#1 of 10 Things To Do in Boone
Brunnier Art Museum
Scheman Bldg # 290 Ames IA - 515-294-3342
~12.40 miles from Boone city center
Hotels Close to Brunnier Art Museum
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#2 of 10 Things To Do in Boone
Farm House Museum
290 Scheman Bldg Ames IA - 515-294-7426
~12.40 miles from Boone city center
Hotels Close to Farm House Museum
In the center of the campus grounds of Iowa State University sits a three story, grey-stuccoed house with an inviting red brick walk leading to its front door. Students walking by on their way to class often see signs in the yard announcing free "Hot Cider" or "Lemonade" just for coming inside. Where on campus can you view former college President Beardshear's chair or walk through the very rooms where founders of Iowa State lived and made decisions that affect life on campus today? It is here at the Farm House Museum.
This fourteen-room structure was the first building on the Iowa State campus. It was begun in 1860 when the college campus was prairie grass, before there was a college building and before students walked the college paths or worked the college farm. Volunteers from the neighboring communities began construction on the house for the college farm just two years after the state legislature passed a measure in 1858 providing for the establishment of a State Agricultural College and Model Farm. It was the first building in the nation's first state to accept the Morrill Act. It is where the very first Board of Trustees met and planned the first college building, laid plans for the first curriculum and selected the first faculty for the college.
While the college farm managers and superintendents lived in the house in the early 1860s, the house was also home to the first two presidents of Iowa State. Later, the Deans of Agriculture made it their home. College and university faculty lived in it for one hundred and ten years, from 1860 to 1970. The individuals who lived at the Farm House and worked for the college made significant contributions to the nation's agricultural policies. The house is a National Historic Landmark because of two of those individuals, James "Tama Jim" Wilson, who lived in the house during the 1890s, and Seaman Knapp in the 1880s.
Today, the Farm House Museum serves the university community as well as visitors from around the world. It is open to the public, offering educational programs, tours, and activities that focus on the developing first fifty years of Iowa State, 1860 through 1910. The Farm House Museum offers visitors a view into a 19th century home on the campus at a time when most faculty members lived with their families on the college grounds.
In warm weather, the Farm House Museum is a friendly stop where visitors can relax in a comfortable wicker chair on the screen porch while absorbing the history of the university. On cooler days the Farm House Museum gives a welcome warm respite for students on their long walk to classes.
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#3 of 10 Things To Do in Boone
Iowa State University
1350 Beardshear Hall Ames IA - 515-294-4111
~12.40 miles from Boone city center
Hotels Close to Iowa State University
The Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University (ISU), is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced a number of astronauts, scientists, Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and a host of other notable individuals in their respective fields. Until 1945 it was known as the Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. The university is a member of the prestigious American Association of Universities, Universities Research Association, and the Big 12 Conference.
http://www.iastate.edu
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#4 of 10 Things To Do in Boone
Jack Trice Stadium
Ames IA
~12.92 miles from Boone city center
Hotels Close to Jack Trice Stadium
Jack Trice Stadium (formerly Jack Trice Field at Cyclone Stadium) is a stadium in Ames, Iowa. It is primarily used for college football, and is the home field of the Iowa State Cyclones. It opened on September 20, 1975 (with a win against Air Force) making it the newest stadium in the Big 12 Conference. Including hillside seats in the corners of the stadium, the facility can hold approximately 55,000 spectators. The current record for single-game attendance, 56,795, was set on September 8, 2007 when the Cyclones hosted Northern Iowa.
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#5 of 10 Things To Do in Boone
Us Naval Rotc
2625 N Loop Dr Ames IA - 515-294-6050
~13.16 miles from Boone city center
Hotels Close to Us Naval Rotc
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.
The U.S. Armed Forces and a number of other national militaries, particularly those countries with strong historical ties to the United States, have ROTC programs. The Republic of the Philippines established its program in 1912, with the creation of the first unit at the University of the Philippines during American colonial rule. ROTC in the Republic of Korea started in 1963.
ROTC produces officers in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces except the U.S. Coast Guard. ROTC graduates constitute 56 percent of U.S. Army, 11 percent of U.S. Marine Corps, 20 percent of U.S. Navy, and 41 percent of U.S. Air Force officers, for a combined 39 percent of all active duty officers in the Department of Defense.[1] The Philippine-based National ROTC Alumni Association (NRAA) estimates that 75 percent of the officer corps of the Armed Forces of the Philippines come from ROTC.
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#6 of 10 Things To Do in Boone
Octagon Center For the Arts
427 Douglas Ave Ames IA - 515-232-5331
~13.95 miles from Boone city center
Hotels Close to Octagon Center For the Arts
The Octagon Arts Center seeks to present culturally diverse music, art, and entertaiment to our community through a variety of media. It is hoped that the patrons will be either entertained or educated through the variety of performances offered.
Become a Season Ticket Holder - Help the Octagon Arts Center by becoming a season ticket holder. Your name will get out to the community as a supporter of our concert series and we will be able to continue bringing diverse entertainment into the OAC for all to enjoy.
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#7 of 10 Things To Do in Boone
Story Center Historical Museum
417 Douglas Ave Ames IA - 515-232-2148
~13.95 miles from Boone city center
Hotels Close to Story Center Historical Museum
The State Historical Museum is an exciting adventure: its exhibits tell the stories of Iowa’s growth and development through the exhibition of a rich collection of historic artifacts and documents. Central to the history of Iowa are its people. Some found fame here. Others grew rich, some achieved notoriety. Iowa’s rich heritage is found not only in the stories of the rich, but also in the lives of ordinary people remembered only by family and friends. The State Historical Museum celebrates Iowans, their ambitions, accomplishments, disappointments, and their contributions – often unrecognized and unrecorded- creating a state-wide ethos that Iowans come to share.
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#8 of 10 Things To Do in Boone
Us Army Reserve
2110 S Duff Ave Ames IA - 515-232-5430
~14.41 miles from Boone city center
Hotels Close to Us Army Reserve
The United States Army is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven uniformed services. The modern Army has its roots in the Continental Army which was formed on 14 June 1775, before the establishment of the United States, to meet the demands of the American Revolutionary War. Congress officially created the United States Army on 3 June 1784 after the end of the war to replace the disbanded Continental Army. The Army considers itself to be descended from the Continental Army and thus dates its inception from the origins of that force.
The primary mission of the Army is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities ... in support of the National Security and Defense Strategies." Control and operation is administered by the Department of the Army, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The civilian head is the Secretary of the Army and the highest ranking military officer in the department is the Chief of Staff, unless the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are Army officers. In fiscal year 2009, the Regular Army reported a strength of 549,015 soldiers; the Army National Guard (ARNG) reported 358,391 and the United States Army Reserve (USAR) reported 205,297 putting the combined component strength total at 1,112,703 soldiers.
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#9 of 10 Things To Do in Boone
Big Creek State Park
Moran IA
~19.66 miles from Boone city center
Hotels Close to Big Creek State Park
Big Creek State Lake was created as part of the Saylorville project to protect Polk City from floods. A diversion dam which forms the 866-acre Big Creek Lake was primarily developed as a flood control project but also offers a wide variety of recreation. Big Creek State Park and the adjoining public hunting areas provide recreation for visitors of all ages and interests. The focal point of the 3,550- acre complex is the lake.
Picnicking/Shelters
Shelters and picnic areas, a beach, playground, a multi-purpose sports field and several boat ramps provide a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities. Open picnic shelters, located in pleasant settings around the lake, can be reserved through the park reservation system . The brown picnic tables located at the shelters are handicapped accessible.
Playground at Big CreekCamping
Camping is not permitted at Big Creek State Park. However, there are several large federal and county camping areas about four miles away on Saylorville Lake.
Trails
A 26-mile paved multi-use trail allows bicyclists and pedestrians to travel from the beach south through the Saylorville Lake area all the way to Des Moines. Eleven miles of snowmobile trails provide winter recreational opportunities. Big Creek is also popular with cross-country skiers.
Bicycling
The Central State Park Bike Route is a 91 mile route which connects Big Creek State Park, Ledges State Park , and Springbrook State Park . It is relatively flat, with a few 'challenging' hills as you make your way across the valleys of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers.
Lake Activities (swimming, boating, fishing)
Big Creek Lake's clear water provides great family swimming fun. Refreshments are available at the beach during the swimming season. A large wooden play structure, accessible to the mobility impaired, is located at the beach. Disc golf, model air, softball, and volleyball areas provide additional entertainment.
Big Creek Lake provides excellent fishing year-round. The lake's clear waters are stocked with crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, walleye, channel catfish and muskie. The lake is popular for a variety of boating activities. Any size motor may be operated at "no wake" speeds on the lake. Five modern boat ramps, three on the west side and two on the east, provide excellent access to the lake. A gravel ramp is located on the upper end of the lake. Sailboat rigging zones and vehicle parking areas are at each modern ramp. A 88-berth "dry-dock" area is at the northeast corner of the park. Arrangements for rental of dry-docking space may be made through the park office. A fishing pier is accessible to the mobility impaired.
Hunting
The state park is a wildlife refuge where hunting is not permitted. However, hunting is allowed on the lake itself and in designated public hunting areas around the lake. Upland areas open for hunting are marked with public hunting signs. Favorite game includes pheasants, rabbit, deer and squirrel. Waterfowl hunting is popular on the lake. Information on hunting regulations can be found at: http://www.iowadnr.com/wildlife/index.html
Charles "Butch" Olofson Shooting Range
The shooting range is located off Highway 415, three miles northwest of the park entrance and offers sheltered stations for firing handguns and rifles. The range is operated by a private concessionaire and is open to the public year round. The hours are Wednesday - Friday 12 P.M. to sunset and Saturday and Sunday 8 A.M to sunset. A recently developed trap and skeet area also provides challenging recreational opportunities at this complex. The trap and skeet area is available Wednesday - Friday 3 P.M. until dark and Saturday and Sunday 8 A.M. until dark. This area also provides a classroom facility for hunter education, training, and meetings. Please call 515-795-2067 or 515-238-6977 for information, upcoming events or change in hours.
Nearby Towns
Polk City is two miles south on NW Madrid Drive. Des Moines is 11 miles south. Ankeny is 8 miles south-east. Madrid is seven miles north. Ames is 20 miles north.
Contact Information
8794 NW 125th Ave
Polk City, IA 50226
ph. 515/984-6473
fax: 515/984-9320
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#10 of 10 Things To Do in Boone
Saylorville Lake
Des Moines IA
~23.24 miles from Boone city center
Hotels Close to Saylorville Lake
Saylorville Lake is a reservoir on the Des Moines River in Iowa. It is located 11 miles (18 km) upstream from the city of Des Moines, and 214 miles (344 km) from the mouth of the Des Moines River at the Mississippi River. It was constructed as part of a flood control system for the Des Moines River as well as to aid in controlling flood crests on the Mississippi, of which the Des Moines is a tributary.
At its normal level of 836 feet (255 m) above sea level, Saylorville Lake covers an area of 5,950 acres (24 km2) or 9.3 square miles (24.1 km2) and reaches some 17 miles (27 km) upstream. At full flood stage the lake can reach 16,700 acres (68 km2) or 26.1 square miles (67.6 km2) and reach 54 miles (87 km) long. At this point any further flow into the lake is channelled over an emergency spillway to the west of the main dam structure. The record high stage for the reservoir was 892.03 feet (271.89 m) above sea level set on July 11, 1993 during the Great Flood of 1993.
Construction of the Saylorville Dam was authorized by Congress in 1958. Excavation began at the site in July 1965, becoming fully operational in September 1977. The dam itself is 6,750 feet (2,057 m) long, 105 feet (32 m) tall, and 44 feet (13 m) wide at the top.
The lake is utilized for many recreational activities in the central Iowa area as well, as there is a large state park infrastructure surrounding the area of the lake, notably Jester Park and Big Creek State Park. Boating and swimming are very popular here, as are camping, deer and game bird hunting, fishing, hiking, biking and disc golf. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 4 provides boating safety education and free vessel safety checks to boaters in the area.
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