The old is new at Old Capitol

	The staff of Old Capitol Museum invites you to explore Iowa history and culture in two new ground-level galleries. Shown above, from left to right, are Elisa Ewing, education and outreach coordinator; Shalla Wilson, curator; and Pamela Trimpe, director of Old Capitol Museum and the Museum of Natural History. Photos by Tom Jorgensen.

Okay, admit it. You’re new to campus, and while you think the Old Capitol is lovely from a distance, you’ve just been too busy to drop by. Or even worse, you were new to campus five years ago, and you meant to visit, but then there was that fire and the place has been closed ever since. Either way, you’re in luck—a $9 million restoration project is complete, and Old Capitol is open and ready for visitors.

Changes to Old Capitol are both apparent and hidden. The formerly off-white rooms are now rich, historically accurate shades of sultan red, Jamestown blue, and Harrisburg green, while new security and lighting systems are discreetly installed in ways that protect the building’s integrity and enhance the visitor’s experience. New signage throughout the building makes self-guided tours possible.

A major part of the revitalization is the creation of two ground-level galleries: the Iowa Discovery Center and the Iowa Humanities Gallery. These dedicated exhibition spaces offer visitors a chance to learn more about Iowa history and culture. Portions of the exhibitions, including interactive quizzes, maps, and a diary project, are aimed at the 8,000 schoolchildren who come to Old Capitol on class field trips each year.

Also on the ground floor, at the base of the building's trademark reverse-spiral staircase, is Old Capitol’s fire-damaged bell, which hung in the tower until the Nov. 20, 2001, fire. It was the only casualty of the more than 750 artifacts in Old Capitol at the time of the fire—quick action on the part of firefighters, who moved furniture, books, and other items and covered them with tarps, provided protection from the more than 50,000 gallons of water used to douse the blaze.

Old Capitol's reverse spiral staircase is one of the building's many signature elements.

On the west wall of the gift shop is a gallery of photos depicting Old Capitol through the years. It includes shots of 1960s antiwar protests and an 1850s Johnson County fair held on what is now the Pentacrest. If you’re new to Iowa City, here’s a visual crash course on the changes not only to the Old Capitol, but to downtown and the University campus.

Even if you’re not new to town and your response to the prospect of an Old Capitol visit is “been there, done that,” Shalla Wilson, curator for Old Capitol Museum, suggests you think twice.

“Old Cap is new and exciting and vibrant, with changes around every corner,” she says. “You won’t be able to take it all in in one trip.”

Old Capitol Museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. The museum is closed on Monday. For more information, visit www.uiowa.edu/~oldcap or call (33)5-0548.

by Linzee Kull McCray

For more photos from Old Capitol, click on Photo Feature on the top right of this page.