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Matchstick Marvels Museum

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169:(over 600,000 matchsticks). The museum was opened in 2003. There are around 20 models on display alongside Acton's drawings, plans, tools, and a short film of Acton speaking about his creations. The museum is run by the city of Gladbrook and staffed with volunteers so that Acton can have more time to build models. 202:
stated, "An amiable Midwesterner with an awesome talent and wide-ranging imagination, Acton's Matchstick Marvels museum features a breathtaking array of his work, which includes the U.S. Capitol building, an aircraft carrier, and a cathedral... all intricate pieces, precisely made, spotlighting an
180:, which he regrets painting because it covered his work. His models have thousands of matchsticks and some of them take years to finish. Acton said, "As a kid I was always screwing up kit models because I was always in a hurry. Well, I've finally found a type of model that I can't hurry." 172:
Acton's technique has improved over the years, but his process of gluing one matchstick at a time is the same. During the first 10 years of his hobby, Acton cut off the
104:. The models are the work of Pat Acton, a resident of Gladbrook, and date back to 1977. As many as twenty of his large-scaled models are on display at any time. 398: 131: 393: 319: 292: 176:' combustible heads and now he buys the matchsticks without the tips from a supplier. All of the models are unpainted except for a 43: 122:
Acton has been building wooden matchstick models since 1977. Since then, he has made 70 large complex designs, including of the
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has purchased 25 of Acton's creations and the museum was featured in a short documentary, part of the
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has bought 25 of Acton's matchstick creations. A 30-minute documentary from the film series
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documented the museum and Acton in 2004. In a capsule review of the documentary,
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extraordinary collection built from one man’s creative passion."
74: 37: 21: 100:, that features models created entirely of wooden 134:. Models based on popular culture include the 8: 16: 250: 248: 222: 220: 218: 216: 15: 278: 276: 314:. Lerner Publishing Group. p. 14. 212: 335:Jordan-Heintz, Sara (June 11, 2017). 130:(almost 500,000 matchsticks) and the 7: 14: 399:Art museums and galleries in Iowa 126:(over 300,000 matchsticks), the 285:Iowa Culture: Past and Present 1: 394:Museums in Tama County, Iowa 308:Marciniak, Kristin (2015). 228:"Matchstick Marvels Museum" 191:Ripley's Believe It or Not! 178:North American P-51 Mustang 107:Ripley's Believe It or Not! 420: 337:"One matchstick at a time" 256:"Matchstick Marvel Models" 94:Matchstick Marvels Museum 17:Matchstick Marvels Museum 311:What's Great about Iowa? 287:. Colorfx. p. 213. 196:Discoveries... America 132:New World Trade Center 112:Discoveries... America 128:United States Capitol 59:42.18806°N 92.71556°W 362:"Matchstick Marvels" 283:Ode, Carson (2016). 124:Notre Dame Cathedral 64:42.18806; -92.71556 55: /  18: 118:History and museum 82:.matchstickmarvels 321:978-1-4677-6092-8 137:Millennium Falcon 90: 89: 411: 378: 377: 375: 373: 358: 352: 351: 349: 347: 341:Times-Republican 332: 326: 325: 305: 299: 298: 280: 271: 270: 268: 266: 260:Official website 252: 243: 242: 240: 238: 232:Roadside America 224: 86: 83: 81: 70: 69: 67: 66: 65: 60: 56: 53: 52: 51: 48: 19: 419: 418: 414: 413: 412: 410: 409: 408: 384: 383: 382: 381: 371: 369: 366:Video Librarian 360: 359: 355: 345: 343: 334: 333: 329: 322: 307: 306: 302: 295: 282: 281: 274: 264: 262: 254: 253: 246: 236: 234: 226: 225: 214: 209: 200:Video Librarian 186: 120: 98:Gladbrook, Iowa 96:is a museum in 78: 63: 61: 57: 54: 49: 46: 44: 42: 41: 33: 29:Gladbrook, Iowa 12: 11: 5: 417: 415: 407: 406: 401: 396: 386: 385: 380: 379: 353: 327: 320: 300: 293: 272: 244: 211: 210: 208: 205: 185: 182: 119: 116: 88: 87: 76: 72: 71: 39: 35: 34: 32: 31: 25: 23: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 416: 405: 402: 400: 397: 395: 392: 391: 389: 367: 363: 357: 354: 342: 338: 331: 328: 323: 317: 313: 312: 304: 301: 296: 294:9780692631836 290: 286: 279: 277: 273: 261: 257: 251: 249: 245: 233: 229: 223: 221: 219: 217: 213: 206: 204: 201: 197: 193: 192: 183: 181: 179: 175: 170: 168: 167: 162: 158: 157: 152: 151: 145: 144: 139: 138: 133: 129: 125: 117: 115: 113: 109: 108: 103: 99: 95: 85: 77: 73: 68: 40: 36: 30: 27: 26: 24: 20: 370:. Retrieved 365: 356: 344:. Retrieved 340: 330: 310: 303: 284: 263:. Retrieved 259: 235:. Retrieved 231: 199: 195: 189: 187: 171: 166:Harry Potter 164: 154: 149: 141: 135: 121: 111: 105: 93: 91: 368:. June 2005 188:As of 2017 102:matchsticks 62: / 38:Coordinates 388:Categories 372:August 21, 346:August 29, 265:August 21, 237:August 21, 207:References 150:Enterprise 50:92°42′56″W 47:42°11′17″N 184:Reception 156:Star Trek 148:Starship 143:Star Wars 161:Hogwarts 114:series. 22:Location 404:Matches 174:matches 75:Website 318:  291:  159:, and 146:, the 163:from 153:from 140:from 374:2020 348:2020 316:ISBN 289:ISBN 267:2020 239:2020 92:The 84:.com 80:www 390:: 364:. 339:. 275:^ 258:. 247:^ 230:. 215:^ 376:. 350:. 324:. 297:. 269:. 241:.

Index

Gladbrook, Iowa
42°11′17″N 92°42′56″W / 42.18806°N 92.71556°W / 42.18806; -92.71556
www.matchstickmarvels.com
Gladbrook, Iowa
matchsticks
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Notre Dame Cathedral
United States Capitol
New World Trade Center
Millennium Falcon
Star Wars
Starship Enterprise
Star Trek
Hogwarts
Harry Potter
matches
North American P-51 Mustang
Ripley's Believe It or Not!




"Matchstick Marvels Museum"


"Matchstick Marvel Models"


ISBN
9780692631836

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