Iowa State boasts a fine-looking campus, but beyond the ostensible, there is a rich history for most buildings on campus.

The Hub

Iowa State’s Hub is used primarily as a food outlet, but used to be the center of the university’s transportation system. It was originally built in 1892 as a station for the Dinky Train, which transported students between downtown Ames and campus. It was also used as a bookstore and a post office.

Memorial Union

The Memorial Union, affectionately known as “the MU” to thousands of current and former ISU students, was first built in 1927 as a building for social activities and a memorial to World War I veterans. Since that time, numerous names of Iowa Staters who died in foreign wars have been added to the walls of Gold Star Hall. It now memorializes those who were lost in World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and the war on terror.

The Campanile

Edgar Stanton, who graduated with the first class at Iowa State in 1872, had the Campanile constructed in memory of his first wife, Margaret MacDonald Stanton, after her death in 1895. Original construction cost $7,500, and it included the tower, the clock and 10 bells. After his death in 1920, Stanton’s second wife, Julia Wentch Stanton, had 26 additional bells installed, completing the Campanile’s musical instrument-like form.

Marston Water Tower

No longer in use, the Marston Water Tower can still be seen from many places on campus. It was originally built in 1897, and supplied water to Iowa State’s campus throughout its early days. The 168-foot tower was the first steel water tower west of the Mississippi River, and is on the National Register of Historical Places.

Farm House

The Farm House was the first-ever building at Iowa State, and served as a home and an office building after its construction in 1865. It has been used as a museum since 1976, and attracts roughly 8,000 visitors each year.

Lake LaVerne

The campus of Iowa State just wouldn’t seem complete without Lake LaVerne, home to Lancelot and Elaine, Iowa State’s two trumpeter swans. An old myth states that if an ISU student walks silently around the lake with their significant other, they are destined to be together.

Morrill Hall

Morrill Hall was built in 1890, and has housed a chapel, library, and zoology, entomology and geology laboratories. It was renovated in 2005 after being vacant for eight years, and now houses the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, an art museum gallery, a textiles and clothing gallery, and university classrooms.

– Information compiled from www.isualum.org