduled for late 2011.
Deere and Company is headquartered in Moline, Illinois and has similar museums and visitor centers at a number of plants around the world. “It’s a big attraction for folks who love John Deere and agriculture,” Golden said. “We certainly think (the Waterloo museum) is a great addition to that broad network of facilities.”
Deere and Company was founded in 1837. The Waterloo Tractor Works plant was purchased by Deere in 1918.