Des Moines Is More Than Corn Fields and the State Fair — Here’s What We Love About This Midwest Capital

Bettendorf, Iowa, the 28,000-resident suburban town I grew up in, was far too small. New York City, the 8.2-million metropolitan area where I started my career and resided for two years after college, was far too big.

But Des Moines, Iowa, the Midwestern capital city I decided to move to in 2012? Just right. As a freelance lifestyle writer, I could plant my pin anywhere around the world; however, I chose to stay and have proudly called Des Moines home for nearly 12 years.

“Iowans don’t like to brag, but Des Moines is cooler than visitors think it will be—if they think about Des Moines existing at all,” says Michael Morain, editor of dsm Magazine, who has lived in Des Moines for 20 years. Due to the first-in-the-nation political caucuses that Iowa hosted for decades, “usually, the only people who thought about Des Moines were also thinking about running for president. But in the early 2000s, Iowa’s capital city finally shed its almost apologetic humility and started to hold its head a little higher, talking up the revitalized downtown, restaurants, museums, riverwalk, and trails.”

With a population of 214,000, according to 2020 U.S. Census data, it’s “a mid-sized city with small town roots and big city ambitions,” adds Morgan Chiccelly, an insurance product development consultant and the founder of the small business city guide Des Moines Girl. (She was born here and returned after living in New York City, Miami, and Washington, D.C.)

By that, she means you can relish a small town’s efficiency, pride, “Iowa Nice” energy, and charm. At the same time, you’ll feel the buzz of a community with a growing small business scene and creative centers you’d expect to find in a much larger metro area. Exhibit A: The headquarters of Dotdash Meredith, the publishing company behind Travel + Leisure. Exhibit B: An array of restaurants dishing up world-class cuisine that visitors from the Big Apple, Los Angeles, and Chicago have told me rival anything in their neighborhoods. (It turns out magic happens when talented chefs who have worked at Michelin-starred restaurants around the globe return home, can play with top-notch local produce and proteins, and can enjoy a lovely quality of life all the while due to the relatively affordable cost of living and short commute.)

“When you visit Des Moines, there’s a real sense of surprise, and it feels like you’ve discovered something all your own,” explains 10-year resident Ben Handfelt, creative director at Catch Des Moines. “The epic events, the charming neighborhoods, the authentic attractions, and yes, the people make for a memorable experience that you’ll want to revisit time and time again.”

“Field of Dreams” fans know that if you build it, they will come. Momentum is building in Iowa, but if you come now, you can visit this Central Iowa gem while it’s still our little secret. Here’s how to make the most of every moment.

Best Hotels and Resorts

Surety Hotel

Declared the “chicest place to stay in Iowa” by one publication in 2022, this 137-room Beaux-Arts hotel has historic bones and an incredibly convenient location. Less than two blocks from the massive downtown farmers market, locals flock to this hotel for yoga and mimosas, fashion shows, and Mulberry Street Tavern, Surety’s refined restaurant that has “decidedly Don Draper vibes,” Handfelt says. As for the rooms, the walls are decked with art curated by globally-renowned, Des Moines-based gallery owner Liz Lidgett and the mini-bars are stocked with Central Iowa snacks like Old Station Craft Meats Snack Sticks and Mo’Crack Pretzels. At the end of the day, you’ll discover that the beds are “impossibly soft,” Handfelt says.

Hotel Fort Des Moines

Morain reveals that the history of this 110-room downtown hotel is as rich as its timeless décor. Hotel Fort Des Moines has hosted dozens of presidents and celebrities over the years and recently underwent a major makeover, restoring its two-story lobby to its original grandeur. That lobby links together the check-in desk, the upscale restaurant Proudfoot & Bird, and the airy Hobnob Coffee and Wine Bar. Psst… Bring your ID, and ask about In Confidence. It’s the Gatsby-esque speakeasy tucked accessible via a staircase behind a secret wall in Hobnob. (Your drink menu is delivered in a file folder like a dossier.)

AC Hotel

Downtown is split in half by the Des Moines River. On the west side, you’ll find Surety and Hotel Fort Des Moines, and the 109-room AC awaits on the east. This Marriott property is situated in the center of the ultra-walkable East Village. It’s also a half-mile away from the glimmering Iowa State Capitol dome. (If you have time, by the way, pop in for a free tour of the majestic government building.) AC Hotel’s decor, from top to bottom, feels European and sleek. Speaking of the top: Soak up some of the best skyline views in town at The Republic on Grand, a sizable indoor-outdoor restaurant and lounge on the hotel’s rooftop.

Victoria’s House at Rose Farm

About 30 minutes from the heart of downtown, you can rest your head in a field of flowers. Well, almost. This three-bed, two-bathroom Airbnb is run by Karri Rose, owner of the Norwalk, Iowa, boutique flower farm where the residence is located. The entire idyllic, peaceful property is magazine-worthy; in fact Rose Farm has graced several of our sister brands’ covers. The on-site Airbnb is just as gorgeous. The name is a sweet tribute to Karri’s late mother-in-law, and the amenities are one of a kind, including a basket to collect eggs from the coop and vases that you can fill with flowers you can harvest from steps away.

Best Things to Do

Enjoy an artistic afternoon.

“In 2009, more than a dozen contemporary sculptures landed like spaceships on two blocks at the west end of downtown due to a $40 million gift from a local venture capitalist and his wife,” Morain explains. Today, the beloved John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park features more than 30 major works by some of the big names in the art world and many Instagrammable moments. (Jaume Plensa’s “The Nomade” is one of the most photographed scenes in the city.) The collection belongs to the also-worth-a-visit Des Moines Art Center, a three-wing, world-class museum on the city’s west side with a brand-new director who comes to us from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Don’t overlook Mainframe Studios either, recommends Sarah Booz, who was born and raised in New York City and arrived in Des Moines a little over two years ago. The color-blocked mural on the facade is tough to miss. Inside, you’ll find “the largest non-profit art studio building in the country with 180 affordable art spaces and over 220 working creatives,” Booz says. “From 5 to 8 p.m. the first Friday of every month, artists open their studios to show off what they’re working on and sell original art. There is a remarkable amount of talent in this town!”

Visit a farmers market.

“The downtown farmers market along Court Avenue is an ‘Official Big Deal’ here, drawing crowds of 30,000 to Court Avenue every Saturday morning from May through October,” Morain says. (For context, you can shop from approximately 275 local vendors at Des Moines’ nine-block market. That’s about twice as many as you’d find at New York City’s Union Square Greenmarket.) From 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Saturday, it’s the place to go for fresh produce, eggs, cheese, coffee, baked goods, breakfast burritos and sandwiches, and “so many dogs to pet,” Booz says. “I once saw a goat in a tiny sombrero, which made my life.”

Take a dairy tour.

If you’ve seen “Maytag Blue Cheese” on a menu, you’ve spotted — and perhaps tasted — an Iowa product in the wild. For the last 79 years, some of the world’s best blue cheeses have been crafted at a farm in Newton, Iowa, 40 minutes from Des Moines. Visit the Maytag mothership, or if you’d like to salute Iowa’s dedication to dairy a little closer to the capital, order a cheese and charcuterie board, fondue, or mac and cheese at the Cheese Shop or Cheese Bar. “The experience is always unpretentious and as comforting as the cheese pull you get from the sandwiches,” Handfelt says. (Tell C.J., Brett, and Darren that we sent you.) Or if sweet is more your style, step up to the counter at one of our many magical ice cream shops, such as The Outside Scoop or Black Cat Creamery. “Black Cat churns some of the best in the entire county with exciting flavors and a perfect texture,” according to Booz. “They also have vegan and gluten-free options!”

Embark on a biking beer crawl.

Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) is much more than a bike ride. It’s a movement. RAGBRAI is the world’s longest, largest, and oldest recreational bicycle touring event. Since 1973, cyclists have embarked on this eight-day, pie-fueled, beer-spiked “rolling festival” that runs from the western border of Iowa (dip your back tire in the Missouri River) to the eastern border (dip your front tire in the Mississippi to cap off the approximately 470-mile trek).

If you’d prefer to dip your toe into biking culture here in Iowa rather than committing to the eight-day adventure, visit one of 27 BCycle stations scattered throughout Des Moines and rent a bike. That can be your chariot as you pedal your way to several local craft breweries that are scattered along the trail, including Either/Or, Confluence, SingleSpeed, Firetrucker, and Peace Tree.

Bop along to live music.

Over the last two decades, the Greater Des Moines Music Coalition has been turning up the volume on the diversity and availability of live music in Des Moines. The local symphony, opera, and several creative small business owners have been playing their beautiful parts, too, and now residents and visitors have dozens of venues to visit to take in tunes. Swing by Noce for jazz, or dive into The Cave for a natural wine flight, small plates, and live music or vinyl soundtrack. Come summer, Lauridsen Amphitheater, Jasper Winery and Botanical Garden host regular outdoor concerts. Speaking of which, if you’re in town in early August, see if you can get a pass to Hinterland Music Festival hosted in Saint Charles, Iowa, about a 35-minute drive from downtown. (This year’s line-up includes Hozier, Vampire Weekend, Noah Kahan, and many more.)

Best Restaurants

Oak Park

For a year before the debut of Kathy Fehrman’s seasonal modern-American restaurant, the Oak Park management team tested and perfected recipes, all studied for and passed their level one sommelier exams, worked with local farms to plan and plant an on-site garden, and started acquiring bottles for what will grow to be a 7,000-bottle wine cellar. It’s no wonder since opening day, Oak Park has been booking out for months in advance. (Here’s an insider tip: Stop in any day they’re open —Tuesday through Saturday for dinner — and you can likely find an open stool or two at the bar if you time it right.) The story gets even sweeter when you realize the kitchen is helmed by the husband-wife team of Ian and Jessica Robertson, who previously worked at James Beard Award-winners like ABC Kitchen and Eleven Madison Park. The best-sellers include potato gnocchi with truffle beurre monté, the caviar and chips (which taste uncannily similar to a classic Iowa potluck item, “AE Party Dip”), and the bacon-glazed pork chop cooked in the restaurant’s own bourbon. Dessert options range from a $4 hazelnut chocolate bar to a showstopping $100 banana split.

Clyde’s Fine Diner

Speaking of the James Beard Awards, the chef-owner of this East Village “fine diner,” Chris Hoffman, was the sole Iowan nominated for a 2024 medal. Despite what the name says, Clyde’s is more than fine. With a relaxed yet sophisticated aura, some of the best smash burgers and fries in town, a frequently-rotating soft serve menu (whatever they’re swirling, get it with a warm oatmeal-chocolate chip cookie), and upscale seasonal entrees like housemade smoked sausage with dirty rice arancini and burnt carrot purée, it’s fantastic. “This is a favorite spot to meet up with my girlfriends or have a happy hour drink at the bar,” Chiccelly says.

Table 128

Formerly located in the Western suburb of Clive, Table 128 has been transplanted. As of its reopening in May 2024, it’s thriving downtown. Chef-owner Lynn Pritchard is famous for his so-good-we-could-swim-in-them soups, a Brussels sprouts salad that has converted countless picky eaters, and the soft, buttery mini sea salt-chocolate cookies that are delivered warm at the end of every meal. Chef de cuisine Jacob Demars, general manager Garrett Dotsch, and bar manager Jake Humburg have joined the band, and alongside Pritchard, the leadership team has crafted thoughtful lunch and dinner menus that will delight everyone from the adventurous eaters to the meat and potatoes crowd. “Table 128 has the most excellent Caesar salad,” Booz says, noting that she hasn’t stopped thinking about it since she first tried it several weeks ago. Wash down your salad and entrée (get the risotto carbonara) with a glass from Dotsch’s impressive wine list or one of Humburg’s innovative cocktails or non-alcoholic drinks.

Harbinger

If you think Iowa is only corn fields and fried food on a stick, do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Head to Harbinger immediately after your flight lands or you drive into town. A businessperson from Los Angeles recently asked where to entertain clients, and he selected Harbinger from my shortlist of suggestions. His review: “I’m very pleasantly surprised. Everything was on par with D.C., and maybe even L.A.!” With a focus on fermentation, preservation, and seasonality, Harbinger’s menu of exciting vegetable-forward small plates celebrates Iowa ingredients while tipping a cap to the culinary team’s extensive travels throughout southeast Asia. “Harbinger is famous for their five-course chef tastings, unique wine list, and, oh my, those steamed bao buns,” Handfelt says. This Ingersoll gem, owned by five-time James Beard-nominated Joe Tripp and with a kitchen run by executive chef Ryan Skinner, is one of the best restaurants in the Midwest, all while being approachable and affordable enough to make it your “Cheers.”

Eatery A

When Jason Simon’s Ingersoll Avenue Mediterranean-inspired bistro opened in spring 2014, many locals thought its daily 3 to 6 p.m. happy hour — during which pizzas, draft beer, and wine are half-price — would be a short-lived grand opening fête. An entire decade later, this deal has never wavered; in fact, it recently expanded to begin at 2 p.m. The patio, bar, and restaurant are especially bustling during those hours as guests sip Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue IPA and share wood-fired pies, like the #14 with red sauce, chorizo, pineapple, jalapeño jam, and cilantro. It’s far from the only time to visit, though. Eatery A, which takes inspiration from Spain, Morocco, Egypt, and Italy, is also where you’ll find some of the city’s best brunch fare. Try chef Andy Sayre’s towering benedicts, the shakshuka with sumac flatbread, or an oh-so-Iowa asparagus and sweet corn quinoa bowl with roasted tomatoes, green goddess, and romesco sauce. Whatever occasion you swing by for, there’s no better way to tie a bow on your meal than with the salted caramel budino. (Take it to go for a midnight snack if you’d prefer. It travels beautifully.)

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Des Moines is May through October, which syncs with the farmers market season. “Harsh Midwest winters can stretch for months,” Chiccelly admits, so when spring gloriously enters the chat, we relish it everywhere, from parks to restaurant patios (Aposto in the Sherman Hill neighborhood has one of the best).

Come late April and early May, Water Works Park is painted pink by crabapple tree blooms. Around Des Moines, the perfume of lilacs scents the sidewalks. Bike trails come alive as locals and visitors alike prepare for RAGBRAI. June and July are prime outdoor festival and concert season, and every August, crowds of Iowans and visitors flock to the Iowa State Fair.

All of that being said, September and October “is the time you’ll really fall in love with Des Moines,” Handfelt says. “The humidity has scaled back, the leaves have turned radiant colors, and Iowans are feeling extra radiant because it’s the kickoff of college football season.” Hikes are stunning, locally sourced plates are singing, and orchards are overflowing with pumpkins, apples, and, best of all, apple cider donuts.

How to Get There

Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has dozens of daily non-stop flights to and from Chicago, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas, Detroit, Denver, New York City, and beyond. Already Iowa’s largest airport, it’s expanding as we speak. By 2026, a new terminal will debut. While there are only a few restaurants and shops once you pass TSA (for now), security is swift. I’ve made it from my home downtown to my gate — parking, baggage check, and all — in 45 minutes.

If the open road is calling, Des Moines is also an easy drive from other heartland hubs like Kansas City (three hours), Minneapolis/St. Paul (three hours), Omaha (two hours), Iowa City (1 hour, 45 minutes), St. Louis (5 hours, 30 minutes), and Chicago (5 hours, 30 minutes).

Neighborhoods to Visit

The Avenues of Ingersoll and Grand

Collectively known as “The Avenues,” Grand Avenue and Ingersoll Avenue are “my favorite streets in Des Moines,” Chiccelly says. “Each block has fun business to explore,” especially from 28th to 35th Streets. Start with a spirited or spirit-free mixed drink at Bartender’s Handshake (the ancho chili-spiked carrot and ginger blend called the “Karate Kid” is my favorite), then snag a crispy rice wrap at Southeast Asian eatery Lucky Lotus before devouring a burger and tots from Lachele’s. Oh, and don’t forget dessert. It’s ready for you at Crème Bakery, Sammy Mila’s Asian-inspired bakery. Mila and co. host the ‘90s music-infused “Midnight Munchies” every Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to Midnight, at which you can sip cocktails and order everything from milk bread cinnamon rolls to ube-Oreo cake slices to scotcheroos. (For the uninitiated, those are no-bake chocolate-peanut butter cereal bars that few Iowans can resist.)

East Village

“If you’re looking for walkability, small business energy, and nightlife, the historic East Village neighborhood of Des Moines is your spot,” Chiccelly says. “Located just east of downtown Des Moines by the Des Moines River, the East Village has a lively small business community.” Here’s a spectacular sample day entirely enjoyed in the E.V.: Grab coffee and a pastry at Daisy Chain Coffee before shopping for clothes at MARNe, RAYGUN, and Fontenelle Supply Co.. Then pop into Purveyor for tapas, a glass of wine, and a macaron or two. Score a souvenir at Eden (luxury fragrances, skincare, candles, and more) or Liz Lidgett’s Gallery, where you can peruse — and potentially invest in — new artwork. Enjoy a small bite and a beverage at HoqTail, then finish with tacos and churros at entirely-gluten-free Bar Nico.

Valley Junction

Technically located in the historic part of West Des Moines, yet adjacent to Des Moines proper, “Valley Junction looks like the quintessential small town Iowa main street, just revived as a hotspot for small businesses,” Chiccelly says. Their Thursday evening farmers market is the perfect excuse to visit shops and restaurants that line the streets and to try two signature Iowa dishes. At Cooper’s on 5th, ask for the steak de Burgo, a Des Moines-invented dish that involves a steak swimming in a garlicky, herbaceous butter or cream sauce. At Paula’s Cafe, choose from a far-bigger-than-the-bun pork tenderloin or a loose meat sandwich you might also know by the name “Maid-Rite.”

Highland Park/Oak Park

One of the most rapidly evolving neighborhoods in Central Iowa is Highland Park/Oak Park Neighborhood. Tacos La Familia, “a perfect little taqueria with great micheladas, the best birria in town, and a lamb soup (consomme de borrego) that will blow your mind,” Booz says, is worth the trip alone. But stick around to explore this northside neighborhood, and you’ll discover top-notch coffees poured by cheery baristas at The Slow Down Coffee Co., sustainable goodies galore at THE COLLECTIVE, and a stylish and thoughtfully curated general store at Des Moines Mercantile. Coming soon: Scoops by Beth, an artisan ice cream shop poised to be the ultimate stop to soothe your sweet tooth in this neighborhood.

How to Get Around

Downtown and many neighborhoods outside of that are walkable. “Exploring by foot will introduce you to an abundance of opportunities for shopping, art, attractions, hidden gems, and bars and restaurants for every taste,” Handfelt says.

Still, you’ll probably want wheels for at least a few excursions. Rest assured that your precious time won’t be eaten up by sitting in traffic. Locals often say, “Nothing is more than a 20-minute drive away.”

Your best options for local transportation include:

• Rent a car at the airport from Alamo, American, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, or National.
• Rent a bike via BCycle bike share.
• Use a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft.

Download the MyDART app, then hop aboard the DART bus, which has routes around town. (A single fare is $1.75 to $2, a day pass is $4, and a week pass is $16.)