Come for This, Stay for That: Downtown Des Moines Edition

Pack up your crew! These fun things to do in Downtown Des Moines will have you winning the parent of the year award (…or something like that!).

• Come for an Iowa Cubs game, stay for a bite at Mullet's.
• Come for some world-famous BBQ at Jethro's, stay for the views along the Principal Riverwalk.
• Come for the many fun things to do at Des Moines' Downtown Farmers' Market or Des Moines’ Downtown Winter Farmers’ Market (depending on what season you visit), stay for an afternoon of walking around the trail at Gray’s Lake.
• Come for a morning at the Science Center of Iowa, stay for lunch at a restaurant in Downtown Des Moines' Historic Court District.
• Come for the skateboarding action at Lauridsen Skatepark (either to participate or to enjoy watching!), stay for a sweet treat from Black Cat Ice Cream Downtown or Cinnaholic or a blast of energy from the 24K Juice Cafe.
• Come for the natural play area at Water Works Park, stay for ice cream at Smokey Row or smoothies from Kava DSM.

Make It a Date in Downtown Des Moines

Go beyond dinner and dessert in Downtown Des Moines! These date-night activities just might win you some brownie points with your special someone.

• Come for creative Latin-inspired dishes at Malo for dinner, stay for drinks at Mulberry Street Tavern just three blocks away.
• Come for some local eats at Gateway Market, stay for a live show at Hoyt Sherman Place.
• Come for a Civic Center show, stay for dessert in Downtown Des Moines at Molly’s Cupcakes or Insomnia Cookies.
• Come for an afternoon browsing the shops in the Historic East Village, stay for a live show at Wooly’s.
• Come for skee ball and board games at Ricochet, stay for the Instagram-worthy Downtown Des Moines photo of the skyline after dark.
• Come for a Downtown Des Moines festival or major event, stay for a walk through the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park or other Downtown Des Moines art sculptures and murals.

Grab a Group for a Downtown Des Moines Outing

Your best friends will love checking out the best places to eat in Downtown Des Moines, the most fun things to do and the coolest hidden gems. And we’re here to help you find the perfect line-up for your group:

• Come for the walking trails near Water Works Park and Gray’s Lake, stay for a Downtown Des Moines brewery tour sampling ice cold, local craft beer (including stops at Big Grove, Confluence Brewing Co., Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Company, Exile, Iowa Taproom, Lua Brewing, SingleSpeed and Twisted Vine).
• Come for First Fridays at Mainframe Studios, stay for dinner at Aposto.
• Come for a show at Casey's Center, stay for the views plus food and drink specials at The Fort.
• Come for a plant-themed class at Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, stay for a cup of coffee at Horizon Line Coffee or Scenic Route Bakery.
• Come for the nightlife in the Historic Court District and Historic East Village, stay for a late-night slice of pizza at Des Moines' Downtown Fong’s restaurant.
• Come for an unforgettable Escape Chambers experience, stay for arcade games at UpDown.

Keep up with the momentum that's happening in and around Downtown Des Moines (DSM) when you subscribe to the Downtown DSM newsletter, packed with the latest news, highlighting everything from upcoming events to development projects. Stay connected to the Downtown DSM community and help amplify its stories.