No trip to Ames is complete without strolling the campus of the Iowa State University (center.iastate.edu). Visitors will enjoy the architecture of the various buildings that comprise the university's central campus. Consider checking out the schedule of events at the Iowa State Center and the Ames City Auditorium, located on the campus. They regularly host a wide range of musical and Broadway shows. The Fisher Theater offers shows performed by the student theater and dance troupe. The Brunnier Art Museum sits within the Iowa State Center and houses a extensive art collection for visitors to enjoy.
Reiman Gardens (reimangardens.iastate.edu) spans 14 acres and remains open year-round. During inclement weather, visitors can stroll through the indoor conservatory or the indoor butterfly wing. Located on the grounds, guests can visit five indoor greenhouses. The grounds boast a rose garden and various exhibits on sustainable garden designs. Approximately 13 miles from downtown, Ames tourists can enjoy a jaunt through history and the countryside with a trip on the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & Museum (scenic-valleyrr.com). Visitors can ride an excursion train across the scenic Des Moines River Valley. Passengers have the option of a dinner or picnic train trip. Themed holiday excursions also are available.
Wine connoisseurs might want to head into the surrounding countryside and visit the organic Prairie Moon Winery and Vineyards (prairiemoonwinery.com). The winery offers a tasting room where visitors can enjoy the artwork by local artists while sampling the local wines. During the warm Iowa days, visitors can lounge outside while overlooking the scenery. The local White Oaks Vineyard (whiteoakvineyards.com) offers a rustic tasting room for visitors. It also provides a gift shop where guests can browse through wine-related gifts and clothing items. White Oaks Vineyard also provides tours of its vineyard where guests can speak with its expert winemaker. During the summer months, the vineyard hosts local events.
Nestled on the campus of the Iowa State University is the Farmhouse Museum (museums.iastate.edu). A national historic landmark, the small farmhouse will help transport visitors back to the bygone era of 1860 to 1910. Visitors will relish perusing a wide assortment of 19th and early 20th century pieces in an authentic farmhouse. History buff tourists may want to see the Ames Historical Society (ameshistoricalsociety.org) where they can look closely at historic photographs of the region and original documents. The historic Hoggatt School museum has the distinction of being only one of four one-room schoolhouse museums in the nation. A pioneer school, it has been lovingly restored to its original pristine condition. Visitors can try their hand at writing on an authentic slate with slate pencils as the students once did.
