With a population of roughly 200,000 in the city proper and 600,000 in a five-county metropolitan area, Des Moines is a midsize city and feels like it. The wide-open farm fields surrounding the city make some distances seem farther than they really are—it usually takes 20 minutes at most to reach any given location in the city, slightly longer if you’re heading to the suburbs or outlying areas.
Interstate highways lead to the midwestern metropolises of Chicago and Minneapolis, with which Des Moines shares a similar culture—in the middle of Iowa and the middle of the country, Des Moines is midwestern at heart. Nearly one million people, about 30 percent of Iowa’s population, live within a one-hour drive of Des Moines, and it’s definitely the state’s nerve center for commerce, government, and culture.
Des Moines is laid out east–west, with the majestic Iowa State Capitol standing sentry on a hill overlooking the downtown business district. Contrary to popular belief, the terrain here is not all flat—the city has several (yes, several) notable hills, but the more prominent topographic features in Des Moines are the rivers: The Des Moines River splits downtown into east and west halves before joining the Raccoon River at the southeast edge of downtown, and then flows southeast across Iowa to join the Mississippi on the Iowa-Illinois-Missouri border. This confluence roughly divides the city into the west, east, and south sides (there’s a small north side as well), while along the rivers lie parkland and woods striped with trails used by cyclists and walkers. Also along the rivers are lakes that are enjoyed in warmer months for swimming and boating, including Gray’s Lake near downtown, Blue Heron Lake at Raccoon River Park, and Saylorville Lake, a large, dammed lake north of the city.
Much of Des Moines is residential, with attractions concentrated mainly in and near downtown and sprinkled throughout the city and suburbs. The Getting Here, Getting Around section has more details about finding your way around Des Moines, which is fairly easy to do.
Des Moines has attractions for all sorts of interests, from sports and local history to fine art and science, including a working observatory where visitors can do some stargazing under the guidance of an astronomy professional. The Iowa State Capitol is perhaps Des Moines’s most prominent attraction, with many interesting architectural features both inside and outside the building, although the state historical museum, just a few blocks away, also has a rich trove of items to peruse during a long or short visit. When visiting the Capitol, don’t forget to check out the rolling grounds around the building with their numerous monuments. The city’s art museum is a true gem, with free admission to its respectable collection of contemporary art well-arranged in a winding series of galleries inside a building that bears the stamp of three world-renowned architects. Other art attractions, including many galleries, can be found in the arts chapter.
There’s an appreciable amount of green space and outdoor attractions in the Des Moines area, including some surprisingly scenic vistas. The Kidstuff chapter includes some attractions not listed here that may appeal especially to younger visitors.
Attractions are grouped below according to location, beginning with those located in downtown neighborhoods, then moving into the rest of the city, and finally covering the outlying areas outside the city limits.
With a population that includes many young families, the Des Moines area has a number of attractions that cater to children, from the very young to teenagers, with many appropriate for multiple age levels. In addition to the many kid-oriented activities, opportunities for the young ones to have fun can also be found at some of the better-known attractions in the area, like the city’s art museum, which has free admission and specific kid-centered activities, and the science museum in downtown Des Moines, which is largely oriented toward children with its plethora of hands-on displays and opportunities to build and move things in several of its galleries.
There are also plenty of kid-friendly activities in the rest of this book, especially in the Parks and Recreation chapters—check out some of Des Moines’s many outdoor trails for a hike or bike ride, or have a picnic in one of the limitless parks and green spaces that can be found around the metro area. Wading pools are found in more city parks than can be mentioned here, and the city’s swimming pools are always packed with youngsters on hot summer days.
Numerous play areas charge for kids to come in and use their equipment, and though this can be fun, you can also find many fine playgrounds in city parks. Just don’t limit yourself to one type of activity or narrow section of the city—there’s plenty to see and do all over town, and you might as well take advantage of several offerings while you’re here.
This chapter is divided into sections based on the type of activity the listings represent, such as outdoor activities, hands-on museums that offer a lot for children to do or see, and more educational offerings. Some ideas could easily fit in more than one section—check out a few different things if you’re looking for a variety of experiences.
Central Iowa is a great spot for weekend road trips, with roads fanning out from Des Moines to numerous interesting destinations. While some, like Pella and the Amana Colonies, have multiple attractions as well as attractive restaurants, shops, and lodgings that make for an inviting weekend getaway, others, like the Herbert Hoover Presidential Museum and National Historic Site, are located in remote areas and more suited for a visit of an hour or two.
There are also plenty of spots that promise an experience of wild nature, particularly the many county and state parks located a short drive from the Des Moines area, many of which offer camping or cabins for rent and promise great hiking, swimming, and other outdoor activities. You might even be interested in a getaway by bike—with cycling trails winding for many miles through the countryside, it’s possible to spend a whole day or even longer pedaling past farms and fields.
For some of the best weekend getaways, just hop in your vehicle and hit the road. Cruise through iconic country towns that look like something out of a Grant Wood painting, with their dusty water towers and weather-beaten farms. Stop by a cafe for an old-fashioned country meal and take a stroll around the courthouse square, then watch the sun set as tractors chug through the cornfields. This is Iowa, after all, where you don’t have to go far to find the picture-postcard vision of the American Midwest in all its glory.