Learning about the Czech Village/New Bohemian District in Cedar Rapids

Quaker Oats is one of the "5 smells of Cedar Rapids."  You can smell Crunch Berries 5 miles away.

NewBo City Market is an important part of Cedar Rapids.  It's a non-profit organization that is home to unique food and business start-ups, entertainment, and educational events. They address the environment with a zero-waste policy and do so much more for the community.  A fun and bustling place to visit.  My first visit.

NewBo City Market is located in the Bohemian District near downtown Cedar Rapids.  

Outside of NewBo Market and throughout  Cedar Rapids you can find scooters and electric bikes for rent.  Looks like fun.  Maybe tomorrow?

Raygun started as a screen-printing business with positive slogans about Des Moines.  They now have 6 stores in the Midwest including Cedar Rapids.  Enjoyed shopping here.

The tea towel Chris gave us from Raygun.

Chris picked lunch.

Fruit Loops on pizza?  Fong's Pizza serves them on breakfast pizza.  They also have other unique pizzas.  If you get to Cedar Rapids or Des Moines I would highly recommend you visit Fong's Pizza.

I had "The King."

We had the "Crab Rangoon" and the "Fongolian Beef."  They were both good but the Crab Rangoon was the BEST pizza I have ever had.

The Czech Village is a restored section of the shopping area where thousands of Bohemian, Moravian and Slovak immigrants who settled in Cedar Rapids since the turn of the century shopped.

 The Czech Slovak Museum and Library documents their history and culture.  The 2008 flood had 8 feet of water in the museum and library, and caused over 11 million dollars of damage. To prevent future flood damage the buildings were moved 480 feet away from the original location and 11 feet higher.

NewBo City Market, Raygun, Fong's Pizza, the Museum and Almost Favorite Popcorn were all within walking distance.

National Czech Slovak Musem/Library
Before they moved and raised the buildings there was only 1 flight of stairs.

The clock tower, near the museum, is still awaiting repair from the 2020 Durecho. In the background notice the hill.  I will tell you more about that tomorrow

The current traveling exhibit, the Joyce Anderson Czech Glass Collection. They have had many traveling exhibits including a Chihuly Glass exhibit, Stitching History From the Holocaust, Czech Scientists and Their Inventions  and more.

Royal Dux

"End of Day" Glass included lots of colors.

Bronze statue of Tomàš Garrigue Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslavakia, created in 1937 by artist Jan Vitek.  Originally intended for a town square it had to be hidden during WWII and the communist era.  It was returned to it's original owner in the 1960's and brought to the U. S.

A hands-on display allowing children to "pack a suitcase" with the most important items a child may have brought from Czecoslavokia.

Throughout the museum we followed Maňa's life.

Reading the history of their escape from communism, immigration to the United States, and the impact made by thousands of these immigrants on Cedar Rapids really affected me and had me in tears at times. It shows the hardships that caused them to immigrate in search of a better life for their families, how hard it was to leave the life they had known, and the contributions they made to the United States.