Gable Museum experiences water damage, pipe bursts

WATERLOO, Iowa -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum got wet again. It certainly wasn't the magnitude of the flood damage from 2008, but the museum suffered water damage after a sprinkler pipe broke in the wall due to frigid temperatures that Iowa is experiencing.

Water flowed out of the pipe for 15 minutes at an estimated speed of 500 gallons per minute. The fire department arrived around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 7 and shut off the water to the sprinkler system.

"The Waterloo Fire Department, MaGee Construction, and Harris Cleaning Service have been fantastic," said Kyle Klingman, director of the Dan Gable Museum. "They helped us get ahead of the problem and we are grateful to them for that. Everyone has been gracious and cooperative through this process."

Nearly half of the main floor of the museum was soaked with water. Several walls, flooring and cabinets may have been damaged. No memorabilia was destroyed.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum is grateful for those who have called to offer support. The best way to support our restoration efforts is to consider a financial donation to the Dan Gable Museum Restoration Fund.

Anyone interested in contributing to the museum can call (319) 233-0745 or visit our website at nwhof.org.