John Moyna has a serious passion for vintage construction equipment. So serious, he built a 38,000-square-foot facility to showcase his collection and the rich history of the earthmoving industry.
The Earthmoving Legacy Center, located in Elkader, Iowa, features an epic display of 100 pieces of vintage machines indoors and nearly 300 pieces outdoors, ranging from horse-drawn earthmoving equipment to artillery-carrier bulldozers from World War II.
The collection spans the 1880s to 1940, focusing primarily on the evolution of Caterpillar. The machines have been meticulously restored to original specs, even down to the bolts on the tracks.
The historical exhibit is chronologically organized, following the inception of track-type tractors, which would become today’s bulldozers, as well as the first motor graders, scrapers and other machines.
Moyna is the third-generation owner of C.J. Moyna & Sons, a large civil contractor, as well as:
- Mobile Track Solutions: A manufacturer of pull-type scrapers and tractors.
- Moyna Material: An aggregates producer and supplier.
- Progressive Structures: An underground utility company specializing in storm sewer, water main, and sanitary sewer across Iowa.
- Rapid Innovation: A specialized design-build prototype development team for earthmoving equipment.
- Just Move It: A for-hire heavy haul, oversized load and wide load shipping provider.
Moyna started the Earthmoving Legacy Center to share his large collection with everyone, whether they’re an avid tractor fan or a class of curious students. Other collectors have loaned their pieces as well, to help showcase early track-type tractors from Caterpillar, Holt Manufacturing and C.L. Best Manufacturing.
Powered byTo take a walkthrough tour of the museum, check out our video above. Subscribe to Equipment World's YouTube channel for upcoming deep dives into the rarest and most unique machines in the collection.
The Earthmoving Legacy Center is located at 24412 IA-13 Elkader, Iowa 52043. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost of admission is $15 for adults, $10 for children 12 or younger, $10 for seniors and $30 for families.
In addition to tours, the facility regularly hosts meetings, events and industry training sessions, including:
- Earthworks Scoreboard: A two-day, in-person workshop for earthmoving companies that want clearer production visibility and better profit control while the dirt is still moving — not after the job is over.
- Legacy Leadership: Originally designed for leaders inside C.J. Moyna, this two-day immersive experience is available to individuals and teams from outside organizations who want interactive and application-focused leadership training designed for transfer into daily operations.
