Unique Burlesque Museum in Davenport Reveals the Naked Truth

By Jonathan Turner

Danielle Colby is after the naked truth, but there’s nothing tawdry or sensationalistic about it.

The veteran burlesque performer, passionate history buff, and co-star of the long-running History cable series, “American Pickers,” recently opened an adult entertainment treasure trove – the Ecdysiast Arts Museum, 322 Brady St., Davenport.

Behind a pink door (open by appointment only to those aged 21 and up), the ground-floor museum is housed in a 1895 building, showcasing but a fraction of Colby’s extensive and fascinating collection devoted to burlesque, artistry, and unapologetic expression, unique in the region and the nation.

Danielle Colby, owner and founder of the new museum, stands next to the stage on June 29, 2025 (photo by Jonathan Turner)

The impressive displays will not be limited to burlesque, Colby told me recently. It aims to encompass nudity in film, video, photography and books.

“It’s important that all of these stories get told, not just the ones in proximity to wealth or sparkle,” she said. “Burlesque is a part of the story, but the whole world of the ecdysiast is really our whole story. Anyone who monetizes off their nudity is what we cover. It’s a huge field of research.”

The exhibits (which include costumes, dresses, photos, posters, banners, accessories, jewelry and books) will be rotated and the museum plans to host live performances every weekend, up to three times a week.

The term “ecdysiast” (pronounced “ehk-DEE-zee-ast”) was coined by H.L. Mencken, based on a Greek word for a performer who removes their clothes. And the museum is the only one of its kind in the U.S., especially since the Burlesque Hall of Fame Museum in Las Vegas is closing, effective July 20, 2025.

Colby is a walking, shimmying, shaking encyclopedia of burlesque. In speaking with her, you can easily admire the breadth of her knowledge of the litany of notorious performers, venues, and colorful history of the art form.

And like the many tattoos that cover her skin, burlesque is a long-beloved art form, of which I have often written during my three decades in the Quad Cities.

Madame Nymphaea from Puerto Rico performing for the Ecdysiast Arts Museum grand opening on June 21, 2025 (photo by Jeremy Scheuch)

Many burlesque troupes have come and gone, with several currently in our humble metro area, and I have always been dazzled not only by the looks and outfits that the performers present, but the care, intensity and joy they reflect in their performances, reveling in the freedom of self-expression.

Burlesque dancers (not uniformly devoted to stripping) typically have stage names (like Gem Fatale, Dahlia Dutch, Mary Quite Contrary, Miss Manhattan and Colby’s Dannie Diesel), with which they project unique, mesmerizing personalities and fantasies. Like theater, they are actors creating their own world we’re invited into, and like many casts of stage productions, the burlesque troupes form close-knit, familial bonds.

It's gloriously fitting that Colby’s museum is in the heart of downtown Davenport, once known as “the wickedest city of America,” due to its thrumming concentration of brothels, bars, and burlesque houses in the Bucktown neighborhood.

Gem Fatale from Quad Cities performing for the Ecdysiast Arts Museum grand opening on June 21, 2025 (photo by Jeremy Scheuch)

Dahlia Dutch of the Quad Cities performing for the Ecdysiast Arts Museum grand opening on June 21, 2025 (photo by Jeremy Scheuch)

In 2016, my first book “A Brief History of Bucktown: Davenport’s Infamous District Transformed” (The History Press) was published, revealing the heyday of both high and low culture in downtown at the late 19^th and early 20^th century, when prostitution was legal and regulated in Davenport.

I was surprised when Colby said she hadn’t heard of the book, but pleased that she’s eager to read it. We have such a fervent, rich history here, that should be honored and celebrated, and Colby’s museum is another key piece in revealing that kaleidoscopic puzzle.

She said a local burlesque performer is planning a Wickedest City Festival, highlighting burlesque, and Ballet Quad Cities has already announced that its next season will end with “Wickedest City in America: Dancing, Drinking and Debauchery!” in April 2026 at Davenport’s Galvin Fine Arts Center.

The Ecdysiast Arts Museum is open (ages 21+) by appointment only, at 322 Brady St., Davenport.

Like a very popular movie of the same name, it’s fun to be wicked every now and then.

For Ecdysiast, there are many upcoming events (including a special dinner and show at LeClaire’s Crane & Pelican Café on July 11) listed on the museum website, www.ecdysiastartsmuseum.com. It will be open (for ages 21+) by appointment only.

Contact [email protected] to set up a tour.