Des Moines Iowa Attractions

Amusements

• Heritage Carousel of Des Moines
  Located in Union Park
  515-323-8200
  The seasonal, 35-passenger Heritage Carousel is one of the few carousels made of wood since the... more...  map

• White Water University Fun Park
  5401 East University Avenue • Des Moines, IA 50327
  515-265-4904
  White Water University Fun Park features a wave pool, tubing rides, water slides, a lazy river,... more...  map

Historic Homes & Buildings

• Basilica of St. John
  1915 University Avenue • Des Moines, IA 50314
  515-244-3101
  Built in a stunning Romanesque style, this basilica features stained glass windows with marble... more...  map

• Bennett School (circa 1927)
  Fuller Road • West Des Moines, IA 50265
  515-225-1286
  One of the last one-room schoolhouses built in the West Des Moines area, used until 1941, Bennett... more...

• Iowa State Capitol
  East 9th and Grand Avenue • Des Moines, IA 50319
  515-281-5591
  Built between 1871 and 1886, this magnificent building is one of the nation's finest examples of... more...  map

• Jordan House (circa 1850)
  2001 Fuller Road • Des Moines, IA 50265
  515-225-1286
  The former home of James Jordan, the founder of Valley Junction, which was to become West Des... more...  map

• Wallace House (circa 1882)
  756 16th Street • Des Moines, IA 50314
  515-243-7063
  Visit this stunning Victorian Italianate-style home of Henry Wallace, former Secretary of... more...  map

Museums & Galleries

• Des Moines Art Center
  4700 Grand Avenue • Des Moines, IA 50312
  515-277-4405
  The Des Moines Art Center "presents thought-provoking exhibitions and educational programs, as well... more...  map

• Heritage Art Gallery
  111 Court Avenue • Des Moines, IA 50309
  515-286-2242
  Housed in a circa 1908, Beaux Arts Classical-style United States Post Office, the Polk County... more...  map

• Hoyt Sherman Place (circa 1877)
  1501 Woodland Avenue • Des Moines, IA 50309
  515-244-0507
  A grand manor home built by prominent businessman Hoyt Sherman, the Hoyt Sherman Place is now a... more...  map

Parks, Gardens & Zoos

• Blank Park Zoo
  7401 Southwest 9th Street • Des Moines, IA 50315
  515-323-8383
  With a mission “to inspire an appreciation of the natural world through conservation, education and... more...  map

• Des Moines Botanical Center
  909 Robert D. Ray Drive • Des Moines, IA 50316
  515-323-6290
  Located on 14 acres along the east bank of the Des Moines River, near downtown Des Moines, the Des... more...  map

• Yellow Banks Park
  Yellow Banks Park is located along the Des Moines River Water Trail, off Vandalia Road about two... more...