Capitol Building, Des Moines

This is one of the coolest capitals I have ever been to! They give free tours, and everyone here is so nice and so helpful and seem like they really love being there! I wasn’t able to see the outside part because it was winter when I went. But I definitely wanna go back during the summer to see all the exhibitions and statues outside of the capital. The dome is really cool it’s made out of gold, and you can also walk up these really cool winding stairs to pretty much the top. But make sure you go on a free tour, otherwise you don’t get to go into certain rooms without a tour guide . You get to see the house of representatives and the senators of Iowa rooms. The library is so cool! It reminds me of Harry Potter, and Belle from beauty and the beast. The winding staircases and the way it’s all set up is one of the coolest things here. Art on the wall is really nice too and part of it looks like art but its really glass tile! So cool! This is definitely the number one thing to do in Des Moines and you shouldn’t miss it.

Enjoyed the free tour of the capitol building. Dogs are allowed inside except near the top dome. 5 storey library is the show stopper. The tour guide had a great sense of humor!! Gold leaf coated dome shines bright and attracts the tourists. Worth the visit😀

We have visited other state capitol buildings and this one is very unique with the gold center dome and 4 green domes on the 4 corners of the building. Neat statues are found surrounding the property. You can enter the building and explore the art and architecture inside and out. The interior is pretty amazing too.

Coming from Minnesota, I have to admit, this is a beautiful state capital! My parents and I were really impressed with the architecture (it was so beautiful) the gold dome and the extraordinary law library!!! (You HAVE to check out the Law Library) I 100% recommend you stop here for a tour or just to look around! You will not regret it!!!

We visited ten state capitols during our summer 2022 road trip. This was our favorite. If you are in Des Moines, please save a few hours during their normal business hours and give them a visit. Be sure to take the guided tour who can take guest into additional areas and explains everything much better than simply walking around. This is a remarkable building by any standard, and our tour guide who was provided by the capitol free of charge was also incredible.