About the Organization
Interactive outdoor museum showcasing 300 years of Iowa agricultural history through working farms from different eras, costumed interpreters, and hands-on demonstrations of farming techniques.
Living History Farms is an interactive outdoor history museum in Urbandale, Iowa, that tells the story of how Iowans transformed the fertile prairies of the Midwest into some of the most productive farmland in the world. Spread across a 500-acre site, the museum invites visitors to travel at their own pace through several historical time periods spanning roughly 300 years, with on-site interpreters providing seasonal activities and demonstrations that bring rural Midwestern heritage to life.
What to See
The museum is organized around working historical farms and a re-created town, each representing a different era:
- 1700 Ioway Indian Farm — interpreting the farming techniques of the Ioway people, who raised corn, beans, and squash.
- 1850 Pioneer Farm — where staff cultivate corn and potatoes and harvest wheat, the main crops of the Iowa frontier.
- 1876 Town of Walnut Hill — a re-created frontier community of shops, businesses, and homes, with a country schoolhouse and a Victorian home.
- 1900 Horse-Powered Farm — where Percheron draft horses pull machinery to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops.
Planning Your Visit
Living History Farms is located at 11121 Hickman Road in Urbandale, Iowa, near Des Moines. The museum offers educational programs for K-12 schools and homeschooling families, family events, day camps, historic dinners and teas, and membership options. As an outdoor museum, hours are seasonal. For current operating hours, ticket prices, and the schedule of events and programs, visit the official website at www.lhf.org before you go.
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