If you're a John Wayne fan this is a must see. So much information and many artifacts. The staff…read morewas amazing! Jill, Frances and Noah could not Jane been more accommodating if they'd have wanted to be. I'm so glad my sisters stopped in on our way back to Texas on June 21. Take a look around town while in Winterset. You won't regret either.

This Museum was very nice filled with John Wayne memorabilia and artifacts. The John Wayne statue…read moreright outside the museum and birth house of John Wayne around the corner within a short walking distance. Great place to visit and take some pictures or video. There is a $20 ticket fee.

A really nice cultural experience in the heart of Des Moines. The series of buildings includes the…read moreonly I M Pei design (same architect of the glass pyramid in the heart of the Paris Louvre). Iowa the Des Moines Art Center is a nice way to spend a few hours. Complementary admission and free parking is an added bonus and a fantastic value. And impressive selection of old world and modern art, including some more well-known artists such as Picasso, Goya, Cezanne, Miro, Lichtenstein, and an impressive selection of newer artists that definitely leave a lasting impression. I recommend that you stop, and even if only to see a few of the artists and a little bit of the architecture. Great gift shop too!

Spent an afternoon with artists Picasso, Hopper, Warhol, Matisse, Miro, Chagall, Klee, Monet, and…read moreothers...at the fabulous Des Moines Art Center! I did not expect to see some of the world's greatest artists in Des Moines. Instead, it was an elite venue at an incredible price point. Located in Ingersoll Park, 20 minutes from Ankeny and 10 minutes from the State Capitol, the Art Center is a must-see, beautiful venue with spectacular works, considerable spaces, and gorgeous grounds. Amazingly, it is free. Loved the Samantha Box "Caribbean Dreams" exhibit, a fantastic collection of photography and art. I also loved works by Stella ("Interlagos"), Kiefer ("untitled"), Francis ("Summer #2"), and Schnabel. We also liked the postcard exhibit. The building has an awesome vibe and incredible visuals throughout its spectacular architecture. There is a great gift shop and discounted items near the entrance. Sensational guidance and kindness from the museum's docents, notably Loretta, Issac, and Gabby.

What a fun bit of Des Moines history that I've never heard of before! We had just finished up at…read morethe Art Center and my Mom mentioned the Salisbury House. I had no idea! We got to see it all gussied up for the holidays since we stopped in the week after Christmas. All of the different designers did a fabulous job of decorating each room differently. Plus what an amazing house to begin with. A touch of Art Deco because of the time frame it was built plus Tudor and Gothic inspo from Europe. Just amazing! The history of the family was interesting as well. What an interesting venue to rent for a party!

I had no idea the Salisbury House was even a thing until a little over a month ago. Although not…read morethe "ideal" time of year to check it out, I was very pleasantly surprised. After making an unintentionally dramatic entrance, I was greeted by two smiling ladies and a beautiful painting. After an informative session and pamphlet push, got the blessing to proceed with the self-guided, bottom-floor-only tour. This place is really cool, and structurally somewhat reminiscent of the missions of California, minus the religious element. Lots of old heavy wood, stone, ornate masonry, narrow hallways, cornices, etc. As steadfast as I am with respect for the rules of historic property, I had a reaaaaaaaally hard time keeping my hands to myself. I could feel that itch to touch everything I passed, so I mostly just had to keep my hands firmly clasped behind my back. A crackling oil painting is a very hard thing to not touch, as is a massive piano, as is a giant...hmm...what are those rotating cylinders with the tics on them that you wind up and they play a plinky music-box type song? Whatever those are, Salisbury has a big one, and you can hear it yelling play me play me play me! I really really wanted to see inside the library, because the collection sounds truly impressive. Worth a visit for sure. I'll definitely be back to get the full tour so that I can see the rest!

I love that we have a venue that provides opportunity to see some of the excellent work being…read morecreated by Iowa artists. Outside of galleries, such places are relatively scarce. If you enjoy such things, it is well worth planning a visit. Things to know: * The Gallery is largely volunteer-run. Kudos to the staff for giving up their time to make this happen * The gallery space is not large. If you are not there for a reception/opening, you can probably complete a visit in 30 minutes or less depending on how interesting the current work is * All parking in the area is paid. The easiest is metered street parking, but there are no coin-fed meters in this part of downtown so you will need to feed a parking kiosk (consider the ParkDSM app to make it easy), park in a city lot (one not quite a block away, or in the Polk County administrative offices lot (usually pretty full). * Nearest food and/or drink is within a one block walk * If you are traveling in to visit, it may be worth you effort to call the day before to verify gallery and./or exhibit hours. For a recent exhibit, I planned to visit on the last day of the show (per all social media, etc.), scheduled a business trip around it, took time off, etc. I arrived shortly after noon to find that the exhibit had been pulled down and the new one being installed. I have attempted other (less involved) stops over the years to find their doors closed at unexpected times. Again, consider checking in before visiting. Enjoy your visit!

This gallery gives local Iowans and other artists a place to show their work. This gallery is all…read morevolunteer-run and they are doing a damn good job with displaying art work and putting on receptions.

Always a fun experience m, especially for kiddos. (Note they have a fantastic summer day camp). Put…read moreon your walking shoes because there is a lot of walking, but overall it's a fun experience.

Went to the 1900 Farm Historic Dinner at Living History Farms last night. What a wonderful way to…read morespend an evening, experience some history and have a wonderful meal! The evening started with a tractor ride out to the 1900 farmhouse. Unfortunately the normal horse and wagon mode of transport was cancelled due to excessive mud. We were welcomed into the oil lamp lit house by people in period dress and served a mug of hot apple cider. We all gathered in the living room and a brief history lesson was given about life on the farm in 1900 after which we made our way to the dining room for a magnificent feast! The dinner was served family style. Stuffed Roast Pork, Apple Sauce (warmed), Baked German Potato Salad, Macaroni and Cheese, Stewed Red Cabbage, Thresher Green Beans, Bread and Butter Pickles, Yeast Rolls served with Churned Butter and Pumpkin Butter. Hot Apple Cider and Coffee was served and you are welcomed to bring a bottle of wine if you wish. There was plenty of food with lots of leftovers. (We were told that some of the leftovers were destined for the pigs.). After dinner we were given a tour of the barn and introduced to all the animals. Upon arriving back at the house we explored the various rooms before being called back to the dining room for a sumptuous desert. Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie and Chocolate Cake was served with Real Whipped Cream. I opted for the Chocolate Cake which was the best I ever had. You were offered both desserts and second portions were offered. When we all finished our cook appeared and handed out a sheet with the nights recipes. The meal and it's preparation was discussed and questions answered. We then made our way to the tractor trailer and were taken back to our cars. A wonderful evening and I would highly recommend it for anyone loving things of the past!

I'm so glad that a close friend encouraged me to visit this excellent venue, as it led to a…read morefantastic afternoon on Iowa State's main campus. We came on an afternoon with basketball games sandwiched on either side of our arrival and experienced zero issues. Easy parking and the venue are free with a suggested $8 donation. Their extensive collection is varied and covers many types of art. I enjoyed the Will Wilson photography on display and appreciated their "Talking Tintypes," which used iPad or Smart Phone tech to highlight Wilson's pieces. I thoroughly loved Josh Simpson's "Imaginative Journeys in Space and Sea," a phenomenal collection of complex and unique glasswork. I appreciated the accompanying video that dove into how the works were created. His "MegaPlanet" was incredible. In addition, two other works in the central portion of the museum were memorable - Yoshida's "Sacred Bridge" and Koitsu's "Lake Yamanaka." They have monthly events that I look forward to attending, and Brunnier is open 10-4 daily during the week, and 1-4 on the weekend.

From the owner: University Museums is a distinctive organization that encompasses two art museums, a National…read moreHistoric Landmark historic home museum, a sculpture garden, and one of the largest campus public art collections in the nation. University Museums brings world-class exhibitions with educational programming to Iowa State University, actively acquires works of art to add to the more than 30,000 permanent collection objects, conserves and preserves collections, conducts and publishes curatorial scholarship, and fosters student engagement.

First off, our 8- & 10-year-olds had a blast. The whole place is hands-on and they were busy the…read moreentire time, never bored. There was some super interesting stuff in the engineering/Lego room that kept us parents engaged as well. You could bring a toddler all the way up to an early teen and they can all be engaged the whole time. The planetarium doesn't have a ton of seats & they don't lean back, and the kids were a little creeped out by the black hole presentation. The bathrooms are kind of rough, and a lot of the activities are showing age. Kind of dirty throughout, which surprised us (we're frequent flyers at museums, so we know they don't have to be this dirty). We appreciated that they took our ASTC membership - highly recommend if you travel and love science centers!

Nice, family friendly museum located in downtown Des Moines, but there are way too many screaming…read morekids running around. Why do people bring children under 8 to these types of places? It's not like they will even know or comprehend any of these things, much less be able to sit still during demonstrations or when viewing exhibits. It was nice to see that all science demonstrations and shows in the planetarium are included in your ticket price. If you check out a few of those, then it is well worth the admission even as an adult!

Beautiful site for weddings and other celebrations. The exterior of the building itself is blocky…read moreand not that remarkable. The site is a different matter. One entrance reveals the river. Another opens to a beautiful lawn with a fountain and butterfly gardens on the borders. We saw several monarch butterflies. Inside is grand without being cold or forbidding. Note that bathrooms are in the basement and second floors. There is an elevator. Staff was very friendly.

This place is extremely beautiful. The biggest downside to here is the hours on their website are…read morenot accurate. I came here to visit the inside and the arrive to a locked door. On the door was a note saying they are only open 1 day a week. I was able to peak in the window and see all the beautiful architecture. I was also able to explore the outside grounds too. However it can be slightly frustrating if your website says it will be open but you're not actually open. Overall this place is not huge and is a walkable distance to several other things. So I recommend walk past it to see if it's open. If it's closed, visit somewhere else.

I've been coming to the Des Moines Art Festival for years…read more Food truck, drinks, live music pepper the streets of Downtown DSM. They have the streets around the PapaJohns Sculpture park blocked, which is the perfect addition to the festival. Artists come from all around the US to get into this festival. The art is higher quality. If you wish to add to your collection you may have to shell out a little more money. They do include local art students. Local school children's art. There are interactive art instillation's. This year we contributed to a piece they will put in a local school when completed. They gave us a tile and a little visual to try and match. Then they sprayed them to lock in the medium for installation at a later time. We like to get involved in these almost every year. Get yourself an adult beverage and sip and enjoy. We take a slow walk around the booths. We try and take in as much as we can. So many different varieties of art and mediums. They have live music , performers, film and sometimes you can catch live demos. Thousands of people come down. This year they added a sensory space for people who need a break from the craziness of it all. Street parking where you can find it. You can bring your kids or fur babies. Although it always seems to be so darn hot, that I wouldn't recommend the fur babies on the hot streets. We try and go one of the first days cause it gets crazy busy the rest of the weekend. You will always find something new each year. Go and enjoy it. I don't have a bunch of pictures cause I always get so immersed in the event I leave my phone in my pocket. It is also frowned upon if you don't ask the artist permission before. So my lack of photos is an excuse for you to go check it out.

Be forewarned - I'm an Iowa native and, therefore, unduly biased and proud of the Des Moines Arts…read moreFestival. From its not-too humble beginnings at the Des Moines Art Center to one of the nation's preeminent spanning several city blocks, the Festival has become a great cultural gathering place. Printers, painters, sculptors, filmmakers, musicians... there really is something here for everyone. Admission is free for the three days the festival runs each year. The art is priced from take-me-home-now to no-way-in-my-wildest-dreams, the people watching is solid, and the free entertainment is usually worth much, much more than the price of admission (which is, don't forget, free).

If you want to not only see how your ancestors live, but get close to experiencing it - go to a…read moreliving history museum. This one was fascinating. The best part was talking to the executive Director, and the docents. They had so much to tell me about that era, and how the people used to live then. They were a different breed of human. Exceptionally hardy. It will make you proud of your ancestors. We all come from strong stock. They endured unimaginably tough circumstances.

The Madison County Historical complex is a great treasure in Winterset. The museum itself has…read moregreat (and huge) exhibits and pieces of history from all throughout the county. We were so surprised when we visited and found a full basement of things to explore too! The museum building also has a library room where old records, stories, and other books can be read and reviewed. I could spend days in this room along. The property includes many other buildings including an old church, a one-room school, blacksmith shop, and train depot. There is a lot to explore and you could easily spend hours here without seeing everything. The staff and volunteers are always very friendly and willing to lend a helping hand whether you have a research question, or just want to look around. There are also many great events held here throughout the year including car shows, movie nights, a barn sale, and lectures. We've enjoyed many of these and are always looking forward to the next event.