In the winter of 1972, the First Evangelical Lutheran Church disbanded and the church council gave the church, parsonage, and the lots at 366 Poplar Street to the county museum society. The society, volunteers from The Old Church Art Guild, along with help from the state-funded elderly Green Thumb workers program soon got to work creating exhibits. The Otoe County Museum of Memories was dedicated on June 24, 1973.

The 1972 museum officers were Francis Moul, president; Bill Van Housen, vice president; Norman Rodaway, secretary; Mrs. Barbara Coulter, treasurer; and Rolland Johnson, corporation treasurer. Moul credited Mrs. Esther McClary and Mrs. Joyce Severs with getting most of the work done on the opening of the museum.

Over the next two years, renovations on the old parsonage took place, and the museum expanded. In November 1980, construction began on the Kramer Building, named for long-time Syracuse business man, Henry Kramer. The building was dedicated on October 4, 1981.

Also on the museum grounds is a garage featuring a variety of household and farm tools, as well as a replica of downtown Syracuse built by Vern Warnke.