I've lived in the Des Moines metro for over 30 years and have never been inside of Hoyt Sherman Place until last night... Probably more surprising since I lived just up the street from the venue, in an efficiency apartment at 17th and Pleasant, there in the Sherman Hill neighborhood for two(ish) years in the early '90s. The first place I'd had of my own after getting out of the US Navy in 1992.... I went with a friend to see Michael Blaustein. We used valet parking for a 730 PM show. Staff was great to work with on arrival, while finding our seats, to exiting after the performance. The inside of Hoyt Sherman Place is beautiful...and whether you're on the main floor or up in the balcony... There's not a bad seat in the house! A really great experience! read more

The lovely, grand former home, up on a hill was gorgeous as we pulled up. The complimentary parking lot was fantastic! The staff inside were very kind and helpful. They answered our questions easily. The upstairs area is an art gallery, museum, cocktail and snack bar and more. It was so unique and felt so nice to start our evening here. Seating was comfortable with very nice views of the stage. The theater was as beautiful as the other areas. read more

I was recently there for a concert featuring the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. I'd never been there before or even to Des Moines. This was a great old theater for a concert. The quirks of the old building (however charming) included the restrooms being on the lower level and the bar and merchandise sales being a few rooms over from the concert hall. There are several restaurants nearby to enable a quick bite before walking to concert. read more

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Such a cool venue and historic place to visit. I've been there multiple times for different events and it's always a home run with the experience. I've seen concerts, comedy acts, lectures, etc. The Parking situation can be annoying but luckily the neighborhood has a lot of free street parking. The neighborhood also has plenty of restaurants and bars close by to hit before the show. read more

This is about the coolest place I've ever seen the concert! I don't know much about it, but apparently it was a mansion built around a theater. I'm going to do some more research. But I can promise you we will be back. The staff was amazing, the house was incredible and they have a fantastic calendar of upcoming events. read more

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On Friday night I attended my first event at Hoyt Sherman Place and am in awe. The history and the gorgeous architecture took my breath away...and then the concert began!! I have been in venues all over the world, and Hoyt Sherman is one of the rare cream of the crop places. It is warm, inviting, and very intimate. The acoustics were great. We have tickets to see 3 more shows there this winter and I am excited about attending. read more

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Great venue, all seats are good. Historic location, beautiful building. Great variety of music. Highly recommend.

The concert was fantastic. We went to see Joe Satriani. The location was a bit below what I would expect. There was inadequate bathroom capacity and there were many choke points when walking about for a full crowd. When I compare this to the Paramount Theater in Cedar Rapids it falls short. Not horrible but I might not want to attend another concert there again. read more

I went to see Cat and Nat. The show was a huge waste of money. The facility is nice but small. The drink lines are horrible! They really need to set up in multiple areas. And they had a 2 drink limit so you had to wait in line most of the show. The bathrooms are also small with huge lines. Not set up for large events if you ask me. read more

Such a unique venue! We saw a comedian at Hoyt Sherman Place last night, and we were seated in balcony E. Though we were pretty far up, we still had a good view of the stage. Not sure what the history is behind this place, but but there's a lot of interesting art lining the upper hallways. And the whole space was open to do a bit of exploring before the show! Only draw back is that parking can be tough given the small lot and the neighborhood location. read more

Hoyt Sherman Place - View from back of balcony E. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

We have been so lucky the last few years in Des Moines.. Hoyt Sherman place has been consistently bringing the goods to Des Moines! Everyone from Elvis Costello, to the Flaming Lips, to the Pumpkins, to Jewel have all graced Hoyt's stage in the past couple years! These are shows that would have been passing DSM by, years ago! The sound is still great, the theater is still epic and beautiful, and the staff is super nice! We are lucky to have this beautiful theater here and now lucky they are bringing in such amazing worldwide talent! read more

Hoyt has again warmed my heart. Showed up for the Generation Axe Show thinking wow a serious Rock Show at this Beautiful Venue, as waiting to get in I forgot how cool the Womens Group that organizes events know how to get things done...They securely got everyone in safe and then after passing the amazing artwork a tshirt sales stand and cash bar appears to get the evening moving with a real Rock & Roll event extravagante flow. Quick stop to the facilities and then swiftly escorted to the upper balcony seats which are some of the best to see the entire stage and take in the Beautiful Ceiling pediment decor...Amazing place and no restriction to the Super Accoustic Sound Levels; full on stage rack and hanging amplifiers made this a Show to Remember. Keep an eye on this place for great Shows thoughout the year as It's a place that will get and stay with you for Life!! read more

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This is such a beautiful historic place. The detailing in the theater is so incredible and the venue makes you feel regal when you are watching a production here. Most recently I have seen Melissa Etheridge and avians Del Rio. I have tickets to see the Indigo Girls very soon. They have a wide array of events that they host. It has apple free parking unlike many of the other local venues. The staff are Uber friendly and the ticket prices are more reasonable than other venues. If you purchase tickets at the box office the extra fees are waived too. The sound in this venue is remarkably good too. If you have a chance to see something here you should not pass it up. Plus there is not a bad seat in the place... read more

I have been here before. This place is beautiful. Named after a man whose story dates back to the 1890s. He rented his home to his sister's who initially started the first Mercy clinic. His home is now part art gallery, and more importantly a historic theater. A beautiful theater with fantastic acoustics. It's such a personal center that allows the viewers more up close and personal experiences. This had been great for the events that I have been able to attend. Last night was tops as I got to see Barenaked Ladies! Our seats were up on the balcony. This was my first experience on the balcony in Hoyt. The seats did not disappoint. I could see everything I needed to see for the rock bands performance. I mentioned Hoyt earlier in the review because the band had a fun time pointing out that maybe rock and roll was not what Hoyt had in mind for his home, but that he would have one to been open enough to enjoy it in the end. The concert was fantastic. The opener and the main show were all on their game and had the crowd cheering, clapping, and singing along. So well infact that at the end of the encore instead of the band name we were chanting Hoyt from all the earlier references the band had made. The staff ate all very kind and respectful. They are happy to help direct you to where you can buy drinks or find your seats. And dont forget to say hello to the little nightly friends that are housing somewhere in the rafters. The bat was all about flying around when the rock music started. Got everyone all worked up but he made his way outside at some point. read more

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I've only seen bands play here. This year alone I've seen Kansas and Aaron Lewis. I can't say enough about he quality of sound you hear, it'll will make even the most discriminating audiophiles excited. There isn't a bad seat in the house. I don't even care where I sit. Though I have wondered about the box seats in the balcony. The venue is beautiful on the inside, being an private residence in the 1800's. We often go early and grab a beer and wonder around looking at all of the art and rooms that are open. This is one of DeMo's greatest gems!!! read more

Hoyt Sherman Place - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I love going to concerts here. It's a beautiful building. The architecture is amazing. I usually sit in the balcony which is a great view. I recently sat on the floor, wow....you are right there with the artists. What a great venue. Parking is close by and not terrible to get out of the lot. read more

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Finally made it here for a Tonic Sol Fa holiday show. They place there every year (typically 2 nights!), but I've never been able to make it until this Christmas. Very nice venue, and I hope to be back again in 2016! :) read more

I've been to two events here: Jordan Peterson's Rules for Life Tour talk, and Neko Case. Both shows were wonderful. The event staff here are very friendly, calm, and appear to genuinely care that patrons have a nice experience, unlike event staff at many other, larger venues where you get pushed and prodded through like cattle. The age of the building is apparent, but in a good way. It feels charming and quaint. Theater seats are not the most comfortable, but that's not too big of a deal for me. I could see it being a major problem for someone very young, very old, or very obese. For example, my four year old kept getting folded up like a sandwich and squeezing through the seat fold, which meant that she was on my lap for a large portion of the show. It also gets very cold in the theater! Bring a sweater because we were there in the summer and still needed the extra layer. Bathrooms are super tiny as well. Acoustics are good, although I had a bit of trouble hearing Jordan Peterson and really had to strain and pay close attention to catch it all. Arguably, he's not very good at projecting to begin with, so maybe factor that in. Overall, I like the venue and look forward to seeing more shows here! read more

I liked the venue for a band, It would be great for a play also. It was nice to be close and comfortable with the band instead in a nose bleed area. Sound was good and seats were comfy. I love all the detail in the woodwork and doors and windows. Some artwork on the walls makes it feel ultra fancy. read more

Very nice auditorium, not too big to give you a good view wherever you have seats. Parking might be an issue if you don't plan ahead.

We love this place! Have been here a few times with my wife and now once with our daughter. The first time my wife and I came here was to see the comedian Christopher Titus. He was amazing!!! This last time we were here we brought our daughter and we saw "The Brazilian 2wins Christmas Show" What an amazing show and two amazing brothers! If you ever get the change to see them, please do. You won't regret it! As for the venue it's self, what a beautiful work of art this place is! Our daughter loved it as well and wants to sit in the balcony the next we come for a show. We'll always come here as long as they're providing great entertainment at this stunning location!!!! read more

So many things you're not allowed to touch here. And I love that "old attic smell". However, they accept cash only at the "bar" which isn't a bar & is as far away from the actual stage as you can possibly get. The servers there are not very friendly & seem snobby. The seats are definitely very very tiny. Myself & my friend who attended a comedy show are not large people. However, our seats were in between 2 couples who were very large. One couldn't even fit in the seat & eventually ended up moving to an empty row behind us. Then the couple on our other side who didn't HAVE to sit next to us (or walk in front of us to get to their seats either) chose to do both. And trust me when I say I had to leave the entire row to accommodate them to simply walk to their seats. Then they opted to sit right next to me instead of one seat over (which remained open the entire time) so I enjoyed being squished & randomly elbowed & hearing the woman chew whatever she was eating. Terrible seating. Half the place was empty. It was awful that we were squished in the middle of people when we could have been spaced out more. And don't think about getting a drink or using the restroom during the show, good luck getting out of your seat. Then it's a mile trek to any restroom or drink. The comedian was hilarious & we could hear him very well. The 60$ price tag per ticket is over priced to be all the way in the back, yet squished between at least 5 other couples, and to know you will only get 1 drink & no restroom break for fear of missing half the show. They could have wait service come to you at least once. And they need to do something about those seats. I see they've improved their sound & lighting. Parking was great and the 2 mile long trek from our seats down the many many small winding stairs to the car was enjoyable. I will probably not attend again unless it's someone I really know & love. read more

Great old vibes! We went for a comedy show. The classic history is amazing here. The architecture is absolutely stunning. It was late and dark so I couldn't see the structure. I highly recommend you visit. There is so much to see. read more

For the first time ever I saw 'The Nutcracker' here at this historic place. Loved the vintage vibe, localness, and that is was in my neighborhood of downtown. I am keeping this place on my radar for future events. read more

Hoyt Sherman is an absolute jewel. 1,252 seats and nary a bad seat in the house. This gorgeous, historic auditorium hosts some of the most prominent writers, musicians, comedians, artists & luminaries from all over the globe. Bookmark this venue and stay on top of great shows coming to Des Moines. read more

I had not been in Hoyt Sherman for about thirty years. However when my favorite actor came to town, I had to go. The very first thing is when we got there with our tickets in hand, was to stand outside for at least 12 minutes in the freezing cold. While we waited to be searched and metal detectors were ran over our person. We were told to take anything that was metal out of our pockets and hold on to them. Seriously you could not have anything to put the items into. So I took out my keys, and my phone. While I was searched again and the metal detector went off again. Guess what set it off the EV chips in my credit cards. I am trying to hold all of this and a walking cane. Seriously!! I know those metal detectors have a sensitivity dial on them. I am sure you guys could find out what setting to use for knives and guns, so the things were not so sensitive. Than you search my wife's bag and tell her she has to throw away her cough drops and the bottle of water in her purse from work. Are you guys afraid the water from her work and the cough drops are going to cut into your sales? The worst thing is we spent $200 for two people only to have THREE BATS flying around the theater. There was one bat that flew one foot between my wife's head and my head. Has Hoyt Sherman ever heard of pest control???!!! It really took away from the $200 show that lasted two hours. BATS FLYING all over almost the whole two hours. Every time the lights would come up from a video being played the BROWN BATS would start flying. One would fly out into the audience and another one would fly by the performer. Instead of us laughing throughout the show we were scared of the freaking bats. Maybe Hoyt Sherman should stop being a theater and become a haunted house, because you have that covered. If a guest had got bitten you would have been sued and yes I have had that happen before along with the Anti-Rabies shot series I had to have. I will think twice before I see another show at Hoyt Sherman Bat House. read more