Located within Water Works Park, this amphitheater was completed in 2019 and has transformed the area into a beloved multi-purpose performing space.  The flexible structure hosts performances ranging from free local bands to the Des Moines Symphony, to artists such as Willie Nelson and Ben Folds, to large multi-day concerts.  From spring through fall, there is almost always something going on.

Even when there are no concerts, it is a delightful area to wander around, featuring a crabapple tree arboretum (especially spectacular in the spring), a short, circular paved trail ideal for walking or for kids learning to ride a bike, a unique wooden playground, and a fountain surrounded by gardens.

Come with an empty stomach!  

Wandering through the streets you’ll find tons of free samples and snacks for sale such as kettle corn, biscuits, donuts, and pretzels. A wide variety of baked goods are available, including muffins, strudels, breads, and brownies.

Larger food offerings include breakfast burritos, waffles, dumplings, gumbo, gourmet grilled cheeses, tamales, and kabobs, to name a few.

This mostly open-air museum is located in Urbandale, a northwestern suburb of Des Moines.  On 500 acres, its mission is to educate visitors about the agricultural history of Iowa, from the 1700’s through the 1900’s.  It even re-creates a late 1800’s small town, called Walnut Hill, complete with merchants, a doctor, a banker, and a veterinarian, as well as a cemetery, a church, and a typical home.

Employees in period dress educate onlookers with a host of information ranging from how bread was made to how a printing press operated to what household chores children of the era performed.

The farm is home to numerous animals including sheep, chickens, cows, horses, and pigs.

Living History Farms is open from May – October, and also hosts regular special events, such as Victorian teas, “High-society” dinners, historic home tours, wagon rides, and holiday festivities.

This professional-level skateboarding park opened in 2021 as the largest skate park in the US at the time. It is located along the Des Moines River in downtown Des Moines.  The park boasts six different courses, including one called the WOW course that has the participants skateboarding on a sculpture spelling out “WOW”!

The Lauridsen Skate Park has quickly made a name for itself, and hosted the Dew Tour, a US Olympics qualifying event in 2021 and 2022.

Enjoy!  (But be careful.  Love, Mom)

Just a 45-minute drive from Des Moines, Ledges State Park feels a world away!  The park is named for the 100′ tall sandstone ledges that overlook the Des Moines River.  In 2020, this was our first outing after the pandemic broke out. It is a beautiful place and is generally not crowded on weekdays and in the winter.

There are a half-dozen trails of less than two miles each (some with a few steep parts) that lead up and down the park to multiple scenic overlooks, a historic stone bridge, interesting rock formations, and a creek (fun for wading in the summer).

The park is a popular site for camping as well.

The National Balloon Festival is a nine-day hot air balloon competition.  The festival includes balloon rides and demonstrations and is a much-anticipated event each year for central Iowa residents who look forward to seeing more than 100 balloons in the sky over several days.

The list continues!  Hinterland Music Fest is a four-day music festival attracting top-notch performers such as Brandi Carlile, Willie Nelson, and Kacey Musgraves. WineFest has wine tasting, various competitions, and fine dining,

Iowa is VERY serious about its State Fair. It has taken place at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, nearly every year since 1878. It is the largest event in the state each year and attracts more than a million visitors from around the world.

It was the inspiration for Roger’s and Hammerstein’s Broadway musical, State Fair.  

During its eleven-day run each August, the fair boasts 200 food stands, and more than 50 of them serve the food on a stick. Seriously!

Though some people do proudly attend just to go into a food coma, the fair is much more than that.  There are a plethora of concerts, performances, and demonstrations, a parade, and many live animal exhibits.

People participate in scores of public competitions for things such as baked goods, produce, hot sauces, chili preparation, crops, livestock, and herding.  Even “husband calling”. (It’s true!)

Other events include such things as tractor pulls, ATV races, a fiddler competition & dance, tons of children’s activities, and a demolition derby.

In the Agriculture Building, you can view a 600-pound butter sculpture of a cow.  A butter cow!  Sometimes there are other huge butter sculptures such as President Lincoln, Star Trek cast members, and Elvis. But there is always a cow.  Every year sculptors spend countless hours creating these amazing butter sculptures, and they are a sight to behold.  

The Cultural Building houses a large, impressive arts and photography exhibit/competition as well as woodworking, pottery, miniatures, and other fine arts displays.

Of course, there is also a large Midway for carnival rides and games for the kids, and kids at heart.

Love or hate it, the Iowa State Fair is an experience everyone should have at least once!

In 1979, the Des Moines Civic Center opened downtown, and our city hasn’t been the same (thank goodness!) since.  CEO and President Jeff Chelesvig had a vision to bring the biggest Broadway touring shows to not-very-big Des Moines.  And not just one per season, but many.  He created the Willis Broadway Series.  

The first show to arrive was Phantom of the Opera in 1997, and Iowa rewarded it with 40 sold-out performances, which was shocking both to Chelesvig and to his New York connections.  Turns out, the Des Moines area has a serious appetite for these performances.

Located in Downtown Des Moines, Wells Fargo Arena is a 17,000-seat concert venue.  It hosts concerts with top performers such as Pink, Shania Twain, Chris Stapleton, Michael Bublé, and Justin Bieber.  It has also hosted NCAA championships including wrestling, women’s volleyball, and men’s and women’s basketball.  

The arena is home to Iowa’s local professional sports teams: Iowa Wild, a hockey affiliate of the Minnesota Wild;  the Iowa Barnstormers, an indoor football team; and the Iowa Wolves, a basketball affiliate of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Think what you will about the legislation passed here.  But there is no debate about the magnificent architecture of the building.  This elaborate structure is built of brick and limestone sourced from the Midwest, and features twelve Corinthian columns at the front and rear of the building.  

The dramatic pièce de résistance is the five domes, with the immense middle dome covered in 24 karat gold.

This hands-on, interactive Science Center is a big source of pride for the Des Moines community and throughout the state.  

Featuring exhibits and educational programming that appeal to every age from toddlers to retirees, the center attracts more than 300,000 people each year.

This modern and contemporary art museum is free to visit.  Works by well-known artists such as Picasso, O’Keeffe, Warhol, Hopper, and Matisse are available, as well as lesser-known talent and a host of local artists.  In-person and virtual tours are available.

The Art Center hosts free special events throughout the year including artist talks, workshops, gallery talks, and more.  It also offers scores of programs for children and art-centered educational classes for all ages.

There is a small, thoughtful, and interesting museum shop.

A distinct and striking domed conservatory in the Des Moines cityscape, the Botanical Garden is a 12-acre greenhouse with outside gardens located right in the city, on the east bank of the Des Moines River.  Inside the dome is a tropical (hot & humid!) environment where countless varieties of exotic flora from all over the world thrive.  Visitors wander through paths with informational plaques for every variety.

East Village shopping is a one-of-a-kind experience with a fun array of locally owned shops and boutiques.  

For the family chef, Kitchen Collage carries almost any cooking product you can imagine.  Eden treats its customers to high-end self-care, aromatherapy, and beauty products. For colorful and high-quality handmade furniture and home accessories, head to Sticks.  

If you’re feeling a little snarky, Ray-Gun is the place to go for a quippy t-shirt or clever home decor.  Other retail opportunities include antique shops, bookstores, pet supplies, furniture, art, and more.

Bars and entertainment venues abound in the area.

Enjoy a wide variety of live music nearly every night at Wooly’s,  arcade games and craft beers at Up Down, drag shows at The Blazing Saddle, craft cocktails and live music at The Republic on Grand. Or make yourself comfortable at a good old-fashioned dive bar, The Locust Tap.

Jordan Creek Towncenter (West Des Moines)

With over 100 retail shops, a wide variety of restaurants, a hotel, and a multi-screen movie theater with stadium seating, Jordan Creek is by far the largest shopping center in Iowa, and one of the largest in the Midwest.  

The anchor stores are Scheel’s Sporting Goods, Dillard’s, and Von Maur.  Larger restaurants include Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, P.F. Chang’s, Cheesecake Factory, and Bravo! Italian Kitchen.

The Excellent Food Scene in Des Moines

Now, perhaps the most important information: Where to eat great food in Des Moines!

You’re in luck.  There are hundreds of restaurants offering options galore from counter service to fine dining, and everything in between.  Many of them are outstanding.

The city’s diverse and delicious options are far too numerous to detail in this article, so please take a look at our restaurant-centric post: Des Moines’ Essential Restaurants