Stephens Auditorium is the main performing arts landmark on the Iowa State University campus, a large modern hall used for touring concerts, Broadway productions, dance, lectures, and university events. For visitors, it is most useful when there is a performance on; the building is part of the Iowa State Center complex rather than a museum-style attraction.
Ames is a campus town, and Stephens helps show that side of it clearly. Check the calendar before planning around it, then combine an evening show with a daytime walk through central campus, the museums, and Reiman Gardens. Without an event, it is still a recognizable piece of the university's mid-century cultural landscape.