Discover Our Museums
The University Museums team designs unique tours to engage and spark your curiosity! Visitors of all ages are welcome to join us on a guided tour, led by our museum staff and museum docents. We hope you’ll leave your tour with a sense of excitement and interest to learn more about the art in our collection.
Schedule your guided tour
Tour all the galleries, or just the one that interests you most. As a department at an institution of higher learning, the University Museums’ staff and docents will conduct exhibition and collection tours for the general public and organized educational groups. University Museums must approve all after-hours and weekend tours.
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Two weeks' notice required
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Minimum of 8 people, maximum varies depending on location
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Large groups may be split into smaller groups
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$5 per person per location (or Art on Campus) Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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All other times $8 per person per location
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No charge for ISU affiliates
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Questions? Email museums@iastate.edu for more information or call 515.294.3342.
Tour Times
Tours are offered at all museums' locations between 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Learn more about the Brunnier Art Museum in the Scheman Building.
Learn more about the Christian Petersen Art Museum in Morrill Hall.
Learn more about the Farm House Museum in central campus.
Learn more about the Anderson Sculpture Garden outside of Morrill Hall.
Learn more about the Art on Campus Collection throughout the ISU campus.
Tour Procedure
Tours for groups of eight or more at the Brunnier Art Museum, Art on Campus, Christian Petersen Art Museum, Elizabeth and Byron Anderson Sculpture Garden, and the Farm House Museum may be arranged by contacting the University Museums Interpretation Specialist at least two weeks prior to the requested tour date. Tour request can also be submitted online via the Tour Request Form. Tours at the University Museums will be scheduled on a first come, first served basis. Children must be accompanied by adult(s) as outlined by the Iowa State University Office of Risk Management.
After receiving a tour request, University Museums will confirm the request with a tour confirmation email and/or a telephone confirmation if the time and date are available. If the time and date are not available, University Museums will contact the individual to make alternative arrangements. The University Museums has the right to decline any tour requests. All tours will be placed on the shared University Museums Outlook calendar.
Tour Fees
Educational tours for Iowa State University classes and groups are free, while non-ISU affiliated groups (including K-12 field trips) will be assessed a fee of $5 per person (or $8 per person for after-hours tours). For programs or lectures given by any museum staff at an offsite location within 40 miles will be charged a $150 fee regardless of audience size. Requests for programs at locations farther than 40 miles will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and an appropriate fee will determined based on travel cost. In-person tours are typically no longer than two hours, but can be extended on request for a fee of $50.
For questions about museums' tours, please use the contact form or email museums@iastate.edu.
Digital Docent Program
Looking to explore the University Museums collection from the comfort of your home, classroom or senior home? The University Museums is proud to unveil a new program that brings our highly trained docents to your computer screen through Zoom. These one-hour long PowerPoint presentations created by our docents encourages viewers to engage their visual literacy skills by looking at curated artwork in the University Museums’ permanent collection.
The Digital Docent Program is a free well-being program offered to organizations in our community to expand participant’s skills in looking, feeling and wondering about art. This program is free of charge, but two weeks’ notice is required. Please fill out the Tour Request Form and select Digital Docent Program. For questions regarding the Digital Docent Program, please use the contact form or email museums@iastate.edu.
Desired Outcomes
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Participants are intellectually engaged in a stimulating activity
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Participants feel valued, having the option of joining in conversation and asking questions
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Participants can enjoy art and learn something new
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Prior knowledge about art is not needed
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Participants experience a sense of community and connectedness while being socially distant from others
Method
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Each call lasts about one hour, 45 minutes for program and 15 minutes for questions
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A docent speaks with participants using telephone conference call, Zoom, or other virtual meeting technology available to participants via the facility.
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Images of the art are presented in a colorful PowerPoint, handouts of the images are available on request
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Calls showcase works of art in the University Museums collection, offer participants fascinating insight and pose thoughtful questions about the art and a few stories to deepen the participants appreciate for the art.
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Docents can tailor the program to the needs of the organization with advanced notification
Programs Available
Highlights from the Art on Campus Collection
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Iowa State University is home to one of the largest campus public art programs in the United States. Over 2,500 public works of art make up the Art on Campus Collection, and are located across campus in buildings, courtyards, open spaces and classrooms. Take a tour with a University Museums Docent as they highlight some of the iconic works of art in the Art on Campus Collection.
Please stay tuned for more Digital Docent Programming topics!