About the arts
Best public rose garden
Iowa State's Reiman Gardens has been named the best public rose garden in the U.S.
Most beautiful campus
Iowa State's campus includes over 600 public works of art and was rated as one of America's 25 most beautiful in the 1991 book The Campus as a Work of Art.
Carillon
The 10-bell carillon chime installed in the Campanile in 1899 was the first scientifically tuned bell chime outside of England; the carillon has 50 bells today.
Building of the 20th Century
Iowa State University's Stephens Auditorium has been selected as Iowa's "Building of the 20th Century" by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Iowa Chapter.
Most Grant Wood murals
Iowa State has the largest Grant Wood murals in the nation-two WPA projects located in Parks Library titled "Breaking the Sod" and "When Tillage Begins, Other Arts Follow."
Seamless curtain
The main stage curtain in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium is seamless, made entirely of silk, measures 85 by 35 feet and weighs 3,000 pounds; it was woven in Kyoto, Japan, on the world's largest continuous loom.
Accredited museum
The University Museums at Iowa State is one of only 10 percent of museums in the nation to be accredited by the American Association of Museums.
Medallion site
Iowa State's central campus was one of only three university campuses to make the American Society of Landscape Architect's 1999 centennial listing of "Medallion Sites."