Ushers Ferry Historic Village
Ushers Ferry Historic Village in the Cedar Rapids area is one of the most popular attractions. The historic village provides the community with a venue for family-friendly activities and events. This village is located on a ten-acre site in Seminole Valley. When visiting Cedar Rapids, this site is a must-visit. The glimpse of the past through the village is just another example of the importance Cedar Rapids pays to preserving history and culture.
The historical village named after Ushers Ferry didn’t exist as the present-day town you see. It was a ferry boat crossing located a quarter mile up from the current town. The Usher family was amongst the earliest settlers of this region. They arrived in 1836 and established the ferry across Cedar Rivers that operated until the 1860s. Today at the village, you can see the home of Henry A. Usher, the first landholder of the ground that the village sits on today. The house was originally built near the Ferry landing but moved to a farmland Henry owned. In 1983 it was moved back to become part of the historical village. The village was created in 1973 by the Cedar Rapids Park & Recreation Department. It started off being called the “Pioneer Village”, but after learning more about the site in 1986, it became known as “Ushers Ferry Historic Village.”
One of the unique facts about the Ushers Ferry Historic Village is that it was not an actual town site, as we see today. All of the historic buildings featured in the village were relocated from other places. The Cedar Rapids Park & Recreation Department wanted to provide the community with an opportunity to revisit the days of rural “Township”, where the most basic elements of a community were forged together by a presence of a church, a school, a small business, and simple homesteads.
The Ushers Ferry Historic Village offers a variety of educational and recreational programs for all ages. The village has specially curated activities for schools, one of which includes a day in a one-room school. This activity provides information and history and weaves a space for creativity and imagination.
The Ushers Ferry Historic Village has a beautiful gazebo, houses and grounds available for rent to host receptions, weddings, corporate events, and other private parties. The Historic Village can also help you organise bonfires and hayrack rides for youth groups, and scouts. In order to book group tours, the historic village requires you to pre-book so they can accommodate you for a specially curated experience.