Best Things to Do in Des Moines

The only five-domed Capitol in the country, the grand-and-gold Iowa State Capitol naturally sits high on a hill, with panoramic views onto the East Village. Free self-guided and formal tours are available every day but Sunday. From the senate chamber, be sure to climb the 98 stairs up into the main dome and the “whispering gallery,” where acoustics ensure that you shouldn’t divulge any secrets, no matter your volume.

One four-color, one-station screen press until 2007, RAYGUN now might actually live up to its hyperbolic slogan: “the greatest store in the universe.” They’ve now expanded to Kansas City, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Omaha and Chicago, but the headquarters press on in Des Moines. “7,000 square feet of words on things,” the T-shirt-heavy store celebrates every Midwest talking point in sans serif — “Wave the next time you fly over!” — and serves unending ink-block shade to the politicians who deserve it. 

Imagine a classic roadside 1970s burger stand — but with an over-the-top, Walking Dead bent. Zombie Burger spares no topping nor calorie, sitting at the confluence of comfort food and culinary exploration. Yes, they have salads, but you’ll be more satisfied with the “They’re Coming To Get You, Barbara” (grilled cheese bun!) or the “Undead Elvis” burger (peanut butter and fried bananas) paired with a gigantic $8.25 Human Centipeach milkshake.

Hannibal Buress, Watsky, Gin Blossoms, The Pork Tornadoes — the lineup at Wooly’s is an eclectic one, and one that proves even indie spots in Des Moines get a little national glory. It’s the kind of venue with a perpetually sticky floor; those looking for national acclaim but with armrests should head to Hoyt Sherman Place; for innovative cocktails, cabaret and brassy, bluesy jazz, that’s Noce.

Modeled after the King’s House in Salisbury, England, the Salisbury House has 42 rooms over 22,000 square feet, with gardens spread across nearly 10 acres. A 1920s Tudor-Gothic mini-Biltmore — but in true American fashion, built for a cosmetics heir — self-guided walking tours through grand arched doorways lead to encounters with 500-year-old woodwork, rare books and 10,000 vintage pieces arguably more fit for any English museum.

Des Lux plays on its name accurately, remastering the 1912 Des Moines Club into a chic hotel with urban-Victorian vibes — and a few gargoyles for good measure. The Des Lux Bar has the best martini menu in the city, and the fact that it’s a few minutes’ walk to restaurants like Centro, Malo and James Beard-nominated Proof seals the deal. Name anywhere in the country that you can get this level of luxury starting at $150/night, and we’ll be amazed. 

If you find yourself in downtown Des Moines, head to the historic Court Ave. District. It’s here you’ll find the city’s notable farmer’s market (some 300 vendors every week), the Principal Riverwalk, the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates and the Des Moines Civic Center, home to the Des Moines Symphony. Bike trails run through downtown, along the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers, and to Gray’s Lake and Des Moines Water Works Park.  

Entering downtown Des Moines, you can’t miss it: 31 massive sculptures over four acres right in the center of it all. They’re a collection of works by 25 internationally acclaimed artists, making this one of the most serious outdoor sculpture parks in the country. “Nomade,” by Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa, tends to be everyone’s favorite, though the arresting, interactive and rainbow “Panoramic Awareness Pavilion” is equally can’t-miss.

Don your headlamp and pedal down the High Trestle Trail — 25 paved miles from Woodward to Ankeny, just north of Des Moines — come sunset. The half-mile, 13-story bridge spanning the Des Moines River Valley is one of the largest trail bridges in the world, and its neon blue geometric glow will stop you in your tracks. The trail is open to hikers (and horseback riders), too.

The 400-mile-long Des Moines River Water Trail runs all the way to the Mississippi, and the 8.8-mile section from the Saylorville Dam to Des Moines’ Birdland Park is a classic, fit for paddlers of all experience types. You can also head north to float through the super-scenic Ledges State Park or to Boone County for a gentle ride underneath vintage railroad bridges. 

For 11 days every August, the Iowa State Fairgrounds light up in carnival glory so unparalleled the festivities have been memorialized on stage and screen several times over (think State Fair or Butter). More than a million people descend on the state’s largest art show every year for foot-long corn dogs, butter sculptures, roller coasters, surprisingly big-name acts (Keith Urban, Styx) — and maybe even a politician sighting or two.