The Historic Tribune Building
In the heart of downtown Ames stands a building with good bones and a long story. We are working to buy it, bring it back to life, and give it a second act as a home for families. Here is the honest picture: what it is today, and what we believe it can become.
Note that it is not guaranteed that we will be able to acquire the Tribune Building. It will depend on funds raised and the timeline in which we raise them. If we are not able to purchase the building, we will pursue a different location, but we plan to move forward with creating the vision regardless of the location.
317 Fifth Street, downtown Ames
Standing since 1929
The Tribune Building has stood at 317 Fifth Street since 1929, its name carved in stone above the door from its days as the home of the Ames Tribune, the city’s newspaper. Its handsome two-story brick facade is the front face of a much larger single-story space behind it, nearly 17,000 square feet in all. The facade is the architectural gem, and the space behind it is big, open, and full of possibility. For a number of years now the building has sat mostly empty, and time has taken a toll. But the good bones are still there, waiting for someone to love it again.
Everything a family hub needs
Nearly 17,000 square feet
Room for a children's museum, a café, play space, and everything a family hub needs to grow into over time.
The heart of downtown
Right where a family destination belongs, steps from shops, restaurants, and the everyday life of Ames.
A block and a half from the library
A natural neighbor for a place built around children, curiosity, and learning.
A block and a half from the new downtown plaza
Part of the next chapter of downtown Ames, and the gathering places growing up around it.
On a bus route
Easy to reach without a car, which matters for a place meant to welcome every family.
A facade worth saving
A handsome two-story brick front from 1929, with a big single-story space behind it that is open and ready to reimagine.
A diamond in the rough
The building is not move-in ready. It needs real work, and restoring a place like this is a serious undertaking. That is exactly why community support matters. These are photos of the building as it stands right now.
The footprint
The two-story brick facade fronts a large, mostly single-story space, close to 17,000 square feet in all, with room to shape into a museum, a café, and a home base for the whole family.
Every gift helps turn a beautiful, tired old building into somewhere Ames families will spend their days for years to come.