This was a wonderful experience and we will definitely be returning for the different seasons…read more Maybe even the dinner train. I'm not sure why they have you show up a hour before departure time. But we did spend the time waiting in the museum. I wish there had been a description of the cars or even pictures of the various cars when choosing on the website. We ended up in the open air on a misty cloudy day. I thought this was a car without windows or something. But after about ten minutes it stopped raining and surprisingly it was not cold. Somehow the wind is blocked. They did say we could go into the other car if we wanted. I do have to WARN anyone riding in the open air car that the soot from the train ends up landing on you and by the end of the ride you are speckled with black dots. It's been a few days and I still have a few spots that won't wash off. With all these little complaints it still was wonderful. I just have more knowledge for next time.

We had tickets for an open car on what turned out to be a hot day. The crew offered us to seat in a…read morecar with shade. The railroad is the main attraction. The view is ok with a couple of highlights. We originally wanted to be on the pedaled carts but they were sold out. They certainly looked like fun. A good attraction for kids and seniors.

This is a quaint little railroad museum, gift shop and then a vintage train that offers trips 12…read moremiles (I think) into the Des Moines River Valley to a little town called Fraser. We bought a Groupon last fall which included all of this for a very reasonable price. Took a little day trip from Kansas City. Spent the night in Boone and enjoyed the late morning visiting the museum. If you're a train lover, or even not, this is an interesting museum with great pictures and exhibits. It is nice to know there are people striving to preserve America's past.

I'm so glad that a close friend encouraged me to visit this excellent venue, as it led to a…read morefantastic afternoon on Iowa State's main campus. We came on an afternoon with basketball games sandwiched on either side of our arrival and experienced zero issues. Easy parking and the venue are free with a suggested $8 donation. Their extensive collection is varied and covers many types of art. I enjoyed the Will Wilson photography on display and appreciated their "Talking Tintypes," which used iPad or Smart Phone tech to highlight Wilson's pieces. I thoroughly loved Josh Simpson's "Imaginative Journeys in Space and Sea," a phenomenal collection of complex and unique glasswork. I appreciated the accompanying video that dove into how the works were created. His "MegaPlanet" was incredible. In addition, two other works in the central portion of the museum were memorable - Yoshida's "Sacred Bridge" and Koitsu's "Lake Yamanaka." They have monthly events that I look forward to attending, and Brunnier is open 10-4 daily during the week, and 1-4 on the weekend.

From the owner: University Museums is a distinctive organization that encompasses two art museums, a National…read moreHistoric Landmark historic home museum, a sculpture garden, and one of the largest campus public art collections in the nation. University Museums brings world-class exhibitions with educational programming to Iowa State University, actively acquires works of art to add to the more than 30,000 permanent collection objects, conserves and preserves collections, conducts and publishes curatorial scholarship, and fosters student engagement.

A long time in the making, the Ames Historical society has worked hard to assemble the history of…read morethe city. The pictures and story are presented in a very compelling way. Stop in and enjoy!

If you want to be remembered or leave a legacy, support the work of this museum. They need more…read morespace for exhibitions, a proper store for merchandising, climate-controlled space, in an extraordinary building. Surely, those whose families have built and sustained this community can come forth and donate the resources to make this the kind of place residents can be proud of. Currently housed in the Ames Cultural District next to an historic landmark and across the street from the Octagon Center for the arts, this wonderful museum is packed with historical items waiting to be displayed, used for research and exhibits worthy of this fine city. They need more volunteers, donors, members, and storage in order to stage the kind of exhibits that do justice to those who grew up here, studied here, and conducted business here. New exhibits on the craft beer industry and education are currently in process. How do you want to be remembered?

Amazing place full of cool artifacts and history, highly recommend. Many original buildingsread more

The quantity and quality of the items in this place is fantastic. The Cadriff Giant is too cool,…read morebut everything else makes this a place worth stopping at.

I like to squeeze in a museum when I can in a city that is unfamiliar to me. This stop was truly on…read morea whim. My main reason for dropping by Des Moines was to see an Iowa Wild game. The following day, I had to leave the city and head back to Bloomington. I wanted to do a quick touristy visit somewhere. I did a search and found Jordan House Museum. Driving over here was enjoyable. The leaves were a gorgeous deep red in the area. I had no problem finding the museum. When you are pulling into the parking lot, you do not want to come in at full force. I didn't because I was checking the house out. The lot where you park your car is all gravel. When you walk up to the museum, it is thankfully cement. If you want a tour of the museum, you do need to book online. Even if you book online, it's based on demand. If there aren't enough folks who want to do the tour, it gets cancelled. I saw the cancellation sign on the door. Since I visited because I felt like it, I still learned a lot with the signs and information presented to me. I was not disappointed. I also like self-exploration, which may not be for everyone. Jordan House was built by James Cuttingham Jordan, who was an abolitionist. This house was a station on the Underground Railroad in Iowa. It ended up being listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. James Jordan was a cattle farmer from Virginia. He settled in central Iowa in 1846. He was a businessman, organizing the State Bank of Des Moines. He helped bring the railroad to Des Moines. He ultimately ended up being a civic leader, and was elected to both the Iowa Senate and the Iowa House of Representatives. He helped move the state capital from Iowa City to Des Moines. I had no idea that Iowa City was once the state capital. Cool! There is a pathway to history in front of the main entrance of this house, where you can reserve a brick and have it dedicated to a special loved one. I spent a lot of time reading the messages on this pathway. It was highly enjoyable and moving on a Fall day. My favourite saying came from the Caruthers family: Be so awesome today that tomorrow is jealous!!! Three exclamation points. Love it! There was one other woman who had pulled into the lot next to my rental car. She did not do any self-exploration. She went to the main door, saw that the tour was cancelled, headed back to her vehicle, and left. The house is well-maintained on the outside. It has a veranda with a bunch of green chairs. The lawn was recently mowed. The small shrubs around the flags at the front were perfectly trimmed. I had a nice, off-the-cuff visit to this museum. I learned a lot and hope to do a tour inside the museum whenever I'm back in Des Moines for hopefully a longer visit. (458)

Great tour. Guide was very knowledgeable. Home has several of the original articles. We took our 3…read moreteenagers, 2 girls(12&14) and a boy (15), and they all enjoyed it. Not once did they get on their phone due to boredom.

This is a must stop…read more This is a great place to learn about furniture, craftsmanship, and 19th century Iowa History. RVP has a couple dozen prototype pieces of furniture that are representative of what was made in Iowa in 1875. Robby makes the furniture with the same tools from 1875, with the same wood, with all wooden joints. Although the display furniture (prototype) is not for sale, one can order based upon it choosing the type of wood and finish that you want. Understanding that high quality furniture is not cheap, I was very surprised at the relatively reasonable prices (for high quality furniture). I have seen much lesser quality pieces elsewhere at much higher prices. We had a very interesting and informative 15-20 presentation/discussion about the furniture, the workshop, the process, and the history.

Beautiful site for weddings and other celebrations. The exterior of the building itself is blocky…read moreand not that remarkable. The site is a different matter. One entrance reveals the river. Another opens to a beautiful lawn with a fountain and butterfly gardens on the borders. We saw several monarch butterflies. Inside is grand without being cold or forbidding. Note that bathrooms are in the basement and second floors. There is an elevator. Staff was very friendly.

This place is extremely beautiful. The biggest downside to here is the hours on their website are…read morenot accurate. I came here to visit the inside and the arrive to a locked door. On the door was a note saying they are only open 1 day a week. I was able to peak in the window and see all the beautiful architecture. I was also able to explore the outside grounds too. However it can be slightly frustrating if your website says it will be open but you're not actually open. Overall this place is not huge and is a walkable distance to several other things. So I recommend walk past it to see if it's open. If it's closed, visit somewhere else.

I got to say I have been to the State Historical Museum a few times now but this was my first time…read morewhere I actually walked through the whole Museum and I was kinda blown away! Seriously! They have a fantastic hands on area for kids... (Seriously kids could be entertained in here for hours!) I love the Iowa in film section.. The Raigbrai section ruled too. And all the Civil War and historical stuff was fantastic as well! I don't know why it took me so long to actually got through this museum! It was a blast and oh wait for it.. Did I mention it was FREE! The staff of guys sitting there greeting folks was super cool and kind and offered us a map and gave us a few tips! I loved this.. So cool. I kinda wanna go back already!

Want to learn more about this amazing state? Then plan your trip to take a tour of the exhibits at…read morethe Historical Building. Conveniently located near a free parking ramp and the State Capitol building (while you're at it, take a tour there too!). This building also hosts events. I have attended a roof top wedding reception and a day long symposium is the auditorium.