Updated October 1, 2026. Every fact, hour and price below comes from the site's own web page (or the state or city page that runs it) as it read on that day. The earlier version of this guide named places we couldn't find any record of; they've been taken out.
If you have one afternoon for Des Moines history, spend it on the east side of the river: the Iowa State Capitol and the State Historical Museum of Iowa are next to each other and both are free. If you can plan ahead, book a tour of Terrace Hill, the governor's residence, which takes reservations at least 48 hours out. For the city's Black history, the Fort Des Moines Museum tells the story of the 1917 camp that trained Black officers for World War I, and the Jordan House in West Des Moines interprets the Underground Railroad.
Historic sites at a glance
| Site | Town | Built or founded | Visiting | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State Capitol | Des Moines | 1871-1886 | Mon-Sat | Free |
| State Historical Museum of Iowa | Des Moines | n/a | Tue-Sat | Free |
| Terrace Hill | Des Moines | 1866-1869 | Guided tours Tue-Sat, Mar-Dec | $5 adults |
| Salisbury House & Gardens | Des Moines | 1920s | Posted week by week | $12 self-guided |
| Hoyt Sherman Place | Des Moines | 1877 | Call for tours | Ask |
| Sherman Hill Historic District | Des Moines | Platted 1877-1882 | Any time, from the street | Free |
| Woodland Cemetery | Des Moines | n/a | Grounds daily; guided tours by reservation | Tours $10 |
| Jordan House | West Des Moines | n/a | Fri and Sun | $5 |
| Fort Des Moines Museum | Des Moines | 1917 camp | Call ahead | Ask |
| Living History Farms | Urbandale | n/a | Tue-Sat 9-4 | See site |
Downtown and the east side
Iowa State Capitol
Construction began in 1871. The first foundation stone was waterlogged and crumbled, and the stone laid in its place reads "IOWA. A.D. 1873". The building was finished in 1886 for $2,873,294.59. The 23-karat gold dome rises 275 feet.
- Where: 1007 E Grand Ave, Des Moines
- Visiting: free guided tours Monday-Saturday; call 515-281-5591 for times. The building is open Monday-Friday 8 am-4:45 pm and Saturday 8 am-3:45 pm.
- Source: Iowa Legislature: Tour the Capitol (opens in a new tab) and the Capitol visitor guide (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
State Historical Museum of Iowa
The state's history museum, just west of the Capitol in the State Historical Building. It holds more than 80,000 artifacts, about 1,500 of them on display.
- Where: 600 E Locust St, Des Moines
- Visiting: Tuesday-Friday 9 am-4:30 pm, Saturday 9 am-3 pm; closed Sunday and Monday. Admission is free.
- Source: State Historical Society of Iowa (opens in a new tab)
Fort Des Moines Museum & Education Center
The site of the 1917 training camp for Black officers in World War I, and the place where the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps was established in 1942. It's a National Historic Landmark district.
- Where: 75 E Army Post Rd, Des Moines
- Visiting: the museum's site still shows hours labelled "Winter 2024" (Saturdays, roughly 10 am-4 pm). Call 515-400-3678 before you go.
- Source: fortdesmoinesmuseum.com (opens in a new tab)
Grand Avenue and the west side
Terrace Hill
Built from 1866 to 1869 for Benjamin Franklin Allen and later owned by F.M. Hubbell, Terrace Hill is now the Iowa Governor's Residence and a National Historic Landmark.
- Where: 2300 Grand Ave, Des Moines
- Visiting: guided tours only, March through December, Tuesday-Saturday at 10:30 am and noon (plus 1:30 pm in December). Book at least 48 hours ahead at 515-281-7205. Adults $5, ages 6-12 $2, 5 and under free; cash or check only.
- Source: terracehill.iowa.gov/visit (opens in a new tab)
Salisbury House & Gardens
Built in the 1920s by cosmetics businessman Carl Weeks and his wife Edith, and modelled on Salisbury, England. Inside is 16th-century English oak woodwork.
- Where: 4025 Tonawanda Dr, Des Moines
- Visiting: hours are posted one week at a time. For September 28-October 4 they were Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, noon-5 pm, with last entry an hour before close. Self-guided $12, guided $17.
- Source: salisburyhouse.org/visit (opens in a new tab)
Hoyt Sherman Place
Hoyt Sherman finished the family home in 1877. The complex now includes the mansion, a theater and what it calls Des Moines' first art gallery.
- Where: 1501 Woodland Ave, Des Moines
- Visiting: the site offers guided group tours and self-guided tours but posts no schedule. Call the box office (515-244-0507, weekdays 10 am-5 pm).
- Source: hoytsherman.org (opens in a new tab)
Sherman Hill Historic District
A neighborhood of Queen Anne, Italianate and Eastlake houses around 15th Street and Woodland Avenue. Hoyt Sherman bought the land in 1850, and most of it was platted from 1877 to 1882. It went on the National Register in 1979 and became Des Moines' first local historic district in 1982. You can walk the streets any time; the houses are private.
Woodland Cemetery
The city-run cemetery where many of Des Moines' pioneers and Civil War veterans are buried.
- Where: 2019 Woodland Ave, Des Moines
- Visiting: grounds open 6 am-6 pm September-March and 6 am-8 pm April-August. Two-hour guided walking tours are $10 per person, by reservation.
- Source: City of Des Moines: Woodland Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
Suburbs
Jordan House
A Victorian house on the National Register and part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. It tells the story of James C. Jordan and the people who escaped slavery through West Des Moines.
- Where: 2001 Fuller Rd, West Des Moines
- Visiting: Friday and Sunday, 11 am-12:30 pm and 1:30-3 pm. $5, 5 and under free.
- Source: West Des Moines Historical Society (opens in a new tab)
Living History Farms
A 500-acre outdoor museum with a 1700 Ioway farm, an 1850 pioneer farm, the 1876 town of Walnut Hill and a 1900 horse-powered farm.
- Where: 11121 Hickman Rd, Urbandale
- Visiting: Tuesday-Saturday 9 am-4 pm, last tractor cart at 2:30 pm. Prices weren't posted on the pages we read; call 515-278-5286.
- Source: lhf.org (opens in a new tab)
What changed from the earlier version
The earlier version described a "Green Hat Club" and a set of Court Avenue speakeasies. We found no source for either and they're gone. It also sent readers to restaurants and a brewery that have since closed.
Sources
Checked October 1, 2026:
- Iowa Legislature: Tour the Capitol (opens in a new tab)
- Iowa State Capitol visitor guide (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- State Historical Museum of Iowa (opens in a new tab)
- Terrace Hill (opens in a new tab) and its visit page (opens in a new tab)
- Salisbury House & Gardens (opens in a new tab)
- Hoyt Sherman Place (opens in a new tab)
- Sherman Hill Association: history (opens in a new tab)
- City of Des Moines: Woodland Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
- West Des Moines Historical Society: visit (opens in a new tab)
- Fort Des Moines Museum (opens in a new tab)
- Living History Farms (opens in a new tab)