Pentacrest, Historic district at University of Iowa, United States
The Pentacrest is a historic district at the University of Iowa made up of five classical stone buildings arranged around the Old Capitol at the center. The group sits on a low hill with open lawns on all sides, giving it a clear presence in the middle of campus.
The Old Capitol served as Iowa's first state capitol from 1842 until 1857, when the capital moved to Des Moines and the building passed to the university. The four other buildings around it were added over the following decades as the campus grew into its current shape.
The open lawn around the Old Capitol draws students and passersby throughout the day, making it one of the most used outdoor spaces on campus. During graduation ceremonies and public events, the whole area fills with people from across the city.
The grounds are open to walk through at any time, and the five buildings are close enough together to see them all in a short stroll. The Old Capitol houses a museum inside, which is worth entering to get a better sense of what the place was before it became part of campus.
The Old Capitol suffered a serious fire in 1970 that destroyed its dome, and the gold-leaf dome visible today was rebuilt as part of a restoration that followed. The rebuilt dome is actually more elaborate than the one that was lost.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
