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

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

    • "Yuletide at the Farmhouse," this exhibit will celebrate the history and traditions of the holidays, Nov. 8 through Dec. 14
    • "The Farm House Music Box Collection," through Dec. 14

    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

      • "Amy E. Witte: Idioms," through painting, printmaking and assemblage, this series of Idioms flips back and forth visually between the literal meaning and the figurative meaning, through Jan. 28, 2019

      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

          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.