FUN THINGS TO DO WHILE YOU ARE IN DES MOINES Take advantage of one of the pre-convention tours or go exploring on your own! Places listed with an asterisk (*) are tour locations. Find complete Tour Information and the Tour Registration Form in the “Additional Information for the 56th Annual Convention” section. FREE DOWNTOWN D-LINE SHUTTLE- M-F 6:30 AM-6 PM; Sat. 7 AM-5 PM; (8 min. walk) Look for bus stop signs along Grand, Locust, and Walnut. Picks up every 10 minutes. DOWNTOWN DES MOINES ART- DSM Public Art, a free iPhone app, includes all local public art. Des Moines Arts Festival- Western Gateway Park, 15th & Locust Streets. 515-286-4950. Friday, June 28 - Sunday, June 30, 2019 The Des Moines Arts Festival is held every June in Western Gateway Park in Des Moines, Iowa. The three-day event frequently draws in excess of 200,000 people and has been ranked among the top festivals in the United States. Be sure to watch the skyline for the nighttime laser show. Pappajohn Sculpture Park- 29 pieces. 1.0 miles (25 min. walk) FARMER’S MARKET Des Moines Farmers Market- Saturdays 7 AM till Noon. Historic Court District, 300 Court Ave; 515-286-4928. 0.7 mile (16 min. walk) Great for early risers who want to pick up some pastries for breakfast, gifts for loved ones, or have a taste of fresh farm food, unique art & live entertainment before Saturday’s convention activities begin. Features nearly 300 vendors from 50 Iowa counties and ranks as the #2 Farmer’s Market in the country! Walk over or take the FREE Shuttle (pick up at Grand & 5th). 0.3 mile (8 min. walk) 1 GARDENS *Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden- 909 Robert D. Ray Dr; 515-323-6290; Daily 10 AM-5 PM. 1.3 miles (30 min. walk) $10 Adults; $9 Seniors; $7 Students (age 4-17). Reciprocity with other botanical gardens. 14 acres. dmbotanicalgarden.com. People typically spend up to 2 hrs. here. Trellis Café- 11 AM-2 PM (Tues-Sun); Gift Shop. Hansen Triangle Park- Grand Avenue at 2nd Av.; FREE. Features a bronze sculpture and fountain, Quantum Leaf by artist Sally Pettus. Long Look Garden- Riverside of City Hall- 400 Robert D. Ray Dr. FREE. 0.7 miles (16 min. walk) A stately garden cascades on a slope toward the river with terraced planter walls, formal landscaping, and a grand staircase. Four-season inspiration dots the container plantings. *Robert D. Ray Asian Gardens- Robert D. Ray Dr; 515-237-1386; FREE. 1.0 mile (25 min. walk) Garden park featuring an Asian pavilion, stone pagodas, a pond, a series of waterfalls & more. A great place to walk around and take in beautiful scenery. Signs indicate features that represent specific character values, including responsibility, citizenship, fairness, respect, caring, and trustworthiness. Honors the former governor and the contributions Asian-Americans made to Iowa. People typically spend up to 30 min. here. West Capitol Terrace- 1007 E. Grand Av. 1.5 mile (35 min. walk) A slope with ramps and steps leads to a Beaux Arts-style garden with five distinct sections. Find ideas for low-maintenance plantings that include ornamental grasses, catmint, rugosa roses, and sedums. World Food Prize Hall of Laureates Garden- 100 Locust St.; FREE. 0.6 mile (14 min. walk) Located on the west side of the building, a formal garden celebrates the accomplishments of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and native Iowan Norman Borlaug, as well as Iowa philanthropist John Ruan, Sr. HISTORY & ARCHITECTURE HISTORIC COURT DISTRICT- Historic Area • Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Depot- 6th & Depot St At the peak of train travel in the United States, more than 60 passenger trains arrived daily in Des Moines. The passenger depot (west of 4th) was built in 1910. The freight and shipping depot to the east was enclosed in 1929. This lone survivor of downtown’s train depots has been converted into offices and a restaurant. • Hotel Row- In the era of passenger rail travel, 4th Street from Walnut Street to the Rock Island Depot was home to as many as 13 hotels. All of the hotels are gone, but the names remain on a few, including the Hotel Randolph and Hotel Kirkwood. The Hawkeye Insurance Building (1868) at 303 Locust St. on the east side of 4th is downtown’s oldest building. • Polk County Courthouse- 500 Mulberry St. This is one of the city’s most iconic and identifiable buildings. Proudfoot and Bird designed the building in 1895, and construction was completed in 1902. Each arched window on the second floor of the building is capped with a grotesque (carved face). There are 28 grotesques on the building- each one different. • Saddlery Building- 309 Court Av. Constructed in four phases between 1878 and 1920, this classic with iron pillars is the largest example of commercial Italianate architecture in Des Moines. 2 Equitable Building- 604 Locust St Designed by Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson, this was the tallest building in Iowa from its completion in 1923 until 1973. Be sure to notice the exterior stone carvings helping “hold up” the building just below the third floor. Fleming Building- 604 Walnut St. One of the first skyscrapers in Des Moines is also notable for its architect- Daniel Burnham, often called the father of the City Beautiful Movement. This building was completed in 1907 and was one of the first buildings in Iowa to use steel for the internal structure. HISTORIC EAST VILLAGE- East of the Des Moines River to the Iowa State Capitol • Not long ago, the neglected 1880s buildings in the shadow of the Iowa State Capitol were an eyesore. But over the last dozen years, it has been transformed into a vibrant and diverse shopping and dining destination. • City Hall- 400 Robert D. Ray Dr.; 1.0 mile (25 min. walk) This was the third building constructed in the early 1900s under Des Moines’ City Beautiful Plan. The city offices on the upper level were designed to show visibility and transparency in the local government. The World Food Prize Building, Polk County Administration Building, Des Moines Police Station, Federal Courthouse, and Argonne Armory are the remaining buildings from the City Beautiful Plan. Hoyt-Sherman Place- 1501 Woodland Av.; M-F 9-4. Tours; 515-244-0507. 1 mile (24 min. walk) This 1877 Victorian mansion is decorated with elaborate carved woodwork and wainscoting, stenciling, marble fireplaces and glass chandeliers. Furnished with antiques and items of the era. *Iowa State Capital- 1007 E. Grand Av.; 515-281-5591; M-F 9 AM-4 PM, Sat. 9 AM- 3:30 PM; FREE TOURS! 1.5 mile (35 min. walk) OR take FREE Shuttle from Pappajohn Sculpture Park area. Built 1871-1886. Only state capitol with five domes. Main dome has gold leaf. Mosaics on 3rd fl. State Historical Museum of Iowa- 600 E. Locust St.; FREE. 1.1 miles (26 min. walk) 515-281-5111. iowahistory.org/about. All about Iowa history. Hands-On Museum for kids. *Terrace Hill, Iowa Governor's Mansion- 2300 Grand Ave.; 515-281-7205. Tours: Tu-Sa hourly 10:30 AM-1:30 PM. $5 Adults; $2 Children (age 6-12). Street parking and handicapped parking is available on Forest Drive (west side of the property). Guided tours of the first two floors and historic gardens take visitors back to the Victorian lifestyle of the late 1880’s. The mansion is an example of Second Empire architecture and sits on a hill overlooking downtown Des Moines. It was completed in 1869 for a total cost of $250,000 for the 18,000 SF Mansion, Carriage House, furnishings, and about 30 acres of land. The house had very modern features for its time, which included hot and cold running water, indoor restrooms, an elevator, and gas lights. Built by Benjamin Franklin Allen, the first millionaire in Iowa, as a home for his family. Since 1976 has been the official residence of the Governor of Iowa. Veterans Memorial Auditorium- HERE! AT THE IOWA EVENTS CENTER! Opened in 1955. Elvis Presley was the first major act to perform at this location, during his tour of the upper mid-west. Wells Fargo History Museum- 666 Walnut St. 515-245-8400. 0.5 mile (13 min. walk) wellsfargohistory.com. All about the history of Wells Fargo. World Food Prize Hall of Laureates- 100 Locust St.; 0.6 mile (14 min. walk) This Beaux Arts-style building served as the main branch of the Des Moines Public Library from 1903 to 2006. Renovation and restoration work was completed in 2012, and the building was reopened as the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates. 3 SCIENCE Science Center of Iowa and Blank IMAX Dome Theatre- 401 W MLK Jr Parkway; 515-274- 6868. $12 General; $8 Seniors; $8 Child (2-12) IMAX combo tickets avail. 0.8 mile (19 min. walk) World Food Prize Hall of Laureates- 100 Locust St. FREE. Sat. 9 am-1pm.; 0.6 mile (14 min. walk) Beaux arts- style edifice with exhibits on achievements in agriculture & the fight against hunger. SHOPPING Des Moines Farmers Market- Saturdays 7 AM till Noon. Historic Court District, 300 Court Av; 515-286-4928. 0.7 miles (16 min. walk) Great for early risers who want to pick up some pastries for breakfast, gifts for loved ones or experience a taste of fresh farm food, unique art & live entertainment before Saturday’s convention activities begin. Features nearly 300 vendors from 50 Iowa counties and ranks as the #2 Farmer’s Market in the country! Walk over or take the FREE Shuttle.