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Top Attractions in Des Moines

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden is a botanical garden in central Iowa, located at 909 Robert D. Ray Drive, Des Moines, Iowa, USA, on the east bank of the Des Moines River. Interest in a Des Moines botanical center began in 1929. A city greenhouse was acquired on the west side of the river in 1939, which served the city as a production and display greenhouse until the Botanical Center was completed in 1979. From 2004 to December 31, 2012, the facility was operated on behalf of the city by Des Moines Water Works. On January 2, 2013, the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden opened the doors for the first time as a nonprofit organization under the leadership of President and CEO Stephanie Jutila and governance of the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden Board of Directors. The institution is currently undergoing a dynamic renewal funded by a successful capital campaign to raise $12.6 million for the Phase I expansion of the outdoor gardens and improvements to the existing conservatory and building. The conservatory features over a 1,200 different taxa from around the world in artistic settings designed to explore, explain and celebrate the majesty of the plant world. Future outdoor gardens, designed by Chicago-based landscape architect Doug Hoerr will include a new rose garden, entrance garden, nearly 0.5-acre water garden, maple allée, belvedere overlooking the Des Moines River, celebration lawn and walled perennial border, conifer and gravel garden, a hillside garden, and an annual and bulb parterre. These gardens reflect the institutions commitment to developing gardens as forms of public art. The gardens will feature rich annual color designs conceived around artistic concepts inspired from music, history, art and pop culture, utilizing plants as the ingredients for exhibitions. From the 1986 until the mid 2000s, the Botanical Center was a used as a Do It Yourself venue for the Des Moines Underground, Punk and Hardcore Music scene. Countless national touring acts such as Henry Rollins, Scream, Saint Vitus, Regional and Local bands played shows for all ages in the rental halls there. Often these bands and their fans had no other venue open to them in the area and for that reason the Botanical Center provided a much needed space for the music scene.

Wells Fargo Arena

Wells Fargo Arena is a 16,980-seat multi-purpose arena in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. Part of the Iowa Events Center, the arena opened on July 12, 2005, at a cost of $117 million. Named for title sponsor Wells Fargo Company, the arena replaced the aging Veterans Memorial Auditorium as the Des Moines areas primary venue for sporting events and concerts. The first event held at the arena was Tony Hawks Boom-Boom Huck Jam, on July 14, while its first concert, Tom Petty The Heartbreakers, with The Black Crowes, was held on July 18. Wells Fargo Arena seats 15,181 for hockey games, 16,110 for basketball games, and as many as 16,980 for concerts. It also features the Principal Rivers Edge Restaurant, which provides views of the Des Moines River and the Iowa State Capitol. The restaurant opened on October 6, 2005, coinciding with the Iowa Stars inaugural home game. The Arena is also connected to the rest of the Iowa Events Center as well as Downtown Des Moines through the citys extensive Skywalk system, providing easy access.

Drake Stadium

For Elvin Drake Stadium at UCLA, see Drake Stadium . Drake Stadium is a stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is primarily used for the Drake Relays, and is the home field of the Drake University Bulldogs. It opened in 1925 and underwent a $15 million renovation in 2005. Widening the track reduced the stadiums seating capacity from 18,000 to 14,557. The football field at Drake Stadium is named in honor of Drake alumnus and football great, Johnny Bright and the track is name after famed announcer Jim Duncan. All athletes have benefited by improved track and field facilities, especially from the installation of new track surfaces. The installation of a $175,000 tartan track in 1969 replaced the cinder track. It was a magnificent 60th birthday present for Drake Relays competitors and fans. In 1976, all individual events at the Drake Relays went metric; in 1978, the conversion was completed with rebuilding of the track into a 400-meter oval so that relay races, too, could go metric. The Jim Duncan Track was resurfaced in the summer of 1989 in Drake blue school colors, featuring a combination of polyurethane coating and EPDM rubber granules. Drake Stadium has seen the Drake Bulldogs win ten conference championships in football, while advancing to twelve college football bowl games. As part of the stadium renovation an artificial surface was installed for both football and soccer. The stadium is also the home field for Des Moines Roosevelt High School and for some games for Dowling High School. It is currently the largest stadium in the Pioneer Football League. Drake Stadium is also the home to the Drake Relays, one of the premier track and field meets in the country. Thousands of high school, college, and professional track athletes come to Drake Stadium in late April to compete in one of the largest track meets in the United States. The stadium also hosts the Iowa boys and girls high school track state championships. The 2005-06 renovation project improved many aspects of the stadium. The surface area of the stadium was flattened . It created a reconfigured track to meet NCAA, national and international standards, improved seating, and added a "safety lane" on the outside of the track for athletes . In addition, a new scoreboard with video screen was placed at the northeast corner of the stadium. In addition, Drake Stadium hosted the 1970, 2008, 2011, and 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and the 2010 and 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The 2008 NCAAs doubled the previous four-day record crowd with a total attendance of 41,187 despite heavy flooding in Des Moines.

Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center

Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center is a convention center in Des Moines, Iowa, that is part of the Iowa Events Center complex. It opened on February 1, 1955, and was named to honor the World War II veterans of Polk County. Home to the Drake Bulldogs 1955-1992, it had 11,411 with the capacity to add an additional 4,000 seats for concerts and an additional 7,500 bleacher seats for basketball games. Commonly known as "Vets" or "The Barn", it was the long-time host for minor league basketball, arena football, and Iowa state high school basketball and wrestling tournaments. Prior to the opening of Wells Fargo Arena, Vets Auditorium had served as the primary venue of sporting events and concerts in the Des Moines area for many years; this was also the site of the January 20, 1982 concert, where Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a bat. World Wrestling Entertainment also broadcast their WWE Raw program from the venue. It was also the site of the famous 1989 steel cage match between Hulk Hogan and The Big Boss Man on Saturday Nights Main Event. With the opening of Wells Fargo Arena, Veterans Memorial Auditorium was relegated to a supporting arena role. In the fall of 2010, the arena was closed and renovated into a state-of-the-art convention facility that added a 28,800 square foot ballroom to the Iowa Events Center in addition to 25 new meeting rooms. At this time, the rights to the convention centers name were sold to local credit union Community Choice Credit Union. However, the building itself is still referred to as the Veterans Memorial building. Veterans Memorial Hall was also added as a part of the renovation. The Hall showcases Iowa Veterans sacrifices since Iowa became a state.

Temple for Performing Arts

The Temple for Performing Arts is a historic Beaux Arts style building located in Des Moines, Iowa. Constructed in 1913, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 (under the name "Masonic Temple of Des Moines"). It was designed by the Des Moines-based architectural firm Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson. The building was listed on the NRHP for its architecture, as part of a 1988 multiple property submission. It was then one of 25 known surviving Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson buildings in Des Moines and is one of two known lodge buildings designed by the firm. As originally constructed, the building consisted of retail and office spaces on the first three floors, with Masonic meeting rooms on the fourth floor. In 2001 the Masons vacated their rooms on the fourth floor, which were converted into a venue for performing arts, culture entertainment and learning.

Ashby Manor Historic District

The Ashby Manor Historic District is located in northwest Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is a residential area that lies between Beaver Avenue, which is a major north-south artery, on the west and Ashby Park on the east. The historic period of the housing was 1925-1941. The street layout follows a curving pattern, which differentiates it from the grid pattern of the surrounding area. The streets also feature a mature tree canopy. The historic district has 148 properties of which 99 are houses and 49 are garages. Ninety-one properties are considered contributing properties and 57 are noncontributing. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1992. It is a part of the Suburban Development in Des Moines Between the World Wars, 1918--1941 MPS.
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