First opened in 1970, Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa, is an outdoor interactive history museum that tells the story and celebrates 300 years of Iowa's history of agriculture. The museum exhibits showcase the lives of farm folks in 1700, 1850, and 1900, when they were engaging in a range of agricultural activities. The visitors are brought from the town by a tractor-drawn cart to the entrance on the west side of the museum. The exploration starts at the 1700 Ioway Farm then proceeds to the 1850 Farm, the 1900 Farm, and the Wallace Exhibit Center, before returning to the town. The 1875 exhibit depicts the town of Walnut Hill, with several structures, such as the original Martin and Ellen Flynn Home and Barn. The 1700 Ioway Indian Farm exhibit portraits the farming techniques and lifestyle of the Ioway Native Americans. The guides, or the “presenters,” are dressed in period clothes and are available to answer any questions visitors might have.
11121 Hickman Rd, Urbandale, IA 50322, Phone: 515-278-5286
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