The Museum of Natural History is located in Macbride Hall, at the heart of the University of Iowa campus, on the Pentacrest. Use this section for help with navigation:
Getting Here
Museum of Natural History
Macbride Hall
17 N. Clinton Street
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242
Though we do not have our own parking lot, there are several parking options. There are many City of Iowa City ramps or University of Iowa campus parking ramps in the area (see links below). We recommend the university's Iowa Memorial Union parking ramp or the City of Iowa City's Capitol Street Ramp. Most on-street parking in downtown Iowa City is metered with limited times of 1-2 hours. Free street parking is possible outside the central downtown area, but will require a walk. To avoid parking, review other options in the drop down menus below.
There is a passenger loading/unloading zone on Jefferson Street, west of Clinton, on the northside of Macbride Hall. Please note, Jefferson Street is one-way, headed east.
School buses can drop passengers in the commercial loading zone on Jefferson Street, west of Clinton, on the northside of Macbride Hall. Busses may remain in the loading zone as long as a driver remains with the bus. Unattended busses may be parked in the University's Recreation Center Lot (lot #11. Hourly rates apply) or the Hancher Lot (lot #55 in a parallel fashion, nearest Riverside Drive in the lot. Free.). Once there, the driver may stay with the bus or join the group. Contact our Visitor Services Coordinator if you have additional questions about bus loading, unloading, or parking.
We are close to Iowa City, Coralville, and UI Cambus stops for many bus routes. You can find route information for all three bus systems through the Iowa City Area Transit Services website or the Transit App. The Downtown Interchange (stops 0001 and 0002) is half a block away, on the south side of the Pentacrest, north of Old Capitol Town Center (mall).
The Macbride Hall (0120), Clinton & Iowa (1030), Clinton & Jefferson (7207), and Pappajohn Business Building (1021) stops are also less than a block away.
Bike racks are located nearby, just northeast of Macbride Hall and just south of Schaeffer Hall. Our campus and community are extremely bike-friendly. We encourage guests to explore our biking culture and the many biking resources we have to offer in the area.
Museum of Natural History/Macbride Hall
The Museum of Natural History has a single level entrance on the east side of Macbride Hall, located next to the main entrance stairs. An elevator inside the ground level door allows access to all Museum galleries.
Guests can take the elevator to the 1st Floor for Iowa Hall where they can find the front desk for additional information. Once ready to visit Mammal and Bird Halls on the 3rd Floor, guests may use the elevator to access.
The Macbride Hall Auditorium is in the center of Macbride Hall and visitors needing to access the northside of the building (to reach Bird Hall) are welcome to cross the auditorium using the balcony, even during classes. If you are needing any assistance, please feel free to stop by the main desk in Iowa Hall, or contact our Visitor Services Coordinator. Any of our staff would be happy to assist you.
We recommend picking up a gallery map from the front desk or from the racks inside all our building doors. We share space in Macbride Hall with six other university departments, plus classrooms, and our galleries are not all connected to each other. Museum galleries can be found on the first floor (Iowa Hall); third floor (Hageboeck Hall of Birds, including the Laysan Island Cyclorama and Biosphere Discovery Hub, as well as Mammal Hall), and ground floor (Diversity of Life exhibits).
Our front desk and gift shop are located in the Iowa Hall exhibit gallery on the first floor, accessible through the exterior main entrance east doors, as well as interior north and south doors.
Macbride Auditorium is in the center of the second and third floors of the building, with the balcony on the third floor. To get to the auditorium, take the stairs or elevator to the second or third floors and go through the big double doors.
To access Bird and Mammal Halls on the third floor, guests may take the stairs or elevator to the third floor and use the balcony in the auditorium to move between the galleries.
