See

Pappajohn Sculpture Park

Western Gateway Park

Opened in 2009, the sculpture garden was a centerpiece of an urban revitalization project and it occupies most of Western Gateway Park downtown. It showcases more than $40 million in publicly displayed modern art. The sculpture garden is curated by the Des Moines Art Center. Family friendly area with open spaces for picnics, walking trails, and receptacles for dog waste (pick up after your pooch!) A public restroom is available. Parking is in metered spaces on adjacent streets.

Address: 1330 Grand Ave.

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Des Moines, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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Drink
Exile Brewing Company
Brewpub and microbrewery in a historic warehouse, brews a wide range of both ale and lager styles. Casual bar with outdoor patio and a large indoor dining room for dinner. The best beers tend to be their German-style seasonal beers, including dark lagers, a nutty-sweet marzen style (Octoberfest), and similar beers. They also produce a line of hard seltzers. Live music Sunday afternoons starting at 5pm.
Tue-Sun 10AM-10PM, closed Mon
Drink
Big Grove Brewery
Big brewpub whose dining room was once the showroom of the largest Chevrolet dealer in Des Moines. They kept the big glass windows but replaced the shiny Impalas with a central bar serving the brewery's mostly ale-styles, sours, and seltzers. They do a line of IPAs that are variations on their "Eddy" brand. The best brews are their malty dark beers, when they're available: their coffee stout is luxuriously smooth.
Daily 11AM-10PM
Do
Des Moines Symphony
Since 1937. Concerts are held at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines in downtown.
Eat
Centro
pronounced Chentro
Italian fare featuring terrific coal fired pizzas. Specialize in $8.50 martinis.
Mon-Fri 11AM-2PM, Sat 11AM-3PM, Mon-Thu 5PM-10PM, Fri Sat 5PM-11PM, Sun 4:30PM-9PM$25