The University of Iowa Pentacrest Museums

The University of Iowa Pentacrest Museums Together, the Old Capitol Museum and the Museum of Natural History form the Pentacrest Museums. Any unrelated messages or comments will be removed.

The content of this page is limited to messages or comments about the University of Iowa. For more than 150 years, Old Capitol has represented the pioneering spirit of Iowa and The University of Iowa. The last capitol of the Iowa territory, it served as Iowa's first state capitol from 1846 to 1857. When the state government moved to Des Moines in 1857, Old Capitol served as the University's first

building and the founding place of many departments. In 1976, Old Capitol became a National Historic Landmark and public museum. After fours years of recovery from a devastating fire in 2001 that destroyed the building's dome and cupola, Old Capitol Museum reopened in May 2006 as a vital cultural and educational resource for more than 30,000 visitors, researchers, and schoolchildren each year. The Old Capitol Museum houses a gift shop, an educational Discovery Center where kids can learn about early Iowans with computer inter-actives, the Hanson Family Humanities Gallery, and the Keyes' Gallery for Arts, Humanities, and Sciences. The galleries house changing exhibits year round that explore a wide variety of themes. Throughout the year, the Museum also hosts a variety of lectures, films, workshops, and other educational programs related to its rotating exhibits and Iowa history.

06/17/2026

😮‍💨 Tour all three floors of the Old Capitol Museum.

Admission is always free!

Have you picked up the Summer 2026 issue of Iowa Magazine yet?We're delighted to see the University of Iowa Museum of Na...
06/16/2026

Have you picked up the Summer 2026 issue of Iowa Magazine yet?

We're delighted to see the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History featured in their special issue, Hawks of a Feather, with the story "UI’s Ornithological Archive Offers Bird’s-Eye View of History" by Leah Klevar and stunning imagery by Seth Diehl.

Featuring a remarkable selection of birds and eggs from our galleries and collections, the story explores how ornithological specimens help researchers understand a changing world:

“Perched behind glass or tucked in drawers, some of the birds date as far back as the museum’s founding in 1858, while others are more recent acquisitions from members of the public, the Iowa Raptor Project, and academic research collections. Each one serves as an ecological time capsule that can yield vital clues about climate and biodiversity.”

The feature is beautifully presented in both the print issue and online ( ), where you'll also find the visually rich Meet the Flock section highlighting some of the special specimens in our care. Check it out!

06/15/2026

oops forgot my air pods 🤭

The 2026 Conference is off to an incredible start, and we're proud to host museum professionals from across the country...
06/10/2026

The 2026 Conference is off to an incredible start, and we're proud to host museum professionals from across the country here this week.

But tonight, we won't be the hosts. Iowa City, you're up 🥂

One of AAMG's favorite traditions is the Affinity Dinners, where colleagues in various roles within the museum field gather around shared interests, challenges, and ideas to continue the conversation beyond the conference sessions. Tonight, some of our favorite local restaurants are hosting.

AAMGers, meet your hosts for the evening:

🍽️ Nodo | Decentralized Museums
🍽️ Pullman Bar & Diner | Museums in Crisis
🍽️ Basta Pizzeria Ristorante | Directors
🍽️ Trumpet Blossom Café | Exhibit
🍽️ Installation Tips & Tricks Exchange
🍽️ Bo-James | Empowering Student Employees
🍽️ St. Burch Tavern | Teaching with Objects
🍽️ Brix Cheese Shop & Wine Bar | Public Programming: Creative with Community & Collaborative Exhibit Development
🍽️ Reunion Brewery | Marketing-Focused Professionals
🍽️ Sumo Sushi & Hibachi | Bilingual Museum Initiatives
🍽️ Wilder at Graduate Iowa City | Building Projects, Renovations & Construction Conversations

Enjoy the food, the conversation, and the chance to connect with colleagues old and new. We'll see you back at the conference tomorrow.

If you're not here for the conference but thinking of visiting Iowa City this summer, just look at all the perfect spots to dine within walking distance of YOUR museums!

06/07/2026

Plot twist: conference prep is fun.

Just 2 days until the 2026 Alliance of Academic Museums and Galleries Conference begins. Your University of Iowa museum and gallery hosts are putting on the final touches. Totes stuffed ✅

Three tote types this year filled to the brim with info and goodies: tote, tote, or .museums Laysan Island Cyclorama tote. You don’t choose the tote. The tote chooses you!

But seriously, no tradesies until after registration 😉. Which are you hoping the tote distribution lottery gods bestow upon you?

For one night only, Art & Write Night is leaving the Museum of Natural History and heading to the Old Capitol Museum!📍 O...
06/04/2026

For one night only, Art & Write Night is leaving the Museum of Natural History and heading to the Old Capitol Museum!

📍 Old Capitol Museum
🕔 Friday, June 5 | 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Join us during 's Summer Gallery Walk this Friday. Pick up a Gallery Walk passport, collect stamps around downtown, and explore our latest exhibit, Thrift Style.

While you're here, stop by our special Art & Write Night pop-up! Sketch Old Cap's iconic architecture or design your own custom tote bag using fabric paint, stamps, and printmaking techniques inspired by the exhibit. You're also welcome to bring clothing from home to personalize.

📅 Please note: There will be no Art & Write Night in July. The program returns to its regular home at the Museum of Natural History, on the first Friday's of each month, starting again in August.

How does shape creativity?Join us for a special public keynote panel event kicking off the 2026 Association of Academi...
06/04/2026

How does shape creativity?

Join us for a special public keynote panel event kicking off the 2026 Association of Academic Museums and Galleries (AAMG) Conference, hosted right here in Iowa City. This event is free and open to ALL, not only conference registrants.

📍 Hancher Auditorium
🗓 Tuesday, June 9, 2026
⏰ 7:00 p.m.
🎟 Free and open to the public

Together, panelists will explore the role of place in nurturing artistic expression, innovation, and interdisciplinary exchange, and consider how Iowa City's unique cultural landscape and creative ecosystem continues to inspire.

Featuring:
• Moderator: Tammie Walker — Director and Professor, School of Music
• Panelist Cate Dicharry — Director, International Writing Program; former Director, Writing & Humanities Program, Carver College of Medicine
• Panelist Maura Pilcher — Director, Grant Wood Art Colony, Office of Community Engagement
• Panelist Bruce Scherting — Former Director, Project Art and Medical Museum; former Director, Exhibits and Design; former Instructor, Graduate Museum Studies Program
• Panelist Alisa Weinstein — Adjunct Assistant Professor, Anthropology; Administrative Services Coordinator, Creative Writing; Instructor and Co-Founder, Home Ec. Workshop; former Program Coordinator, Iowa Summer Writing Festival

Recognize this guy? 🦞👀While lighting upgrades continue throughout the Diversity of Life exhibits on the ground floor of ...
05/29/2026

Recognize this guy? 🦞👀

While lighting upgrades continue throughout the Diversity of Life exhibits on the ground floor of Macbride Hall, and cases are open, it’s the perfect time for our collections team to give some specimens a little extra TLC ✨

Be sure to stop by and see him next time you visit!

Great news, guys. We do not appear in web search results for "bad taxidermy." Come visit and see for yourself. 👀Museum o...
05/18/2026

Great news, guys. We do not appear in web search results for "bad taxidermy." Come visit and see for yourself. 👀

Museum of Natural History
Iowa City, Iowa
Free admission
Wednesday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Address

21 N Clinton Street
Iowa City, IA
52242

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+13193353491

Website

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