Arts and attractions

Fountain of the Four Seasons sculpture by Christian Petersen.

Exhibits Calendar

Anderson Sculpture Garden | contact

South of Morrill Hall, free

Brunnier Art Museum | contact

Scheman Building, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 1-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, $3 suggested donation

Closed for renovations through summer 2019

Christian Petersen Art Museum | contact

Morrill Hall, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, $3 suggested donation

"Designed for a Modern Life: Decorative Arts & Fashion in the Mid-century," features selections from both permanent collections and select loans, Oct. 25 through April 13, 2019
"The People's College: The Morrill Act and Iowa State," ongoing
"Commissioning a Collection: 75 Years of Public Art," ongoing

Design on Main Gallery | contact

203 Main St., 2-5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday

Farm House Museum | contact

Central campus, Noon-4 p.m., Monday-Friday, $3 suggested donation

Gallery 181 | 515-294-7428

College of Design, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, free

Parks Library | contact

Special Collections and University Archives, 403 Parks Library, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, free

"Activist Agriculture: Farm Protest in Iowa, 1929-1969" chronicles the struggle of the Midwest farmer to make a living during the 20th century, July 18 through January 2019
Online exhibits: archives.lib.iastate.edu

Memorial Union | contact

Gallery, viewing based on room availability, free

"Studies in Creativity," annual juried student exhibit featuring emerging student artists in all media, through Dec. 11.

Pioneer Room, viewing based on room availability, free

Multicultural Center, 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-5p.m. Friday, 5-11 p.m. Sunday, free

Reiman Gardens | contact

9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, $9 (youth $4.50, free for members)

Hughes Conservatory

"RG Express Holiday Train," visitors young and old will be enchanted by this custom-built garden-scale train, Nov. 17 through Jan. 6, 2019

Textiles and Clothing Museum, Mary Alice Gallery | contact

1015 Morrill Hall, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday, free

"Designed for a Modern Life: Decorative Arts & Fashion in the Mid-century," features selections from both permanent collections and select loans, Oct. 25 through April 13, 2019

Reiman Gardens

Campus attractions

Highlights

Best public rose garden

Iowa State's Reiman Gardens has been named the best public rose garden in the U.S.

Most beautiful campus

Iowa State's campus includes over 600 public works of art and was rated as one of America's 25 most beautiful in the book, The Campus as a Work of Art.

Carillon

The 10-bell carillon chime installed in the Campanile in 1899 was the first scientifically tuned bell chime outside of England; the carillon has 50 bells today.

Building of the 20th Century

Iowa State's Stephens Auditorium was named Iowa's "Building of the 20th Century" by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Iowa Chapter.

Most Grant Wood murals

Iowa State has the largest Grant Wood murals in the nation, including two WPA projects located in Parks Library -- "Breaking the Sod" and "When Tillage Begins, Other Arts Follow."

Seamless curtain

The main stage curtain in Stephens Auditorium is seamless, made entirely of silk, measures 85 by 35 feet and weighs 3,000 pounds. It was woven in Kyoto, Japan, on the world's largest continuous loom.

Accredited museum

The University Museums at Iowa State is one of only 10 percent of museums in the nation to be accredited by the American Association of Museums.

Medallion site

Iowa State's central campus was one of only three university campuses to make the American Society of Landscape Architect's 1999 centennial listing of "Medallion Sites."

Most Christian Petersen sculptures

Iowa State holds the nation's largest campus public collection of sculptures by Christian Petersen, who was artist-in-residence from 1934 to 1955.

Online art tour

You can take a virtual look at some campus art with University Museums' Digital Art on Campus project.