Best Family-Friendly Attractions

Explore the best best family-friendly attractions options for kids and families in West Des Moines

Underground Railroad exhibits & history. Landmark Victorian home features guided tours, Underground Railroad history exhibits & artifacts.

Spacious park, beach & sports complex. Large sports & recreation venue with athletic fields, a swimming beach, fishing pier & nature trail.

Outdoor agricultural-history museum. Iowa farming-history exhibits on a 500-acre site with an 1875 village & educational programs.

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Daytime activities in open woodlands. Daytime spot with jogging & cycling trails, fishing, a picnic area with grills & sports fields.

Park with a lakeside walking loop. 167-acre park featuring a 1.9-mi. lighted walking path around a lake with small boat rentals.

Pedestrian space with public attractions. Park housing a sculpture garden, dedicated chess & picnic tables, the Central Library & more.

Hilltop park with city views & a pond. Green space on a bluff with dramatic downtown views, tennis courts, a pond & a playground.

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Hands-on exhibits, IMAX theater & more. Science-focused interactive galleries & learning labs plus a planetarium & IMAX cinema.

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Garden park with pagodas, a pond & more. Garden park featuring an Asian pavilion, stone pagodas, a pond, a series of waterfalls & more.

Indoor/outdoor animal exhibits & more. Train rides, petting areas, carousel, concessions & more in a year-round zoo & conservation center.

Horticultural exhibits & art galleries. Seasonal blooms showcased outdoors & in a geodesic dome, plus educational programs & art shows.

Charming park with trails & lakes. Sprawling city park known for its green expanses, biking & walking paths & numerous bodies of water.

Public park with trails & a marina. Park on a lake with trails, a marina & a boat ramp, plus enclosed shelters to reserve in advance.

Storied park with BBQs & nostalgic rides. Public park since 1892, with an old-fashioned carousel, water play area, BBQ grills & sports courts.

Other Things to See

Discover more events and activities happening in the city.