Downtown Des Moines is compact enough to understand quickly but varied enough to reward a couple of walks. Offices and government activity are part of the picture, but visitors will also find public art, restaurants, event venues, the riverfront and several of the city’s best-known attractions.
Different pockets of downtown
The Court District feels different from the Western Gateway, and the river creates a natural connection toward the East Village. Rather than thinking of downtown as one attraction, use it as the area that links several experiences together.
Pappajohn Sculpture Park is an easy western anchor, while the Downtown Farmers’ Market gives the Court District a completely different energy on seasonal Saturday mornings. The Principal Riverwalk makes it possible to add a riverside section to your route.
Do you need a car?
Not for every central stop. If your hotel is downtown, many attractions can be combined on foot. A car becomes more useful when you start visiting places farther across the metro. For a short city break, I would spend at least part of the first day walking downtown simply to get a feel for the scale of Des Moines.