The public is invited to the reception to view the replica. The original ABC was invented by John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry at Iowa State from 1939-42. The ABC was never patented and eventually scavenged for parts. The replica was built to honor Atanasoff and Berry. The replica was constructed over the past three years by a team of scientists, technicians and students at Ames Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy facility at Iowa State.
Mason City is the ninth stop on the replica's Iowa tour.
It has been displayed in Ames, Ottumwa, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, the Quad Cities, Sioux City, Waterloo, and Spencer.