Things to do in Des Moines: the complete local guide

People are always a little surprised by how much there is to do in Des Moines. It's a walkable capital city with a world-class sculpture park, one of the best state fairs in the country, 800-plus miles of trails, a genuinely good food scene, and a downtown you can cover on foot. This is our running guide to the best of it, whether you're new here, visiting, or just trying to get off the couch this weekend.

Downtown and culture

Start here. Downtown Des Moines packs a lot into a small footprint:

• The Iowa State Capitol is the city's signature landmark, the only five-domed capitol in the country, and it's free to tour.
• The John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park puts 20-plus major works by world-famous artists across open downtown blocks, free and open every day.
• The Des Moines Art Center pairs a serious collection with knockout architecture, also free.
• On summer Saturdays, the Downtown Farmers' Market is a nationally ranked, hundreds-of-vendors event that takes over the Court District.
• The East Village is the walkable heart of the city's shopping, coffee, and food scene.

Family and attractions

Traveling with kids, or just young at heart? The Science Center of Iowa, Blank Park Zoo, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, and Adventureland amusement park anchor a long list. We broke down the whole thing in our guide to things to do in Des Moines with kids.

The outdoors

Des Moines is quietly one of the best mid-size cities for getting outside. Gray's Lake Park and the massive Water Works Park sit minutes from downtown, connected by riverfront trails, and the metro's trail network runs for hundreds of miles. See the full rundown in our guide to outdoor things to do in Des Moines.

Do it on a budget

Some of the best things here cost nothing at all, the sculpture park, the art center, the Capitol, the trails, free summer concerts. We rounded them up in free things to do in Des Moines.

Eat and drink

The food is half the reason to go out here. A few starting points:

• Planning a night out for two? See our Des Moines date night guide.
• Slow-morning people: the best brunch in Des Moines.
• Warm night: the best patios and rooftops.
• On a budget: the Des Moines happy hour guide.

Events worth planning around

The calendar is the secret to Des Moines. The Iowa State Fair (mid-August) is the biggest event of the year, start with our complete fair guide. Beyond that, there's live music, festivals, markets, and shows nearly every week. See what's on with our Des Moines events calendar, and make a plan.