The mission of Ushers Ferry Historic Village is to interpret life in a small Iowa town at the turn of the twentieth century. We accomplish this mission by actively engaging visitors in living history and surrounding them with the sights, sounds, smells, feelings, and tastes of life one hundred years ago.

Description:
Ushers Ferry is a living history museum made up of thirty historic homes and businesses that have been relocated to Seminole Valley Park in Cedar Rapids and restored to their appearance at the turn of the last century. Ushers Ferry is a department of the City of Cedar Rapids. The Village interprets small town Iowa life through regularly scheduled open hours, large themed events, and smaller intimate programming. Each aspect helps visitors experience a particular facet of small town life one hundred years ago. Ushers Ferry is open to the public on weekends in May, September, and October; and Tuesday to Sunday during June, July, and Augsut.

History:
Ushers Ferry got its start in the early 1970's when local civil rights leader Viola Gibson sold the land occupied by her church to the city for a park, on the condition that the church would not be torn down. With the help of the Parks Department, the Questers and several other groups the church was moved to Seminole Valley Park and became the first building in what was then called Pioneer Village. Over the next ten years several buildings in the path of construction- especially in the building of interstate 380- were relocated to Pioneer Village. In 1980 the Village aquired the 1855 Henry Usher home. Becuase Henry Usher owned the land where the Village sits in the 1850's; and becuase his cousin Dyer ran a ferry across the river near the Village site, our town got a name- Ushers Ferry. It also got an official time period, 1890-1910. Over the last thirty years we have grown like a small town, adding a business or home here and there until we have over thirty historic homes and businesses. The Village hosts a range of themed events every year from Trains Day to the Folk Festival, each focusing on some aspect of small town life.

Contact people:

Darrin Crow, Education Coordinator, (phone), (email) Vicki Hughes, Director, (phone), (email) Ann Cejka, Program Coordinator, (phone), (email)

Address:

5925 Seminole Valley Tr. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52411 (See a map)

Directions:

Take interstate 380 to the 42nd St. exit. Turn west onto 42nd St. and follow it past Edgewood Rd. to Seminole Valley Rd., near Xavier High School. Turn left onto Seminole Valley Rd. The third left turn is Semninole Valley Trail. There is a big Ushers Ferry sign there. That brings you right down into the Village.