City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Spectator Sports

Telephone: (515) 633-2255

Address: 833 Fifth Ave.

Description: An arena football team that counts NFL legend and Iowa native Kurt Warner among their alumni, the Barnstormers shake up Wells Fargo Arena from Mar through July, playing against the likes of Chicago, Milwaukee, and Cleveland. The Barnstormers have a history in Des Moines going back to the early 1990s. In this earlier incarnation, the team placed first in their division several times and has come very close to winning the Arena Bowl. Since coach John Gregory resurrected the team in 2007, he has made them a contender in arena football, leading them to the second round of the playoffs in 2009. If you’ve never seen arena football before, you may be in for a shock—the players bounce down the enclosed space like pinballs, rather than the athletic ballet and crushing hits one sees in the NFL. Still, it’s fun to watch, and the ridiculously high scores drive the fans wild with excitement.