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Iowa, United States

Des Moines

Give it a full day: sculpture park and Capitol in the morning, East Village shops and dinner, a brewery to finish. We have mapped 3 sights, 1 outdoor spot and 2 places to eat here, each with a reason to go.

Plan Des Moines with friendsBrowse 9 places
Des Moines, Iowa, United States
Places
9

3 See · 1 Outdoors · 2 Eat · 1 Drink · 2 Shop

Curated routes
1

Iowa Driftless & River Towns

Best season
May – Oct

from our route notes

Warmest month
July

31°C / 87°F avg high

Coolest month
January

-1°C / 31°F avg high

Wettest month
June

about 130 mm rain

Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.

Things to do in Des Moines

9 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.

See

The landmarks we would not skip in Des Moines across Western Gateway, Greenwood Park and East Village. All 3 are free to visit.

  • Pappajohn Sculpture Park in Des MoinesPhoto: Dsmspence · CC BY-SA 3.0
    See

    Pappajohn Sculpture Park

    Free outdoor park with works by Jaume Plensa, Claes Oldenburg and others.

    • Western Gateway
    • Free
    • 45 min
  • Des Moines Art Center in Des MoinesPhoto: Des Moines Art Center · Google
    See

    Des Moines Art Center

    Free art museum in buildings by Saarinen, Pei and Meier.

    • Greenwood Park
    • Free
    • 1.5 hr
  • Iowa State Capitol in Des MoinesPhoto: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain
    See

    Iowa State Capitol

    Gold-domed capitol with a free tour and an ornate law library.

    Tip Free guided tours run on weekdays and Saturdays.

    • East Village
    • Free
    • 60 min

Outdoors

Trails, views and open space in and around Des Moines.

Eat

2 places to eat in East Village, picked for groups who care about the food.

  • Zombie Burger + Bird in Des MoinesPhoto: Zombie Burger + Drink Lab · Google
    Eat

    Zombie Burger + Bird

    Horror-themed burger joint in the East Village with over-the-top burgers and thick shakes.

    Tip Try the Walking Dead, then split a shake.

    • East Village
    • $$
    • 60 min
    • lunch
  • Fong's Pizza in Des MoinesPhoto: Fong's Pizza · Google
    Eat

    Fong's Pizza

    Des Moines cult pizzeria famous for the Crab Rangoon pizza and tiki-bar drinks, now in the old Peace Tree space.

    Tip Order the Crab Rangoon pizza; patio opens in warm weather.

    • East Village
    • $$
    • 75 min
    • dinner

Drink

1 bar or café in Court District for coffee, a round or a nightcap.

  • Court Avenue Brewing Company in Des MoinesPhoto: Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Company · Google
    Drink

    Court Avenue Brewing Company

    Brewpub open since 1996 in a historic downtown warehouse.

    • Court District
    • $$
    • 75 min
    • Evening

Shop

2 shops across Court District and East Village for browsing and souvenirs.

  • Downtown Farmers' Market in Des MoinesPhoto: Tahirih Bolton · Google
    Shop

    Downtown Farmers' Market

    One of the largest Saturday markets in the Midwest, filling Court Avenue blocks.

    Tip Saturdays only, May–Oct; go before 9 a.m.

    • Court District
    • $
    • 1.5 hr
    • Saturday morning
  • Raygun in Des MoinesPhoto: I'm Thanos. · Google
    Shop

    Raygun

    Local print shop with screenprinted shirts and wry Midwest humor.

    • East Village
    • $
    • 30 min

How to fit Des Moines into a trip

Des Moines is stop 1 of 3 on our Iowa Driftless & River Towns route. Follow it as-is or lift Des Moines into your own plan.

Getting here and onward

Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.

Des Moines month by month

Average daily highs run from -1°C / 31°F in January to 31°C / 87°F in July. June is the wettest month, with about 130 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.

Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Des Moines weather and the best time to visit →

Near Des Moines

8 other destinations from our guides within about 300 km (186 mi), measured in a straight line.

Des Moines questions, answered

How many days do you need in Des Moines?

Our route notes suggest a full day in Des Moines. On our Iowa Driftless & River Towns route it is stop 1 of 3 in a 6-day trip. The listed visit times for our 9 places add up to roughly 10 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

What is Des Moines best known for?

Give it a full day: sculpture park and Capitol in the morning, East Village shops and dinner, a brewery to finish. Standouts on our list: Pappajohn Sculpture Park (Free outdoor park with works by Jaume Plensa, Claes Oldenburg and others); Des Moines Art Center (Free art museum in buildings by Saarinen, Pei and Meier); Iowa State Capitol (Gold-domed capitol with a free tour and an ornate law library).

When is the best time to visit Des Moines?

Our Iowa Driftless & River Towns route is best May – Oct. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (31°C / 87°F), the coolest in January (-1°C / 31°F) and the most rain in June (about 130 mm).

What are the best things to do in Des Moines?

Start with Pappajohn Sculpture Park, Des Moines Art Center, Iowa State Capitol and Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. Our guide lists 9 places in all, from 3 sights, 1 outdoor spot, 2 places to eat, 1 bar or café and 2 shops.

Where should a group eat in Des Moines?

Our picks: Zombie Burger + Bird (East Village); Fong's Pizza (East Village). Try the Walking Dead, then split a shake (Zombie Burger + Bird).

What is near Des Moines?

The closest destinations in our guides are Downtown Omaha & the Old Market (about 195 km / 121 mi), Omaha (about 196 km / 122 mi) and Midtown Omaha (about 197 km / 122 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.

Plan Des Moines with your crew

Open the Iowa Driftless & River Towns route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 9 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.

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