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.

Happy first day of classes, Hawkeyes! Keep an eye out for information about Study Hall at the Museum of Natural History ...
01/21/2025

Happy first day of classes, Hawkeyes! Keep an eye out for information about Study Hall at the Museum of Natural History to stay on top of your goals for this semester 🗓️

Happy .
01/18/2025

Happy .

Our very own Laysan Island Cyclorama is featured in the first volume of the Panoramic and Immersive Media Studies Yearbo...
01/17/2025

Our very own Laysan Island Cyclorama is featured in the first volume of the Panoramic and Immersive Media Studies Yearbook 🩵

The Cyclorama is featured on the cover and throughout the book with photos and writing by Pentacrest Museums Communications Specialist Jessica Smith. Also found within is writing on the Cyclorama via an IowaMag reprint by Jack Tamisiea with research contributions by Pentacrest Museums Director Liz Crooks, Director of Research Collections Cindy Opitz, and Jessica Smith. Special contributions as section editor for the journal were also provided by Liz Crooks.

You can learn more about the yearbook (and get a copy of your own!) at https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111335575/html?lang=en.

The Old Capitol Museum has been chosen as the exhibit site of the INTO LIGHT Project in Iowa in 2025. An opening recepti...
01/16/2025

The Old Capitol Museum has been chosen as the exhibit site of the INTO LIGHT Project in Iowa in 2025. An opening reception will be held next week to introduce how the exhibit will hold powerful, interdisciplinary curricular connections, open hearts, and build community.

🖼️ Saturday, January 25, 1:00 p.m.
🖼️ Old Capitol Museum Senate Chamber
🖼️ Remarks by UI Executive Vice President and Provost Kevin Kregel and INTO LIGHT Project Founder/CEO Theresa Clowder
🖼️ Exhibit exploration & refreshments
🖼️ Limited seating; register here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/7eb2q5j/lp/5269dfbb-991c-49ea-a8db-e8cce66fb917

A very happy, and very meta, from Prairie Spice, Wetland Spice, and Woodland Spice 🤳🤳🤳
01/15/2025

A very happy, and very meta, from Prairie Spice, Wetland Spice, and Woodland Spice 🤳🤳🤳

We are so back.The Pentacrest Museums return to regularly scheduled open hours today, Wednesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 ...
01/15/2025

We are so back.

The Pentacrest Museums return to regularly scheduled open hours today, Wednesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. We look forward to seeing you back in the galleries!

We’ve been busy at work during our annual winter closure. If you’ve been by lately, you may have noticed work underway o...
01/14/2025

We’ve been busy at work during our annual winter closure. If you’ve been by lately, you may have noticed work underway on some of our ground floor exhibit cases. We’re refurbishing for easier access when changing lights and caring for our exhibits. These updates may seem minor, but they make a huge difference in the longevity of our displays and are not possible without the support of our donors. We hope to have everything cleaned up before your return, Hawkeyes!

We tried to celebrate in the office until we realized that it is also , so obviously we got distracted...You can find...
01/13/2025

We tried to celebrate in the office until we realized that it is also , so obviously we got distracted...

You can find these neat Pentacrest Museums stickers not only on Jess’s desk, but also in our Iowa Hall gift shop 😊 Stock up and celebrate with us!

Have you seen any bald eagles around campus lately? Each year, these majestic birds migrate in early winter, when rivers...
01/12/2025

Have you seen any bald eagles around campus lately? Each year, these majestic birds migrate in early winter, when rivers freeze over. They can be seen in abundance around these parts.

Keep an eye out to see some for yourself outside and of course right here in Bird Hall at the Museum of Natural History 🦅🤩

On January 25, at 1:00 p.m., the Old Capitol Museum will debut a new exhibition with an opening reception featuring gues...
01/10/2025

On January 25, at 1:00 p.m., the Old Capitol Museum will debut a new exhibition with an opening reception featuring guest speakers, exhibition engagement, and refreshments.

Hear opening remarks by UI Executive Vice President and Provost Kevin Kregel, followed by INTO LIGHT Project Founder and CEO Theresa Clower. After, enjoy refreshments and explore the INTO LIGHT exhibit. The INTO LIGHT Project, a national non-profit, creates public exhibitions of original portraits and individual stories of people who have died from the disease of drug addiction in locations around the country. Their mission is to change the conversation about drug addiction through the power of original art and story.

Senate Chamber seating is limited—please join us for the reception by registering to reserve your space at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/7eb2q5j/lp/5269dfbb-991c-49ea-a8db-e8cce66fb917.

Bound to Collect: Exploring Literary Collections is TODAY @ NOON!Join us virtually for a deeper look at the two collecti...
01/09/2025

Bound to Collect: Exploring Literary Collections is TODAY @ NOON!

Join us virtually for a deeper look at the two collections on display in our My Collections exhibition program, Tami Chumbley Finley's author card games and Lindsey Moen's Peter Rabbit items.

Free registration is still open! Sign up to receive a link at the .

Due to our winter closure, there will be no Read on the Rug today. The event will resume on Wednesday, February 12, 10:3...
01/08/2025

Due to our winter closure, there will be no Read on the Rug today. The event will resume on Wednesday, February 12, 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. 📚🎼

Have you ever seen the inside of this dome, looking straight up from the spiral staircase in the Old Capitol Museum? It ...
01/06/2025

Have you ever seen the inside of this dome, looking straight up from the spiral staircase in the Old Capitol Museum? It mimics the shape and size of the gold dome we all know and love, but this is actually...an imposter 😱 In fact, the false dome sits several floors beneath the real dome. Here's what the top of it looks like. And, in case you're wondering, keep sliding to see what the inside of the REAL dome looks like...

It's Bird Hall Appreciation Day🦩🦉🦚🦅🦤 (really, , but our take is better)
01/05/2025

It's Bird Hall Appreciation Day🦩🦉🦚🦅🦤 (really, , but our take is better)

Our annual winter closure is essential for us to get our exhibits back into tip-top shape for your education and enjoyme...
01/04/2025

Our annual winter closure is essential for us to get our exhibits back into tip-top shape for your education and enjoyment 🧹🧼 These photos from previous years show the lengths (and heights!) our staff goes to for our exhibits.

📷 1: Cindy, Director of Research Collections, uses a cotton swab to clean the eyes of a duck in Bird Hall
📷 2: Former Exhibits Preparator Assistant Kiley uses a lift to clean the right whale skeleton in Mammal Hall
📷 3: Kiley cleans the life-size Laysan Albatross model in Bird Hall

It's hard to miss the whale skeleton in Mammal Hall, but we're betting you're in one of two general categories when it comes to the albatross model: 1) "Seen this, love it!" or 2) "Walked beneath this treasure 100 times and never noticed it." If you fall into the first, be sure to check it out the next time you're in Bird Hall when we reopen 😁

Due to our annual winter closure, there will be no Art & Write Night in the month of January. We look forward to seeing ...
01/03/2025

Due to our annual winter closure, there will be no Art & Write Night in the month of January. We look forward to seeing artists and writers of all ages back at the event in February!

The Pentacrest Museums invite you to Bound to Collect: Exploring Literary Collections—a tale of two librarians whose pas...
01/02/2025

The Pentacrest Museums invite you to Bound to Collect: Exploring Literary Collections—a tale of two librarians whose passion for collecting books and creative literary games will inspire and entertain you.

Join us virtually over the lunch hour for a deeper look at two collections on display in our My Collections exhibition program. Whether you’re a bibliophile, a collector, or someone who simply cherishes stories and games, this event will spark your imagination and offer a new appreciation for the many ways we connect with literature.

Details:
📖 January 9, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
📖 Collections of librarians Lindsey Moen (Peter Goes Global: Foreign Language Copies of The Tale of Peter Rabbit) and Tami Chumbley Finley (AUTHORS - A Game for the Ages)
📖 Register for free to receive a link: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/fp6am43

See you there!

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

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The University of Iowa Pentacrest Museums posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to The University of Iowa Pentacrest Museums:

Videos

**Yells in #catherineohara voice: KEVIN! No sledding on the spiral staircase in Old Cap, but a very happy holiday season to all from your museums ❤️

(whispering) Come to Art & Write Night TONIGHT, in Bird Hall, anytime from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Study, write, draw, paint, or try your hand at ASMR 🎙️🎨💓👂

Did you know a group of crows is called a “murder”? 🐦‍⬛ Check out or crows on the Pentacrest and in Bird Hall at the Museum of Natural History!

We missed you too. Open Wednesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 🩷

Just sliding in with a reminder 😉 Check out the Old Capitol Museum after our fall break closure, Wednesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.!

It looks a little bit like this 🤍 Yes, you can go inside Old Cap, Wednesday - Saturday, 10 a.m - 5 p.m.!

We’re itching for spooky vibes 👻 Two years ago, at the Pentacrest Museums, Swiss light artists lit up Old Cap with various artworks including scenes from classic Frankenstein movies. Did you know @speccoll has an extensive collection of Frankenstein artifacts that helped inspire the light art show? Join them today (Wednesday, October 30th) from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in Group Area D by Food for Thought Cafe at the Main Library for a vampire Halloween pop-up where you’ll get to see and handle unique Halloween themed materials. #frankenstein #spookyszn #frankenstein #spookyszn #ilovemylibrary

Which park is your favorite? Did we miss any? Let us know! 🌳🛝🐿️ . . . #NationalWalkToAParkDay #NationalSquirrelAwarenessMonth #parks #iowacity #museum

#BratSummer may be over, BUT our museum gift shops still take Apple Pay 🍏😉 Stop by today, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.!

FINALLY 🙂‍↕️🍂🧤🤗🍁 Toss on your sweaters, grab a #PSL, and join us on the fall Tree Tour! Wednesday, October 16 11:00 a.m. (presentation, 3rd floor, Sciences Library) 12:00 noon (nature stroll) Join any and all!

Byron says it’s RAT fall 🐀 💅

Shortcuts

Share