Ames might soon be home to its own local history museum.

The idea is in the earliest stage of planning, but the Ames Historical Society, which would house the new museum, is deciding what the building needs and is searching for a permanent site.

The society, housed in a 900-square-foot storefront at 108 5th St., is stuffed with everything from old children’s toys to historic drill bits and American Indian arrowheads. Society members said this building is not large enough to contain a museum.

“All of the other towns which are smaller than Ames have their own history museums. Now it’s our turn,” said Dennis Wendell, Ames native and historical society member.

Kathy Svec, president of the Ames Historical Society, said a cash gift from an anonymous donor was the starting point for creating the museum.

“The donation came to us in such a fun and surprising way,” Svec said.

She said the donation was presented to the society in a massive cardboard box teeming with coins and dollar bills of every denomination.

“The only term was that the board raises the money to match the gift, and we not only matched it, but we have tripled it,” Svec said. “The way the donation was presented is a symbol of our modest organization. We start small and think big.”

She said there is no timeline for building the museum.

Svec said the thought of an Ames museum began more than 30 years ago.

In the 1970s, the Ames Heritage Association was founded by Farwell Brown, the first official Ames historian. Then a new retiree, Brown became interested in local history by sorting through artifacts from 1864 that belonged to his grandparents.

The first project of his new organization was the refurbishing of the historical Hoggatt School — the first schoolhouse in the Ames area. In 1861, it served two families.

From the beginning, the long-term goal for the society was to create a museum that would house and exhibit historical artifacts.

By the mid-1990s, the society acquired a grant from the government that allowed it to conduct a survey and research the idea of expanding into a museum. Svec said the results were disappointing because they showed not many people were interested in local history.

From there, the society campaigned to raise awareness about the consequences of ignoring local history.

In 1999, a small exhibit was opened to try to turn on the public to the idea of local history, but a lack of funds led to the establishment’s closing.

In 2001, the society moved and shifted its emphasis back to obtaining collections and developing an organized way to house and archive the treasures of Ames’ history.

Today, the Ames Historical Society is the home to more than 1 million images, blueprints, costumes and artifacts; all are waiting to be revealed to the public.

“All of us should be able to look back at how the community has developed and its history, when and how it came to be,” Mayor Ted Tedesco said. “It is necessary in trying to look ahead to project the future of this community.”

He said it is important to be familiar with the community’s long and interesting past.