Impala Ballroom is a live event venue. It holds a lot of people but the sound setup makes music,…read morelive or from media, far too loud. Due to poor design choices, your ears will ring if you attend a party here. They do have a handicap ramp. The setup has two areas for serving. One has refigerators and is often used by the group holding the party. The other is a bar, which allows the venue to sell drinks to the party-goers. The location has a large dance floor and large stage. They also have an open grill outside by the entrance which they use to cook and sell food. While on my three visits here I've liked the amenities and location, the sound makes it a place I don't enjoy attending events at.

The rustic Fairview Lodge is run by Story City and is nicely situated and overlooking the park and…read moreright next to the historical Carousel. This is primarily a meeting venue and a convenient place to "wash up".

My first visit was a good one, as Stephens Auditorium was a positive experience, combining…read moreoutstanding customer service with a terrific music venue that hit all the notes. Parking is easy and organized. A handicapped friend raved about their parking situation. The interior is immaculate, with great acoustics. The balcony and side balcony seating are superb options. There are some beverages and nibbles, but I would show up fed! Some social causes were highlighted in the main lobby. I appreciated the kindness and professionalism of the staff and security personnel. The Barenaked Ladies and Toad The Wet Sprocket were fantastic, and the 2600-seat venue performed well!

Covid brought AmesCommunityTheater and Stephens together and we had our first play here since the…read morepandemic began. They did an awesome job with masking and social distancing! The place is very clean. See pics. The play was very good. Marcy'sDinerTantrumScale 5/5-NoScreamingKids.

Nice, clean rest stop! The restrooms were well maintained, everything felt sanitary, and the…read moreoverall area was tidy. Definitely a good place to stop, stretch your legs, and take a quick break while traveling.

I didn't think I'd ever be reviewing a rest stop, but this has to be the cleanest one I have ever…read morestopped at. The whole building is almost like an atrium with lots of wood and windows, letting tons of natural light in. The floor is all tile with inlays of maps and highways in Iowa. I thought that was super neat when they just could have slapped down normal plain tiles. There's also a lot of greenery outside of the rest stop that's well maintained too, with benches for resting out in nature if you prefer that. Outside there are also a few pieces of public art that show scenes from the history of transportation as far as I could ascertain (a steam locomotive, a horse drawn carriage, a steam ship). The Skunk River trail is right outside the rest stop if you need to stretch your legs for a bit, and there's a designated pet relief area as well. One last thing I'll note that I found amazing: There are signs in the bathroom stalls that give information about human trafficking and ways to get help. If you weren't aware, a lot of trafficking happens along the interstate lines, so this is super important to have. I know you'll only be at this rest stop if you're passing by and need to stop, but I thought it deserved a review because of how clean it's kept, how well the grounds are maintained, and the brightness and warmth of the building!

Great place to have a wedding reception. The Hickory Park food is the bomb and the price is right…read more People can sit up in the upper levels and watch the dancing queens on the dance floor shake their money maker. Friendly service.

Wowwww This is the park of all parks!…read more Worth the drive from Des Moines to Madrid, Iowa. Great "tree museum" if that's what you want to call it but it was very educational and well worth the time and money. Visited on a Friday morning with our homeschool community and it was a busy morning. Reserved a guided tour months prior for our large group and paid extra for the tree house playground experience. The guided tour was absolutely fascinating and our group learned so much about how to identify different types of trees and plants. The gardens are awesome even in the fall. Worth a second or third trip for the different seasons we have here in Iowa. The playground was MASSIVE and newly built. All wooded and just a walk away from the arboretum. My kids and the other students really enjoyed this playground. Safe and fun. Found lots of accessibility for all to play Highly

A lovely spot in the middle of Iowa. Offering classes, initiating preservation of monarch butterfly…read morehabitat, building pollinator gardens, and quiet places for a walk. Entry fee for non-members is $10 per person with reduced rates for children. Open year-round to the public, this sanctuary has facilities for meetings, parties, weddings, etc. A number of trails allow you to walk through the different gardens and enjoy and ever changing display throughout the year. We were so pleasantly surprised at this little slice of paradise so far off the beaten path. Established in the early 1980s by an Iowa family that owned a nursery in the region. Bird watchers, gardeners, and anyone that just enjoys beautiful flowers should check out the Iowa Arboretum.

We love it here very helpful and accommodating best park ranger Tristian he works hard and cares…read moreeven harder

Wanted to look into renting the Lakeside center for my daughters wedding. I called twice and spoke…read moreto Leslie, she answered all my questions. The second time I called I wanted to reserve it. You can not do this online, unless you've already booked something with them before. So I had to leave work early to go in there. Ankeny residents have a better price then nonresidents. That's fine, my daughter is a resident. But to put it in her name we both have to go back. me to cancel it and her to book it. Seems like a lot of hassle, but it's an inexpensive wedding venue, so I guess we'll jump through the hoops. Leslie was courteous and polite. She answered my million questions. Now to plan the rest of the wedding! Yikes, where to begin? They don't accept credit cards, just cash or check.