Initially, they were made by the late Leonard Olson in his shop on Main Street in Pocahontas.

After his death in 2019, a series of giant kaleidoscopes were put up throughout the county in his memory.

Now the story of those over-sized toys will be shared around the nation and the world, with a state grant making the promotional effort possible.

The Pocahontas County Economic Development Commission received an $8,700 Iowa Tourism Grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

“This grant is an important investment in Pocahontas County,” MaryJo Litwiller, executive director of Pocahontas County Economic Development, said in a written statement. “Tourism plays a vital role in our local economy, and this funding allows us to showcase what makes our community unique while supporting local businesses and community pride.”

The grant funds will be used to market the kaleidoscopes on the national and international levels, with a goal of bringing out-of-state tourists to Pocahontas County.

The Pocahontas County Foundation and Pocahontas Chamber of Commerce are financial partners on the grant, with the foundation providing the required one-quarter match needed to secure the grant and the chamber providing funds to help cover travel costs of travel influencers coming to the county.

“The Pocahontas County Foundation enthusiastically supported the PCEDC’s application with matching funds to support the Iowa Tourism Marketing Grant,” said Margo Underwood, development advisor for the Pocahontas County Foundation. “The County Foundation worked collaboratively with the Pocahontas County Visioning Committee to help fund five of the 11 kaleidoscopes located throughout Pocahontas County. Promoting increased tourism in Pocahontas County directly impacts revenue, workforce attraction and community pride, which are the building blocks for stronger and more sustainable communities.”

Pocahontas Chamber Executive Director Parker Aden, who helped Litwiller write the grant, said the chamber is proud to be a “small part” of the effort.

“We recognize the kaleidoscopes have caught statewide attention already, and serve as a great identity for our community to draw more people in,” he said in a written statement. “We hope visitors from across the nation, and perhaps even internationally, can have a wonderful time in our county and discover the charm of a rural lifestyle.”

Olson started his business, The Kaleidoscope Factory, in Pomeroy in 2005. He moved it to Pocahontas in 2014.

The business became a tourist attraction, with people coming to Pocahontas just to see the small shop where Olson made kaleidoscopes and other wooden toys.

He died in 2019, but his family kept the business going.

Since his death, 11 jumbo-sized kaleidoscopes have been placed around the county. They are located in Cooper’s Cove Park, Fonda, Gilmore City, Havelock, Laurens, Little Clear Lake, Palmer, Plover, Pocahontas, Rolfe and Varina.

In 2025, the kaleidoscope project received the You Rock Geode Award from Travel Iowa.