City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (515) 244-0507

Address: 1501 Woodland Ave.

Insider Pick:

Description: A beautiful old theater just north of Des Moines in the Sherman Hill neighborhood, open since 1877 and lovingly restored to its current impressive state. The redbrick exterior, velvet curtains, parquet floors, and intricately carved arched ceiling are almost worth a visit in and of themselves, but the theater also hosts an eclectic array of music acts: rock, jazz, and other artists have all played here, from famous musicians to up-and-coming groups, with plenty of them getting people out of their seats and dancing in the aisles. With a capacity of just over 1,200 for its main floor and balcony, there isn’t a bad seat in the house, and the acoustics are pretty good, too. The theater has also been home to various theater and dance productions. Ample free parking is available in the lot on the side of the building, near the box office entrance.