The Pentacrest Museums welcome our campus and the greater community to experience history and science in new and diverse ways. Use this page to explore our offerings and schedule your visit.
Tour Menu:
Old Capitol Museum
Featuring history of our national historic landmark which served as Iowa's first state capitol from 1846-1857 and the University of Iowa's founding building.
Iowa Hall (MNH)
A 500-million-year adventure through Iowa's geological, cultural and ecological history, featuring Rusty the Giant Sloth and so much more.
Bird Hall (MNH)
Features exhibits on all aspects of bird life, ecology, and evolution, from courtship to eggs, nesting and parenting, to feeding and flight.
Mammal Hall (MNH)
Explore the rich diversity of mammals great and small, from a complete skeleton of a 47-foot Atlantic right whale to the smallest mouse.
Types of Tours:
Self-guided Visits
All guests are welcome to explore the museums independently. Embark on a self-paced journey through galleries at the Old Capitol Museum or the Museum of Natural History using exhibition panels as your guide. Museum maps and gallery exploration activities are available at the front desks.
In-person Guided Tours
Get a fresh look at museum exhibits and collections by joining us on an informative and engaging exploration with one of our Gallery Guides. Discover aspects of Iowa's 500-million-year history and dive into our collections at the Museum of Natural History and/or the Old Capitol Museum.
Guided Virtual Tours
We've virtually adapted our galleries to offer the full tour experience in a whole new way. This option covers the same material as our in-person tours, featuring live interaction with a Gallery Guide, bringing our museums to the comfort of your own home or classroom. Let us bring history to you.
Which tour is right for you?
Make our museums part of your school year. We invite K-12 schools to reserve a visit to one or both of our museums.
K-12 school groups can explore exhibits and collections in the following ways:
- Self-Guided Visit: Schedule an independent, self-paced exploration.
- Tour Length: self-determined
- Cost: No charge; museum admission is always free
- Available Galleries: Old Capitol Museum, Iowa Hall (MNH), Bird Hall (MNH), Mammal Hall (MNH)
- Reservations: Thank you for scheduling your visit if you are a self-guided group of more than 10. Please allow 4 weeks' notice for scheduling.
- In-person Guided Tour: Take a museum adventure with one of our gallery guides. This experience is conversational and interactive.
- The sizes of groups we are able to accommodate are dependent upon staffing. Our Visitor Services Coordinator will work with you to best meet your needs.
- Groups larger than 10 may be split into smaller groups to provide the best visit experience
- Tour Length: 45 minutes
- Cost: Educational tours for K-12 students are free of charge
- Available Galleries: Old Capitol Museum, Iowa Hall (MNH) (Note: MNH guests with scheduled in-person guided tours of Iowa Hall may also visit Bird and Mammal Hall galleries in a self-guided fashion)
- Reservations: Required; We require a minimum of 4 weeks' notice for scheduling.
Guided Virtual Tour: Take an interactive field trip with a gallery guide right from the comfort of your classroom.
- We are able to accommodate groups of up to 200 at a time
- Larger groups may be split into multiple groups to provide the best experience
- Tour Length: 45 minutes
- Cost: Educational tours for K-12 students are free of charge
- Available Galleries: Iowa Hall (MNH), Old Capitol Museum
- Reservations: Required; We require a minimum of 4 weeks' notice for scheduling.
Note: camps, daycare centers, after-school programs, and community organizations please see "General Public" option below
Expand your college classroom with a visit to one of our galleries or collections spaces. Lead your own lecture or choose from guided tours; we're here to collaborate and support.
College groups can explore exhibits and collections in the following ways:
- Self-Guided Visit: Schedule an independent, self-paced exploration.
- Instructors often reserve gallery spaces to lead their own lecture, letting our exhibits illustrate their teaching goals & objectives. These spaces include the Museum of Natural History's Iowa Hall, Bird Hall, and Mammal Hall or the Old Capitol Museum.
- Cost: No charge; museum admission is free and educational gallery reservations for instructor-led presentations are free of charge
- Available Galleries: Iowa Hall (MNH), Bird Hall (MNH), Mammal Hall (MNH), Old Capitol Museum
- Reservations: Thank you for scheduling your visit if you are a group of more than 10. We require a minimum of 4 weeks' notice for scheduling.
- In-person Guided Tour: Take a museum adventure with one of our gallery guides. This experience is conversational and interactive. Our standard tour can be tailored to best meet the goals objectives of your curriculum.
- Tour Length: ~45 minutes
- Cost: Educational tours for college classes are free of charge
- Available Galleries: Iowa Hall (MNH), Old Capitol Museum
- Reservations: Required; We require a minimum of 4 weeks' notice for scheduling.
- Guided Virtual Visit: Take an interactive field trip with a gallery guide right from the comfort of your classroom. Our standard tour can be tailored to best meet the goals and objectives of your curriculum.
- We are able to accommodate groups of up to 200 at a time
- Larger groups may be split into multiple groups
- Tour Length: 45 minutes
- Cost: Educational tours for college students are free of charge
- Available Galleries: Iowa Hall (MNH), Old Capitol Museum
- Reservations: Required; We require a minimum of 4 weeks' notice for scheduling.
Public visitors are individuals or groups including camps, daycare centers, after-school programs, and community organizations. We invite you to reserve a visit to one or both of our museums.
Public groups can explore exhibits and collections in the following ways:
- In-person Guided Tour: Take a museum adventure with one of our Gallery Guides. This experience is conversational and interactive.
- Cost: $20 per every 10 people on tour
- The sizes of groups we are able to accommodate are dependent upon staffing. Our Visitor Services Coordinator will work with you to best meet your needs.
- Groups larger than 10 may be split into smaller groups to provide the best visit experience
- Available Galleries: Iowa Hall (MNH), Old Capitol Museum
- Reservations: Required; We require a minimum of 4 weeks' notice for scheduling.
- Guided Virtual Visit: Take an interactive field trip with a Gallery Guide right from the comfort of your home.
- Cost: $20 per tour
- We are able to accommodate groups of up to 200 at a time
- Larger groups may be split into multiple groups
- Tour Length: 45 minutes
- Available Galleries: Iowa Hall (MNH), Old Capitol Museum
- Reservations: Required; We require a minimum of 4 weeks' notice for scheduling.
- Self-Guided Visit: Enjoy an independent, self-paced exploration.
- Cost: No charge; museum admission is always free
- Tour Length: self-determined
- Available Galleries: Iowa Hall (MNH), Bird Hall (MNH), Mammal Hall (MNH), Old Capitol Museum
- Reservations: Thank you for scheduling your visit if you are a group of more than 10. We require a minimum of 4 weeks' notice for scheduling.
