In the days before mechanical refrigeration, natural ice was cut from the Cedar River and stored year-round in this unusual building. It was built in 1921 by Hugh Smith, owner of the Cedar Falls Ice and Fuel Company, replacing a wooden structure that burned down.

The Ice House is 100 feet in diameter, with hollow tile walls 30 feet high, and it could hold 6,000 - 8,000 tons of natural ice. Ice was stored here until 1934, when the Cedar Falls Ice and Fuel Company went out of business. Ownership was then passed to the Cedar Falls Trust and Savings Bank.

The building was used as a livestock sales pavilion and ice skating rink until 1938, when it was purchased by members of the Cedar Falls Boat Club.

In 1975, the city declared the building's roof unsafe. The Ice House faced demolition until a community effort raised more than $60,000 in federal and private money for restoration.

The Cedar Falls Ice House is the home of the Ice House Museum, operated by the Cedar Falls Historical Society. The museum contains artifacts of the ice cutting industry as well as other items related to the history of Cedar Falls. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

For more information call 266-5149.