Our Top 5 Things To Do in Des Moines
Five Des Moines picks — market, breweries, coffee, garden and one standout restaurant — for a city more interesting than its sleepy reputation.
It may seem like a sleepy city on the surface, but that couldn't be farther from the truth.
Our reviewerDes Moines Has More Going On Than It Lets On
Des Moines carries a population over 200,000 and a reputation for being quiet — neither fact prepares a visitor for how much the city actually has going on.
The Saturday farmers market, running May 6 through October 28, anchors the list with more than 300 stalls, live music and a genuinely wide spread of food and groceries — one of the largest markets our reviewer has visited.
The East Village's brewery scene is dense enough to fill a weekend on its own; Iowa Tap Room, housed in a refurbished industrial building, stood out for pouring hundreds of Iowa-made craft beers under one roof.
Coffee gets its own stop at Zanzibar's Coffee Adventure, while the Botanical Garden's tropical greenhouse — plus its weekly rare-plant sales — earned enough time to make a return trip tempting.
Eatery A, tucked into a historic pocket just outside downtown, rounds out the list as the standout meal, closing an itinerary that has little to do with the city's sleepy reputation.
Five Local Favorites in Des Moines
From a 300-stall Saturday market to the East Village's brewery scene.
01
Farmers Market
Open every Saturday from May through October, the Des Moines farmers market has over 300 stalls plus live music and a wide range of food and groceries — one of the largest markets our reviewer has visited.
02
The Brewery Scene
The East Village alone has a large number of brew halls. The standout was Iowa Tap Room, housed in a refurbished industrial building and pouring hundreds of craft beers from all over Iowa.
03
Hipster Coffee Shops
Zanzibar's Coffee Adventure was the pick of Des Moines's growing coffee scene — genuinely delicious drinks and a great place to relax.
04
Des Moines Botanical Garden
A massive tropical garden filled with jungle plants, worth hours of wandering, with weekly events including sales of unique and rare plants.
05
Killer Restaurants
Eatery A, a little outside downtown in a nice historic area, was a standout among Des Moines's surprisingly good restaurant scene.
A City Worth More Than A Layover
Between the farmers market, the East Village breweries and Eatery A, Des Moines earns more time than its quiet reputation suggests.
