My experience with Cirque Wonderland was not a positive one, and it has been frustrating to process…read moreover time. What was presented as a welcoming and inclusive space did not always align with my personal experience there. When I spoke up about my concerns, I felt they were dismissed or minimized, which made it difficult for me to feel heard or supported in the space. This came after I shared that I experienced what I perceived as confrontational and inappropriate verbal behavior from a neighboring business owner at the time. I was told the cameras in the building were not working at that time, which added to my discomfort with the situation. I rented a room in the space for four years, prior to its expansion. In April 2023, I was told via phone call that a change in my massage clientele to better fit the space would be something to consider to fit the gym more, or that it might be best for me to leave. Later , I received an email stating it would be best for me to leave, along with a move-out timeline. I asked to have a conversation in person or by phone to try to come to a more mutual agreement, especially since I was there regularly, but that request was declined. I then received formal communication via email, which felt abrupt and uncomfortable, and reinforced my concerns based on my experience about how situations like this were handled compared to what I had understood when I first joined the space. In private conversations, I've heard perspectives that echoed some of my concerns around a disconnect between stated values and lived experiences. I understand that others may have different experiences, and I can only speak to my own. One example of that disconnect, from my point of view, was messaging like "any body can do aerial" not always feeling fully reflected in practice, particularly when some policies felt like they created barriers for people with different needs in my experience. For me, what started as a business misalignment became more personal over time. I'm sharing this to bring awareness and to encourage better alignment between values and action. I also always wondered why they seemed they were the only aerial arts place in des moines when they werent I do want to acknowledge that there were coaches I appreciated working with, including Bonnie, who I felt did embody the values that were expressed. This is being shared in the hope that it encourages reflection. My experience was disappointing, both as a business owner and as a person navigating the situation. TO CIRQUE AND FELICIA IN RESPONSE TO THEIR COMMENT AND RESPONSE Thank you for your response. I understand that your perspective may differ. What I've shared reflects my personal experience , my records and how I was approached and was impacted by those interactions at the time. I'm not interested in continuing this conversation privately, as I've already attempted to have direct discussions in the past without resolution.

I signed my girls up for the intro classes so that they could get a feel for what they're…read moreinterested in and to learn the basics. Right away I was impressed by the background of the owner--one of the first people to bring circus and aerial arts classes to Iowa. Clearly this person has a passion for sharing the art form. After day one my kids were hooked and couldn't stop talking about how much fun they had. I love that class sizes are kept very small, and that the structure of membership and future classes leave a lot of room for scheduling flexibility. I am super excited that my kids found something that they want to keep doing--something that leaves so much room for personal growth and experimentation!

This is a great multi-use park located near Valley Junction. They have a family friendly beach…read morearea, a newly installed accessible playground, dog park (permit required), walking/bike path, and boat house where you can rent kayaks and stand up paddle boards. There are also soccer fields and baseball/softball diamonds close by. Lots of parking lots near various areas.

I am an Arizona Desert Rat who grew up in Iowa. I am visiting the beautiful small town of Norwalk,…read moreIowa and we have been fishing at Blue Heron Lake in Raccoon River Park. What an incredible job you've done West Des Moines! This place has it all! Swimming beach, boat launch, kayak and canoe rentals and a very nice wheelchair accessible fishing pier! We have been enjoying this place so much! Ok the kids and the girls are catching all the fish (I am Worm Boy and take the fish off the hook haha) Catch and release! I cannot say enough nice things about Raccoon River Park!

Great little park with plenty of room to spread out, have a picnic or just play on the playground…read moreequipment! Nice little shelter you can rent for get togethers with grills. Quite a few picnic tables, and no sand.. I like that! It's just a hop and a jump over to Gateway Market perfect for quick picnic treats and you can get to the park all on side walks if you are walking! Clean and well maintained no complaints here!

Nice little park off of Woodland Ave! I like to take the 8th month old I babysit on walks and this…read moreis generally a great stop for us. He's still too little to really get going on the bigger structure and slides but the swings are great! Fun for all ages! There is a shelter and drinking fountain, a nice trail going by. At the moment there is some construction so its kind of an eye sore and can get noisy if youre there when they are working. But if youre looking for a little outdoor fun and looking for a sweet little spot not too far from the highway -Chamberlain Park is the place to go!

In all reality there are not that many places in town, where you can bring a kid in the winter and…read morepretty much let them run free and play and keep them occupied for over an hour! The DSM Children's Museum is one of those spots! Don't think of it like a normal Children's Museum, it's more like a big play zone, with all the stuff your kids love about going to pre school or school in general.. They can dress up like a construction worker, Make Pizza, play on a farm, balance on balance beams by a volcano.. You know all the fun stuff! I was here recently for a B-day party.. They have some separate rooms in the back perfect for hosting a crew for a bday! Bathrooms were clean and they do have hand sanitizer stations.. Which is probably a wise thing! This is a fun spot and heck they don't charge the parents to be here just the tikes! So that rules too!

Great place to go. The owner Craig is an expert and is very honest. I highly recommend it to…read morebaseball and softball players of all ages

Very nice indoor facility for batting/pitching practice. Facilities are well-equipped, clean and…read moreorganized. Seating area available. Owner is knowledgable and kind. Highly recommend.

I love this park my memories here are priceless really clean nice staff perfect they are also very…read morehelpful and very good at there job thank you adventure land best amusement park in iowa

Everything, this was and will be the best amusement park in the entire world. Everyone was so nice,…read morefast and clean. I would recommend to anyone

I've had an amazing experience at 8035 Platinum Gym. From day one, the atmosphere has been…read morewelcoming, motivating, and focused on helping everyone reach their goals. A huge shoutout to Drew, the owner, for creating such a positive environment and genuinely caring about every member's success. You can tell he's passionate about fitness and building a great community. Hailey is absolutely outstanding. Her training is knowledgeable, challenging, and tailored to help you improve every step of the way. She keeps workouts fun while pushing you to do your best, and her encouragement and motivation make a real difference. If you're looking for a gym with great leadership, expert coaching, and an encouraging community, I highly recommend 8035 Platinum Gym. It's an awesome place to train, stay motivated, and achieve your fitness goals!

We attended a Bucs Hockey game and were pleased with the venue. Inside the arena they had only one…read moreconcession stand but there was another in the main entrance area as well as a vending machine. Prices for food was reasonable. Seating inside was pretty much what you would expect for a hockey arena but the seating was a little tight (might want to consider where you sit if you are more than an XL in size if comfort is something you are interested in. I'm a ladies L-XL and felt squished).

In town for my oldest daughter's basketball tournament and this place is amazing! They have…read morebasketball, soccer, hockey...you name it! It is a beautiful facility and plenty of parking no matter what you are coming here to do.