Living History Farms facts for kids
Living History Farms is a large 500-acre outdoor museum in Urbandale, Iowa, United States. Its main goal is to teach visitors about the last 300 years of farming history in Iowa. The museum uses a special way of showing history called living history. This means people act out what life was like on farms in the years 1700, 1850, and 1900. They show how people lived and worked in different farming activities.
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Discovering the Past: Living History Farms
Living History Farms was started by Dr. William G. Murray. He was an agricultural economist from Iowa State University. This means he studied how farming affects money and business. Dr. Murray wanted a museum where history felt alive, not just things behind glass. The museum first opened its doors to the public in 1970.
A very special event happened at Living History Farms on October 4, 1979. Pope John Paul II visited the site! He held a large outdoor service for about 340,000 people. During his speech, the Pope talked about how important farming is. He said that farmers who work the land help feed everyone in the country. He also spoke about protecting the land for the future.
Exploring the Farms and Town
The museum is split into two parts by a highway called Interstate 35/80. A special cart pulled by a tractor takes visitors from the entrance area to the other side. On the west side, you can visit the 1700 Ioway Farm, the 1850 Farm, and the 1900 Farm. There's also the Wallace Exhibit Center. After exploring these areas, visitors return to the east side. The east side has the 1875 town of Walnut Hill. This town includes many old buildings, like the Martin and Ellen Flynn Home and barn, which are original buildings from the site.
The 1700 Ioway Indian Farm
At the 1700 Ioway Indian Farm, you can learn about the farming methods used by the Ioway Indians. Experts helped design this farm to be very accurate. The farm grows crops that were common in the 1700s, such as blue corn and Omaha melons. People working at the farm explain the Ioway way of life. They talk about hunting, the roles of men and women, and how tools were made. You might see demonstrations of tanning animal hides, preparing food, or making traditional pottery.
The 1850 Pioneer Farm
The 1850 Pioneer Farm shows what life was like for early settlers. You can see a log cabin where women cooked with cast iron pots over a fire. They also did tasks by hand, like spinning wool into yarn and making candles. Outside, you can watch an ox pull a plow to prepare fields for crops. They grew corn, wheat, and potatoes.
The 1875 Town of Walnut Hill
The 1875 Town of Walnut Hill is like stepping back in time. It has a general store, a schoolhouse, a fancy Victorian mansion, a bank, and a law office. There are other pioneer town buildings too. This town shows how people in the town, like merchants, depended on the farmers, and how farmers depended on the town for supplies.
The 1900 Horse Powered Farm
The 1900 Horse Powered Farm highlights how new machines and the Industrial Revolution changed farm life. Machines started to replace a lot of the handwork. Work inside the farmhouse also changed, with new methods like canning food becoming popular.
How History Comes Alive
At Living History Farms, the people who work there are called interpreters. They dress in clothes from the time period they are showing. However, they don't pretend to be someone from the past. Instead, they explain things to you directly. For example, they might say, "I baked this bread," or "This is how a Print Shop would look in the year 1875." Because they don't act like they are truly from the past, you can ask them questions about modern things, and they will answer you directly.
- Living History Farms
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1700 Ioway Farm
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1700 Ioway Farm
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1850 Pioneer farm
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Bank in 1875 Town of Walnut Hill
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Bank in 1875 Town of Walnut Hill
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1900 Farm house
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John Deer corn planter at 1900 Farm
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1900 Farm
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1900 Farm
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1900 Farm pigs
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Pantry in house at 1900 Farm
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Pantry in house at 1900 Farm
