Best Museums & Educational Spots for Kids
Explore the best best museums & educational spots for kids options for kids and families in Ames
Kids Empire Merle Hay
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Paragon Prairie Tower
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
Horticultural exhibits & art galleries. Seasonal blooms showcased outdoors & in a geodesic dome, plus educational programs & art shows.
Mainframe Studios
Visit this great place for kids and families!
World Food Prize Hall of Laureates
Grand space for exhibits on world hunger. Beaux arts-style edifice with exhibits on achievements in agriculture & the fight against hunger.
Des Moines Children's Museum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Pappajohn Sculpture Park
Pedestrian space with public attractions. Park housing a sculpture garden, dedicated chess & picnic tables, the Central Library & more.
Science Center of Iowa
Hands-on exhibits, IMAX theater & more. Science-focused interactive galleries & learning labs plus a planetarium & IMAX cinema.
Terrace Hill Historic Site
Governor's mansion with guided tours. This historic mansion offering guided tours has been the residence of Iowa's governors since 1971.
Des Moines Art Center
Modern & contemporary art museum. Free-admission art museum/school focused on modern & contemporary works, with a restaurant & shop.
Salisbury House & Gardens
Museum & concert venue in a 1920s manor. Furnished 1920s stone mansion housing an art museum, library, concert venue & botanical garden.
South Des Moines Sculpture Park
Quaint park featuring quirky sculptures. Small, offbeat attraction showcasing a jumbo archery target, an egg-shaped UFO & a giant clothespin.
Fort Des Moines Museum & Education Center
Black WWI officers & WAC women exhibits. This fort museum showcases history exhibits on African-American WWI officers & WAC women of WWII.
Blank Park Zoo
Indoor/outdoor animal exhibits & more. Train rides, petting areas, carousel, concessions & more in a year-round zoo & conservation center.
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