About the Community

Gladbrook is a town of 799 located in central Iowa. The community is well known for a strong base of volunteers and community service. The Gladbrook City Centre is home to the Gladbrook City Hall and the Gladbrook Theater.

The City Centre also houses Pat Acton’s Matchstick Marvels Tourist Center which has drawn tourists from all over the United States and many countries. Acton is a lifelong woodworker who has been building large-scale matchstick models since 1977. Several of his pieces are on display at various Ripley’s Believe it Or Not museums around the world. The primary venue for the collection is the Gladbrook museum which holds a selection of Acton’s models including the Space Shuttle Challenger, USS Iowa, Notre Dame Cathedral, and his newest creation, the main square from Back to the Future.

Learn more at www.matchstickmarvels.com