Discover Downtown Des Moines
CONVENTION CENTER
Easily accessible from the Interstate & Airport, the Iowa Events Center is the premiere meeting destination in the state. With a climate-controlled skywalk that connects to downtown hotels, restaurants, nightlife, and parking, it’s the epitome of convenience.
-
This is the biggest skate park in the country. No, really, it is. We hosted the Dew Tour back in 2021 and 2022 for skate athletes that even qualified some of them for the Summer Olympics.
-
Rain or shine, and established in 1966, things are always in bloom at this 7-acre public garden in the heart of downtown.
-
This pedestrian bridge was built in 2010 to honor and recognize Iowa women who made a lasting impact in history with 434 feet of pathway, including a glass-sectioned walkway to view the Des Moines River below. At night, it glows with colorful LED lighting.
-
Robert D. Ray was a lawyer and former Governor of Iowa who advocated to bring in Southeast Asian refugees to Greater Des Moines. This site serves as a symbol for diversity in appreciation for all the Asian Americans in Iowa, designed to symbol the passage of time as it sits right along the Des Moines River.
HISTORIC EAST VILLAGE
Located between the Iowa State Capitol and the Des Moines River, the Historic East Village is a vibrant, diverse neighborhood with more than 90 locally owned shops, restaurants, and bars.
-
You’re in for a treat at Zombie Burger. Their “post-apocalyptic chic” space serves up dozens of burger combinations. Order a cereal milkshake to make your meal complete.
-
Where Iowa-nice meets Midwest-sass, and alongside a cat mascot named Gary, Raygun was founded in Des Moines. They’ve been printing cheeky, self-deprecating, yet unforgettable souvenirs across the Midwest since 2005.
-
Your premier spot to learn all about the state of Iowa and its impact on the nation, the State Historical Museum of Iowa is host to 12 exhibits that showcase how Iowa has been quintessential in every part of history.
-
Home to our state government, this building has 100 rooms of awe-inspiring history and camera-ready beauty. The Law Library is the most photographed room in the state.
HISTORIC COURT DISTRICT
Located in the heart of Des Moines, the Historic Court District is considered to be the main entertainment district of downtown. It is home to restaurants, bars, breweries, an abundance of unique murals, and one of Des Moines’ favorite events: the Downtown Farmers’ Market.
-
Built in 1906 on the grounds where our first courthouse stood (in 1847), it was designed based off Federalist architecture with a clock tower, real marble stairways, columns, and walls.
-
Designed to be a “love letter to Des Moines and the Midwest”, this mural serves as a panorama of Downtown Des Moines as if you were looking at it from the top of the capitol dome, by artists Thomas Argan and Drew Etienne.
-
The Science Center of Iowa includes permanent exhibits like Why the Sky? (space), Brick by Brick (LEGO), and What on Earth (zoology/geology), along with many innovative traveling exhibits.
-
Built as a tribute to Nobel Peace Prize Winner and World Food Prize Founder, Dr. Norman Borlaug, this beautiful building was the finished project of a restoration of the century-old Des Moines Public Library Building. This is the site where the annual World Food Prize is awarded each October.
-
Named after Robinson Crusoe, the main castaway character in the novel by Daniel Defoe, he fashions an umbrella out of sticks and plants on his stranded island. This sculpture is an enlarged representation of that, installed in 1979 by artist Claes Oldenburg and engineer J. Robert Jennings.
-
There’s nothing more iconic than the colorful, postcard-like mural depicting “Des Moines”, where every letter represents a local attraction. Your trip to Des Moines would not be complete without a photo-op in front of it.
WESTERN GATEWAY PARK
Relax and explore one of the urban developments in downtown Des Moines. Western Gateway Park incorporates a mix of green space and buildings providing a cultural experience to both residents and visitors.
-
Check out more than 20 sculptures across 4.4 acres, right in the heart of downtown Des Moines. The perfect opportunity to snap an artsy pic.
-
Internationally acclaimed Dutch artist Leon Keer brings his signature anamorphic style to Des Moines with an 8,000+ square foot mural that blends hyper-realism with augmented reality (AR). Through a free iOS app developed by the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation, viewers can watch the mural come to life, adding an innovative layer of interactivity.
-
This art installation keeps real time and transforms at the top of each hour. When its face breaks up, its hands fall off, and the whole thing disintegrates. French-trained artist and DSM local, Oyoram, created an algorithm for a dozen different mosaic faces in gemstones that appear in random order.
-
Beginning as the Des Moines Library Association in 1866 in the basement of a church, the Des Moines Central Library has gone through many changes to get where it is today. Now, it spans two city blocks with a multitude of unique and creative resources for patrons beyond the thousands of books it houses.
