Summer in Des Moines is packed with family fun, outdoor adventures, local festivals, live entertainment, and unforgettable memories!
We’ve made it easy to plan your best summer ever by rounding up more than 125 of our favorite things to do in Des Moines for every budget, interest, and age. From free family activities and summer events to parks, pools, day trips, and local attractions, there’s something for everyone to enjoy this season. (Be sure to check each event or business website for the most up-to-date information.)
Start planning your Des Moines summer adventures now! Simply scroll down and click on a category to jump directly to that list of summer activities and events.
Bookmark this ultimate guide to summer fun in Des Moines and come back all season long as you build your family’s summer bucket list!
Where communities gather, wonder grows! Des Moines Performing Arts welcomes you to experience the 2026 Hy-Vee Summer Arts Series, bringing a vibrant slate of free, family-friendly events to metro parks and outdoor spaces. Experience high-energy summer camp stunts, joyful interactions with life-size bees, giant illuminated dominos, and more! No reservations or tickets are required – just bring chairs or blankets for seating.
The 2026 Hy-Vee Summer Arts Series includes:
Domino Effect by Ingrid Ingrid
We Love DSM
- We can’t wait for Des Moines’ newest sprayground and park to open at the end of May at Gray’s Lake!
- Play at Des Moines’ only park on a bridge. Riverside Bridge Park (1250 SE 1st St). The views of downtown are awesome!
- Check out the world’s largest all-weather tubing hill at Sleepy Hollow Sports Park. The hill is open in all weather!
- Tour the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum at Camp Dodge. See tanks, aircraft, weaponry, and interactive displays.
- Get inspiration for your garden at a flower farm.
- Head to the Lauridsen Skate Park, along the Des Moines River downtown or one of the other skate parks around Des Moines.
- Get tickets to the Iowa State Fair (Aug 13-23)! Here are our tips for making the most of your trip.
- Take in some outdoor music and grab a glass of wine at Jasper Winery and the Jasper Winery Summer Concert Series.
- Be a tourist in our great city! Spend a day exploring all the fun things to do in Des Moines with your family.
- Head to Principal Park to cheer on the Iowa Cubs. Go to a Friday night game and enjoy the fireworks show after the game.
- Walk through the Pappajohn Sculpture Park downtown. Snap a photo with the iconic Nomad statue.
- Grab a breakfast burrito at the Farmers’ Market and enjoy people and dog watching.
- Head to Union Park and ride the Heritage Carousel (for 50 cents) and slide down the classic rocket slide.
- Support small businesses and pick up a summer read from a local bookstore. Here are some of our favorite local bookstores.
- Go to Bozz Prints in Valley Junction for a t-shirt or Midwest-inspired print.
- Grab some chairs or a blanket and enjoy an outdoor concert. There are plenty to choose from!
- Take a tour of the state capitol building. It’s free!
- Love Ted Lasso? Cheer on the Des Moines Menace soccer team at Mediacom Stadium near Drake University.
- Experience the wonder of fine art at the Des Moines Art Center. Admission is free. Be sure to check out the rose gardens in the back while you’re there.
Des Moines Summer Family Fun
- Take a walk on the wild side at the Blank Park Zoo. Be sure to check out the new, larger lion exhibit set to open at the end of the summer.
- Practice your golf swing at Top Golf.
- See a play at the Des Moines Playhouse. This summer, they are doing Legally Blond: The Musical.
- Hit up a county fair. They are much smaller (and less expensive!) than the state fair!
- Go to a FREE outdoor family event put on by Des Moines Performing Arts at parks around the metro.
- Enjoy the Des Moines Symphony’s free Yankee Doodle Pops concert on the grounds of the State Capitol July 3, followed by fireworks!
- Head to Paws & Pints with your favorite four-legged friend and let your dog run while you enjoy a drink. Tuesdays are family day!
- Celebrate culture, listen to music, or experience small-town traditions at a local festival.
- Ride the rails with Rail Explorers at Boone Scenic Railroad. Book now, spots fill quickly!
- Join a running group and train for a fall race. The Des Moines Marathon is a favorite in October.
- Find as many murals as you can around Des Moines and take pictures of them.
- Book a weekend of camping fun at The Ledges State Park.
- Kids need something to do? Check out our summer boredom busters!
- Take a selfie at one of our favorite spots around Des Moines.
- Spend a day riding the rides at Adventureland or splashing at the waterpark!
- Take the family roller skating at Skateland Des Moines.
- Get a jump start on the holidays and schedule a family photo shoot at one of our favorite locations.
- Plant a garden with your kiddos!
- Geek out at the Science Center of Iowa. The Lego exhibit is always a favorite!
- Hold a family meeting and come up with some summer family goals.
- Set up a tent and fire pit for a fun backyard family campout.
- Join the fight against hunger and pack meals with Meals from the Heartland.
- Step back in time and explore 300 years of farming history at Living History Farms. Don’t miss their events celebrating the semiquincentennial this summer.
- Save money on back-to-school shopping during tax-free weekend.
Des Moines Summer Eats + Drinks
- Enjoy dinner and a show at the newly opened Ingersoll Dinner Theater.
- Try a smash burger at Lachelle’s Fine Food. Be sure to order the fries too, you won’t regret it!
- Celebrate Donut Day, June 5, (or any day) with a sweet treat from these local shops.
- Make reservations at Aposto in Sherman Hill and enjoy dinner on the porch. Their menu is seasonal and features fresh produce from their on-site garden.
- Go out for brunch at one of our favorite spots!
- Take a night off from cooking and go to a family-friendly restaurant.
- Head to Bondurant and grab a to-go growler of Root Beer at Reclaimed Rails to share with the family.
- Go berry picking and then make a pie.
- Help your kids have a grill-off competition using these tips!
- Pack a picnic and head to a local winery.
- Head to the Des Moines Biergarten in Water Works Park. The German-Theme popup is open Wednesday through Sunday late spring through October.
- Get an ice cream cone at Outside Scoop in Ankeny, Grimes, or Indianola or the creamery in Polk City and the East Village, or visit one (or all) of our favorite spots for ice cream.
- Buy fresh sweet corn from a stand and grill it with this easy recipe.
- ‘Tis the season for iced coffee. Check out our Coffee Shop Guide for the best spots to get caffeinated.
- Pick up a to-go charcuterie board at The Cheese Shop for a fun date night.
- Food tastes better outside. Enjoy dinner and drinks at one of our favorite patios.
- Take advantage of an Out to Lunch event in Downtown Des Moines on scheduled Wednesdays in May and June.
- What’s better than pizza night? Pizza on the Prairie! Enjoy brick-oven pizza topped with farm-fresh veggies and local meats at Wallace Centers of Iowa on Friday nights. Be sure to make reservations.
- Make BLTs. The combination of a juicy homegrown tomato with crunchy lettuce and crispy bacon can’t be beat.
Des Moines Summer Outside Adventures
- Spend an afternoon at the Athene North Shore Park at Easter Lake Park. It’s the state’s most accessible waterfront featuring a beach, splash pad area, natural playscape, and more.
- Head to the Treehouse Village at Iowa Arboretum in Madrid, Iowa.
- Take a bike ride on one of the many bike trails throughout Des Moines.
- Grab some paddles and balls and join the pickleball craze! Here’s where to find pickleball courts around Des Moines.
- Rent a boat at Saylorville Lake or Lake Red Rock.
- Try an outdoor yoga class. Many are free!
- Go fishing! Check out our tips for fishing in Iowa before grabbing a pole.
- Summer is a great time to explore the great outdoors. Head to Brenton Arboretum in Dallas Center, start a rock collection, or go for a hike.
- Take photos in a sunflower field. They are as stunning as they look!
- See bison and tallgrass prairie at the Neil Smith Wildlife Refuge, just east of Des Moines off of I-80.
- Take a hike! Walnut Woods State Park, located on the southern edge of West Des Moines, has several easy trails that are perfect for young families. Check out this guide to more good hikes in central Iowa.
- Make a list of parks to visit around the Des Moines area.
- Check out the Clive Greenbelt Goats.
- Test your inner balance at Standup Paddleboarding or Standup Yoga at SupYogaDSM.
- Go geocaching.
- Let the kids stay up late and catch fireflies.
- Load up your bikes and take a ride on the High Trestle Trail.
- Enjoy a free outdoor movie at a local park. Pack blankets and snacks and enjoy a family-friendly flick.
- Hit up the Jester Park Outdoor Recreation & Wellness Center and check out their bouldering room, indoor archery, and watercraft rentals.
- Try the bike trails at the Ewing Park BMX trails.
- Get lost in the hedge maze and check out the views from Clark Tower in Winterset.
Des Moines Summer Kids Activities
- Keep your kids busy at a summer camp.
- Get your wiggles out at the DSM Children’s Museum at Valley West Mall. We can’t wait for their new location to open later this year!
- Love amphibians and reptiles? Check out Spock’s Sanctuary, a rescue and rehabilitation center for a variety of reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrate animals.
- Saddle up and go on a trail ride at Jester Park Equestrian Center.
- Join a summer reading program at your local library.
- Head to Playgrounds Cafe in Waukee and let kids play to their heart’s content, while you enjoy a coffee.
- Have a kid who’s obsessed with the garbage man? Check out the Ready, Set, Recycle exhibit at the Metro Recycling Facility in Grimes.
- Play outside! Here are 20 ideas to get you started.
- Sign up for Kids Bowl Free and get 2 free games a day at Air Lanes in Des Moines or Warrior Lanes in Waukee.
- Bookmark this list of boredom busters for older kids before they say they’re bored.
- Feed baby goats at Howell’s Greenhouse in Cumming or Center Grover Orchard in Cambridge.
- Unplug and give your kids a simple summer like we had growing up in the 1980s and 1990s.
- Get a pen pal for your kid and have them start writing letters.
- Try our favorite summer sensory activity. Kids love it, and it’s cheap and easy!
- Visit the alpacas at Rusty Stars Alpacas in Winterset. Check their website for times.
- Moms of littles, if you’re stuck at home with nap schedules and little kids, check out these fun driveway activities.
Beat the Heat
- Hit up a sprayground or wading pool in Des Moines. They are FREE and open May 1 through September 30.
- Too hot to go outside? Try one of these activities.
- Get out on the water! There are plenty of options for renting paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes.
- Head to Jordan Creek Town Center (the largest mall in Iowa) for some retail therapy.
- Iowa may not have a coast, but there are some beaches. Head to Blue Heron Lake at Raccoon River Park or Big Creek State Park.
- Beat the heat and go to a discount family movie.
- Too hot to be outside? Check out our indoor play guide for the best places to burn off some energy.
- Spend an afternoon at one of the local swimming pools.
- Have a water balloon fight. These magnetic reusable balloons are our favorite!
- Get out the hose, buckets, and towels and have a car or bike wash.
- Cool off with a movie marathon at home.
- Make these super easy and delicious watermelon popsicles.
- Rainy day have you stuck inside? Check out 50 fun indoor activities.
- Get off the beaten path and explore the best places for creek walking. Ledges State Park in Madrid is our favorite!
- Run through the Lauridsen Fountain at Cowles Commons.
Neighborhood Fun
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- Pick up items to help other families in need, fill a donation box.
- Load up on graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows and make s’mores.
- Hang a large sheet and rent a projector for a “drive-in” movie experience.
- Get creative and paint rocks to hide around your community.
- Invite friends over and grill out.
- Create a ninja warrior course in the backyard.
- Start a little free library.
- Have a lemonade or freeze pop stand.
- Got the decluttering bug? Have a garage sale!
Plan a neighborhood block party or Fourth of July Parade around the block.
Midwest Road Trips
- Go troll hunting in Elkhorn, IA, or Clinton, IA! Artist Thomas Dambo’s art installations made from recycled materials are world-renowned.
- Head to the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City. It’s a kids’ dream!
- Visit the Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Iowa.
- Explore the Loess Hills in western Iowa.
- Spend a weekend in Chicago.
- Check out all there is to see and do for families in St Louis (including a National Park!).
- Go north and spend a couple days in Minneapolis.
- Pack up the car and go on a day trip in central Iowa.
- Drive to Iowa City for the day and tour the Old Capitol Museum and walk the ped mall.
- Eat, play, and shop in Overland Park, Kansas.
- Leave the kids at home and enjoy an adults-only weekend in Omaha.
- Discover the beauty of Decorah.
- Visit the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque.
- Take a day trip to the Omaha Zoo.
- Explore Kansas City. We love Science City!
- Head to Clear Lake for a day or a long weekend.
- Relax at Lake Okoboji.
- Head to the Amanas and experience German culture in the seven scenic villages.
- Learn about Dutch heritage in Pella.
- Find out what families love about Ames.
- Explore Reiman Gardens in Ames. The butterfly wing is our favorite!
Cheers to summer and thank you again to the Des Moines Performing Arts for their partnership! What would you add to the list?
