University Museums Opens America 250 Exhibition Feb. 2

AMES, Iowa — University Museums at Iowa State University is opening "America 250: Prairie, Plows, and the People's College" on Feb. 2. The exhibition, on view through October 2026, explores the nation's 250th anniversary through more than 250 historical objects that parallel Iowa State's land-grant heritage and American history.

Fifty years ago, as its contribution to the nation’s Bicentennial, Iowa State University opened to the public a “new” museum on July 4, 1976: a recently restored residence on campus that is now known as the Farm House Museum. Today, that historic house is a fitting setting for a commemorative exhibition on the nation’s Semiquincentennial.

The exhibition is curated by current and former University Museums interns Rachel Hellmann, Brayden Meints and Michael Keul with curator Allison Sheridan. It highlights the development of the university, Iowa heritage, education, innovation and national policy through furniture, agricultural implements, documents, decorative arts and textiles.

"The journey toward this historic milestone is an opportunity to pause and reflect on our nation's past, honor the contributions of all Americans and look ahead toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond," according to the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission.

Visitors will encounter reflective questions designed to encourage deeper thinking about how historical narratives continue to shape contemporary society. Topics range from the Morrill Act of 1862 and land-grant universities to immigration patterns in Iowa, Indigenous history and Victorian-era technological innovation.

Funding for this exhibition and related programming is provided by Carol Pletcher.

Images and graphics available here

About the Exhibition

"America 250: Prairie, Plows, and the People's College" honors key people, moments, and experiences centered within Farm House Museum through more than 250 primary source objects.

The exhibition presents six historical themes: Early Iowa State Agricultural College and Model Farm, Early Iowa, Immigration, National Imagery, Native Stories, and Innovation and the Victorian Home.

Objects include decorative arts, textiles, furniture, agricultural implements, and documents. Through these, visitors encounter the development of Iowa State's land-grant mission and American democratic ideals.

Place-based learning in this immersive historical environment grounds visitors in the historical roots of current civic and social issues while building literacy, visual literacy, research, and critical thinking skills.

Reflective questions appear on select labels throughout the exhibition, inviting visitors to consider how historical narratives continue to shape contemporary society. Topics range from the Morrill Act of 1862 and land-grant universities to immigration patterns in Iowa, Indigenous history, and Victorian-era technological innovation.

The exhibition reflects a student-led curatorial approach focused on using original sources to tell a story of America’s history, Iowa State University’s development within that timeline and encouraging reflection.

Current and former University Museums interns Rachel Hellmann, Brayden Meints, and Michael Keul curated the exhibition with Farm House Museum curator Allison Sheridan. Funding for this exhibition and related programming is generously provided by Carol Pletcher.

Related Programs

Thursday, February 19, 6:00–8:00 p.m. Museum Meetup: Memento Mori Step inside Farm House Museum for crafts and activities inspired by real Victorian funerary and mourning rituals. Free and open to all ISU students. Drop by any time between 6–8 p.m. No registration required.

Thursday, March 12, 5:30–6:30 p.m. Curator's Tour: Prairie, Plows, and the People's College Join Farm House Museum curator Allison Sheridan for an in-depth tour connecting the exhibition to Iowa State's land-grant mission and how a college in the middle of the midwestern prairie helped shape national agricultural policy. Free and open to the public.

Saturday, March 28, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Explore! America 250—Memory and Belonging Make memories at the museum! Enjoy multiple free, commemorative crafts and activities along with treats. Activities geared for grades K–5; all are welcome. Stop by any time during the three-hour window. No admission fee or registration.

Thursday, April 16, 5:30–6:30 p.m. Iowa Eats: Reflections from Class Cookbooks Join Dr. Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, distinguished professor of history, on Zoom as she reveals highlights from a student cookbook assignment in her history course. Every recipe has a story! Free; registration required at museums.iastate.edu. Virtual on Zoom.

About Farm House Museum

• Farm House, built in 1860 and completed in 1861, stands as Iowa State's first building. The structure served as living quarters for Iowa State deans, professors, farmhands, and students for more than a century.
• Notable residents included Seaman Knapp, appointed farm superintendent and professor of practical and experimental agriculture in 1880, who later became Iowa State's second president and author of the federal Hatch Act of 1887. In 1891, James "Tama Jim" Wilson moved into the house upon his appointment as dean of agriculture. He lived there until 1897 when he accepted the post of U.S. secretary of agriculture under President William McKinley, serving for 16 consecutive years—the longest tenure in American cabinet history. Charles Curtiss replaced Wilson as dean in 1897 and became the longest Farm House resident, living there until his death in 1947. After brief use by the Home Economics department in 1948-1949, Floyd Andre, the newly appointed dean of agriculture, occupied the house from 1949 until 1970.
• The building received National Historic Landmark designation in 1965 for its association with Knapp and Wilson. Despite this recognition, Farm House faced potential demolition in 1970 to make room for new academic buildings. Andre had been a strong proponent of preserving the structure, and the university ultimately decided to restore it and convert it into a museum. Restoration lasted from April 1971 to June 1976, stabilizing the exterior and reconstructing period-appropriate interiors. Farm House Museum opened to the public on July 4, 1976, as Iowa State's contribution to the nation's Bicentennial celebration.
• Today, Farm House Museum, part of University Museums, is a monument to early Iowa State history and culture. Students, faculty, and community members experience the museum through regular programming, curriculum tours, special events, and changing exhibitions that connect Iowa State's land-grant heritage to contemporary life.

About University Museums University Museums at Iowa State University is an accredited museum system including Brunnier Art Museum, Christian Petersen Art Museum, Farm House Museum, Anderson Sculpture Garden and the Art on Campus Collection. Last year University Museums provided 199 free class tours and maintains free admission for the public as part of its land-grant mission. For more information, visit museums.iastate.edu or call 515-294-3342.