Admission is $5 a person; children 12 and under are free with an adult.

Initial construction is complete at the Ice House Museum and the museum has re-opened, but funds are still needed.

“We are making great progress,” said Don Redfern, Cedar Falls Historical Society Board Chair. “The floor has already been raised above 2008 flood levels, which will protect the display areas,” added Redfern. “This is one of our busiest times for the Board, Ice House Council and staff as we solicit the needed funding and oversee the ongoing renovation.”

The Campaign’s goal is to raise $500,000 to restore, preserve, and maintain the Ice House Museum. To date, 50% of the goal has been achieved. The ice-harvesting story is worth preserving. “Our research indicates the Ice House Museum is one of only two in the country to share the story of natural ice harvesting within an actual ice house,” explains Sid Morris, Frozen in Time Campaign Chairperson.

Sid encourages everyone’s participation. He continued, “Please donate to the Campaign or send your donation directly to the Cedar Falls Historical Society designated for Frozen in Time. The Ice House is such an asset to our community.”

Your gift to Frozen in Time is greatly appreciated.

History of the Cedar Falls Ice House

The Cedar Falls Ice House was built in November, 1921, by Hugh Smith, owner of the Cedar Falls Ice and Fuel Company. The first ice house had been built in this location in 1858 near the cabin site of Black Hawk County's first permanent settler, William Sturgis.

The old wooden ice house was destroyed by fire on the night of October 22, 1921. On that night, Smith and his wife were attending a performance at the Cotton Theatre, (now the Regent Theatre). His son located Smith in an aisle seat and whispered, "Papa! The ice house is burning down!" Smith hurried to his place of business and watched the ice house go up in flames in less than an hour.

On October 24, 1921, The Cedar Falls Record reported: "An expert building engineer from Chicago is en route today on a telegraphic call from Manager Smith to assist him in drawing up plans for a reinforced structure to replace the old frame building." The community rallied to Smith's aid. On the Thursday following the fire, 200 volunteers cleared the rubble, and the footings for the new ice house were poured less than a week after the old house had burned down. A few days later the walls of the new building were started.

The new building was 100 feet in diameter with tile walls 30 feet high. The walls were made of hollow clay tile reinforced with steel ties between the layers of tile. The ice house had a capacity for 6,000 to 8,000 tons of ice.

Early on the morning of January 10, 1922, the first ice harvest for the new ice house on the Cedar River was begun. At the close of the 1922 harvest, carpenters assembled and raised the trussed double-pitched roof by using the top layer of blocks as a scaffold.

The building was used as an ice house from 1922 until 1934 when Hugh Smith lost his business and the property was taken over by the Cedar Falls Trust and Saving Bank. For a time the building was used as a livestock sales pavilion and later flooded for ice skating.

In 1938 members of the Cedar Falls Boat Club persuaded the city to purchase the building. Subsequently, the Club leased the structure from the city for use as a boat storage building for the sum of $1.00 per year. The Boat Club occupied the ice house until 1976 when the roof was deemed unsafe and the building condemned.

In November of 1976, the bicentennial Year, the members of the Board of Directors of the Cedar Falls Historical Society agreed unanimously that every effort should be made to preserve the old ice house for use as a museum.

With the assistance of The Cedar Falls Daily Record, the Society launched a campaign which met with wide-based community support. The City allocated block grant money, and a successful fund drive saved this unique building.

In the summer of 1978 contractors put in a new cement floor and electrical system and made major repairs to the roof. The unusual umbrella styled roof is supported by one center pole and the outside walls of the structure.

The Ice House Museum opened to the public on June 24, 1979, and is operated by the Ice House Management Council which is responsible to the Board of Directors of the Cedar Falls Historical Society.