Arts and attractions

Fountain of the Four Seasons

Fountain of the Four Seasons sculpture by Christian Petersen.

Exhibits Calendar

Anderson Sculpture Garden | contact

South of Morrill Hall, free

  • "Ginnever: Transforming Perspectives," through fall 2022

Brunnier Art Museum | contact

Mondays and Tuesday by appointment only; 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; closed on university holidays and during break (Nov. 30-Jan. 26), $8 suggested donation

  • "Art Nouveau Innovation: Danish Porcelain from an American Collector," organized by the Museum of Danish America, Elk Horn, Iowa from the collection of Dr. Todd Reiser, Jan. 25 through May 9
  • "Compelling Ground: Landscapes, Environments, and Peoples of Iowa," Jan. 25 through July 23
  • "Recent Acquisitions," Jan. 25 through July 23

    Christian Petersen Art Museum | contact

    Mondays and Tuesday by appointment only; 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, closed Nov. 30-Jan. 26, $8 suggested donation

    • "From Time Immemorial: Art as Commemoration," through Summer 2021
    • "Perceptions of Identity: Paintings by Rose Frantzen," Jan. 25 through July 3
      "Virtual program, Faces of Iowa State "Portrait Cam" Livestream, March 3 (times will be posted on University Museums' website and social media channels on March 1)

    Farm House Museum | contact

    Central campus, noon-4 p.m. Monday-Friday when ISU is in session, $8 suggested donation

    • "Judging Books by Their Fanciful Covers," through March 31, 2021
    • "Flicker and Flame: Whale Oil and Kerosene Lamps," Feb. 8 through Oct. 29

    Gallery 181 | 515-294-7428

    College of Design, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, free

    • "Every Step Toward Home," features artwork by Iowa artist Melissa Airy, through Feb. 12

    Memorial Union | contact

    • Memorial Union Art Gallery, 1568 Memorial Union, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, 1-4 p.m. Sunday

    Parks Library | contact

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

    • "A Home Away From Home: The George A. Jackson Black Cultural Center," an exhibition to recognize the 2020 50th Anniversary of the George A. Jackson Black Cultural Center, Feb. through Dec. 2021.
    • Online exhibits: archives.lib.iastate.edu

    Throughout Parks Library

    • "Art in Parks," features contemporary women artists, ongoing

    Reiman Gardens | contact

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

    Hughes Conservatory

    • "Mirror, Mirror on the Phal," featuring Phalaenopsis orchids

      Textiles and Clothing Museum, Mary Alice Gallery | contact

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

      Reiman Gardens

      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 2,500 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.

      University Museums' Collection

      You can take a virtual look at the University Museums’ Collection of over 30,000 objects Digital Art on Campus project.