A Visit to the Old Capitol Museum in Iowa City, Iowa
Ok, fellow Iowans - did you know that the beautiful Iowa Capitol building in Des Moines was not the original Iowa Capitol? Despite learning Iowa history in elementary school, I had forgotten that the original capitol building was in Iowa City and served as its first seat of government for approximately ten years, from 1846 to 1857. The building would then become the University of Iowa’s first building.
I visited the Old Capitol Museum last week and was impressed with the exhibits and elegance of the building. The building was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1976.
The most impressive part of the building, in my opinion, is the center spiral staircase that spans three floors. It was not designed as a perfectly uniform spiral, but more of an elongated one. When observing it while walking among the floors, it seems more to curve and undulate in different ways depending on the floor of the building you are on. I adored the shadows and patterns that I spotted as I circled around it on each floor.
The historical displays and artifacts were interesting and clearly presented. There were a couple of items that I couldn’t identify. One looked like a roll of string and was in the Auditor’s Office. Perhaps it was an early rendition of an adding machine? Not sure. You can see it on the next two photos below.
Other Artifacts and Information at the Old Capitol
The first State Library of Iowa ⬇️
The Iowa House and Senate chambers are featured in large, grand (for the time period) rooms on the two upper floors. It is interesting to see the difference in the arrangement and design of the two rooms. You can tell one is more prestigious, but they were both impressive. I actually preferred the House because it was more interesting and fun to photograph.
After browsing the upper two floors, I explored the basement, which contained a small-scale model of the building, artwork, the damaged original bell from the 2001 fire and a short video presentation. While the spiral staircase is a fun feature, there is an elevator in the back for those who wish to use that.
Apparently, the Iowa Old Capitol was designed and started by the same person who designed the original Illinois State Capitol. After seeing his designs weren’t being followed, he quit the project. Nevertheless, there is still a resemblance between the two old Capitol buildings. I was in Springfield, Illinois last September, and even though remodeling was in progress, you could still see similarities.
One fun fact - the Old Capitol has some of the tallest, heaviest front doors I have ever seen. In fact, I vaguely remember being curious one day as a grad student at the U of I and tried to enter the building to investigate. The huge and heavy front doors wouldn’t budge, so I assumed it was closed. Fast forward to last week, I did sort of struggle to get into the building, but I almost couldn’t make it out by myself because the door was so unbelievably heavy. 😮
These displays were displayed in perpendicular fashion along one wall in the same room as the gift shop. I was disappointed as they were a challenge to read and photograph in that position. To me, they were every bit as interesting the rest of the displays. So do your best to read below and be sure to check them out in person when you visit. ⬇️
The Iowa Old Capitol Museum is definitely worth a visit when going to Iowa City. Not only is it a beautiful building, but you will enjoy seeing it and learning about Iowa’s history.
For more information about open days and hours, click on the link below. Admission is free will offerering, so be sure to have a little cash with you.