The Farm House Museum

The Early Years opened March 22, 2007 

The Early Years: The Founding Model Farm and the College, celebrates the earliest days at Iowa State College through the reinstallation of portions of the permanent collection.

Merry Christmas to All: A Thomas Nast Christmas

December 1 through December 18, 2009

More than a cartoonist, Thomas Nast was an inventor of icons, popularizing now familiar subjects such as his illustration of Santa Claus, which continues as our image of St. Nick himself. Nast first drew Santa Claus for the 1862 Christmas season Harper’s Weekly cover and center-fold illustration to memorialize the family sacrifices of the Union during the Civil War. In 1862, Christmas was a traditional festival celebration in the United States, although not yet a holiday. The development of Christmas as a holiday and the use of Santa Claus as a symbol of gift giving removed from its Christian background occurred in the 1880’s. Celebrate the season and the timeless images of Thomas Nast with a visit to the Farm House Museum to experience an authentic founding farm Christmas. Visitors will see traditional holiday décor and hear Christmas songs from the 19th century while touring the 150 year old Farm House.