Joint calendar of events for both the UI Museum of Natural History and Old Capitol Museum:

UIPM Calendar of Events

Study at the Stanley promotional image

Study at the Stanley

Tuesday, May 13 10:00am to Thursday, May 15, 2025 4:00pm
Stanley Museum of Art
Make the Stanley your study spot for finals week. We'll have free coffee, lemonade, punch, and snacks available all day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (10 a.m.–4 p.m.). Stop by for a few hours to study for your exams: grab a snack, replenish your study supplies (we'll have post-its, highlighters, and more) and take a quick break — either by exploring the galleries or playing with a fidget toy.
Study at the Stanley promotional image

Study at the Stanley

Wednesday, May 14 10:00am to Friday, May 16, 2025 4:00pm
Stanley Museum of Art
Make the Stanley your study spot for finals week. We'll have free coffee, lemonade, punch, and snacks available all day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (10 a.m.–4 p.m.). Stop by for a few hours to study for your exams: grab a snack, replenish your study supplies (we'll have post-its, highlighters, and more) and take a quick break — either by exploring the galleries or playing with a fidget toy.
Read on the Rug promotional image

Read on the Rug

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 10:30am to 11:00am
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
Read on the Rug is back with monthly offerings! Join us on the second Wednesday of each month in Iowa Hall at the UI Museum of Natural History for Read on the Rug. Ideal for families with kiddos aged 2-5, all are welcome to this free educational program. This program series was designed with our youngest museum lovers in mind. Come along as we build community and inspire a sense of wonder, curiosity, and respect for our natural and cultural worlds with stories, sing-alongs, and more in one of...
Study at the Stanley promotional image

Study at the Stanley

Thursday, May 15 10:00am to Saturday, May 17, 2025 4:00pm
Stanley Museum of Art
Make the Stanley your study spot for finals week. We'll have free coffee, lemonade, punch, and snacks available all day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (10 a.m.–4 p.m.). Stop by for a few hours to study for your exams: grab a snack, replenish your study supplies (we'll have post-its, highlighters, and more) and take a quick break — either by exploring the galleries or playing with a fidget toy.
Drawing Salon with Robert Caputo promotional image

Drawing Salon with Robert Caputo

Sunday, May 18, 2025 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Stanley Museum of Art
The Drawing Salon focuses on drawing artworks from the museum's collection. Each session will focus on a different artwork. The sessions will begin with an introduction and discussion of the selected work. Participants will be encouraged to pursue their own visions and to take inspiration from the artworks in the gallery. Pencils and sketchbooks/paper are the only artmaking materials allowed in the galleries. The museum has golf pencils with erasers and clipboards for participants to use...
Write at the Stanley promotional image

Write at the Stanley

Sunday, May 25, 2025 2:30pm to 4:15pm
Stanley Museum of Art
Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop is back for the Spring Semester!Join us monthly to generate new creative writing inspired by works in the Stanley collection. Each session will be led by a different talented writer from our area, who will be offering a new prompt and a new approach to ekphrastic writing (writing inspired by visual art). Bring your own notebook and pencil or computer and leave with the beginning of a newly written piece.Co-sponsored by Iowa City Poetry. Teen...
Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, June 6, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
NOTE: The April 4th occurrence in this series will move to the Old Capitol Museum for a very special Art & Write Night!Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces.Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists.Tell a friend...
Read on the Rug promotional image

Read on the Rug

Wednesday, June 11, 2025 10:30am to 11:00am
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
Read on the Rug is back with monthly offerings! Join us on the second Wednesday of each month in Iowa Hall at the UI Museum of Natural History for Read on the Rug. Ideal for families with kiddos aged 2-5, all are welcome to this free educational program. This program series was designed with our youngest museum lovers in mind. Come along as we build community and inspire a sense of wonder, curiosity, and respect for our natural and cultural worlds with stories, sing-alongs, and more in one of...
Read on the Rug promotional image

Read on the Rug

Wednesday, July 9, 2025 10:30am to 11:00am
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
Read on the Rug is back with monthly offerings! Join us on the second Wednesday of each month in Iowa Hall at the UI Museum of Natural History for Read on the Rug. Ideal for families with kiddos aged 2-5, all are welcome to this free educational program. This program series was designed with our youngest museum lovers in mind. Come along as we build community and inspire a sense of wonder, curiosity, and respect for our natural and cultural worlds with stories, sing-alongs, and more in one of...
5th Annual BioBlitz at the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory promotional image

5th Annual BioBlitz at the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory

Saturday, July 12, 2025 9:00am to 11:00am
Ashton Cross Country Course
What types of plants, animals, and fungal life might you find at the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory? Let's find out!  Join researchers in collecting, observing, and recording biodiversity at the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory in our 5th Annual BioBlitz. Your findings will inform a major research project and will contribute to the fifth data point in a multi-year documentation of how diversity changes at this site over time. Collections will be housed with the UI Museum of Natural History...
Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, August 1, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
NOTE: The April 4th occurrence in this series will move to the Old Capitol Museum for a very special Art & Write Night!Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces.Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists.Tell a friend...
Read on the Rug promotional image

Read on the Rug

Wednesday, August 13, 2025 10:30am to 11:00am
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
Read on the Rug is back with monthly offerings! Join us on the second Wednesday of each month in Iowa Hall at the UI Museum of Natural History for Read on the Rug. Ideal for families with kiddos aged 2-5, all are welcome to this free educational program. This program series was designed with our youngest museum lovers in mind. Come along as we build community and inspire a sense of wonder, curiosity, and respect for our natural and cultural worlds with stories, sing-alongs, and more in one of...
Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, September 5, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
NOTE: The April 4th occurrence in this series will move to the Old Capitol Museum for a very special Art & Write Night!Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces.Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists.Tell a friend...
Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, October 3, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
NOTE: The April 4th occurrence in this series will move to the Old Capitol Museum for a very special Art & Write Night!Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces.Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists.Tell a friend...
Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Thursday, November 6, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
NOTE: The April 4th occurrence in this series will move to the Old Capitol Museum for a very special Art & Write Night!Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces.Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists.Tell a friend...
Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Thursday, December 4, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
NOTE: The April 4th occurrence in this series will move to the Old Capitol Museum for a very special Art & Write Night!Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces.Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists.Tell a friend...