Science Center of Iowa
Science Center of Iowa things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Plan your stay
&promo_pic=/one-page/coolest.jpg)
Posts
Come explore the Science Center of Iowa located in Des Moines, IA! A priemer museum for kids of all ages. See my toddlers play and enjoy exhibits including a building workshop, a room focusing on architectural themed displays, live animals and more! 9/10 Would Recommend for familes with small children. #sciencemuseum #iowa #desmoines #science #museum #live #animals #toddlersoftiktok #familytime #girls #momsoftiktok
secondrodeo309secondrodeo309
591
Ready for travel and adventure but want to stay close to home? Don’t miss these incredible family-friendly destinations within driving distance of Kansas City. 📍Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 5 hours. Enjoy OKC’s Science Museum Oklahoma, a beautiful walk at Scissortail Park, water taxi ride through Bricktown, Myriad Botanical Gardens, Brickopolis and an NBA game with OKC Thunder. 📍Des Moines, Iowa, 3 hours. Have fun at Blank Park Zoo and Science Center of Iowa. Take in the unique art as your stroll through Pappajohn Sculpture Park and enjoy the beauty of Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens. 📍Bentonville, Arkansas, 3 hours. Check out the stunning Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, fun Scott Family Amazeum and don’t miss Buckyball and the beautiful biking and walking trails. 📍Wichita, Kansas, 3.5 hours. Don’t miss Botanica (the Wichita Gardens), Sedgwick County Zoo, Exploration Place Science Museum, The Keeper of the Plains and Tanganyika Wildlife Park. 📍Springfield, Missouri, 3 hours. Enjoy the incredible Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium. Explore Fantastic Caverns, the only ride-through cave in North America. Check out a Springfield Cardinals game, mini golf at Getaway Golf, and Dickerson Park Zoo and nearby Wild Animal Safari in Strafford. 📍Omaha, Nebraska, 3 hours. Spend an incredible day at one of the top zoos in the country, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo. Check out Bob the Bridge and step back and forth between Iowa and Nebraska. Enjoy the cool, eye-catching playground at Gene Leahy Mall at The RiverFront. 📍St. Louis, Missouri, 3.5 hours. A visit to St. Louis would not be complete without exploring the beautiful grounds around the St. Louis arch, and taking a tour to the top! Don’t miss the thrilling and unique City Museum, kid-friendly Magic House, free STL Zoo and beautiful Missouri Botanical Garden. Which Midwest gem is your favorite and which will you visit next? #midwestroadtrip #midwestspringbreak #midwestmoms #midwestfamily #roadtrip
everydayoutdoorfamilyeverydayoutdoorfamily
5.9K248
Des Moines is an awesome destination all year around, but if you go now, you will also get to experience the Iowa State Fair!! [AD] SAVE this for your next trip and don’t miss any of these fun activities: @iowastatefair : Eat all the delicious food, ride the rides, eat more food, see the animals, listen to music, eat more food, and admire the butter cow! Center Street Bridge: We loved exploring this river-side trail in the heart of Des Moines @zombieburgerdm : This zombie-themed restaurant has huge burgers and shakes that are to die for @sciowa : Kids (and adults) of all ages will love this Science Center! There is an area for smaller and older kids as well as a planetarium! @pappajohnsculpturepark : My kids loved the interactive sculptures in this downtown park @smashparkdm : This is Iowa’s largest outdoor patio. It has outdoor games, arcades, indoor pickleball courts, a bar, and yummy food! SHARE this if you love exploring Iowa! Which of these places would you go first? . . . . #desmoines #thisisiowa #iowa #iowastatefair @catchdesmoines #catchdsm #midwesttravel #traveliowa #findyourfun #bestdaysever
everydayoutdoorfamilyeverydayoutdoorfamily
33458
My kiddos loved the nature center and seeing all of the animals and snakes, the had fun building in the Lego center and looking at the professional Lego structures. The Cats and Dogs exhibit was a let down. I disliked the mass amount of tvs with headsets everywhere, headsets always gross me out, I mean really- how clean are they? It would've been nicer I think to add a play corner with toy cats and dogs for the kiddos to interact with. Maybe some skeletal structures/puzzles to do showing off the animals more, hands on interactive exhibits showcasing the use of animals in the service industry...etc... I think it could've been done better, as is we were a bit disappointed. Overall though, we spent 2.5 hours enjoying the whole museum. My kiddos are 2 and 4, they did excellent and had lots to do and play with. They loved seeing the honeybee hive! We'd still recommend people to check it out if you have the opportunity or a rainy day to fill!
A Nelson (DZ Dog Mom)A Nelson (DZ Dog Mom)
00
My boyfriend got us tickets to the Mixology : Paleontology Party on February 10th. It's an after-hours 21+ event where you can buy alcoholic drinks and peruse the exhibits. Not gonna lie...I was extremely disappointed. Maybe I've been spoiled growing up by all of the museums in DC. To be honest, our schools and libraries in Virginia had the same or similar exhibits. I will admit it was at least interesting to see the difference of the flora and fauna of my home region vs. Iowa. There was a silent disco in the planetarium. The music on every channel was bad so we didn't stay long. The projection of the night sky was also really blurry and pixelated. We went through every exhibit pretty quickly. There were some that were more informative than others, such as the dino exhibit. Then there were some that were more interactive than others, like the When Things Get Moving exhibit that teaches you about physics. I guess it would be more fun for children. I guess I expected too much. I was thinking I'd learn something new since science is ever-evolving. I was told that a lot of the exhibits were closed down due to COVID/funding. Apparently, event prices have more than doubled and there's less to see That's a shame. The staff was super nice though.
MelindaMelinda
20
I am a local guide in Carroll Co. But I sure enjoy visiting Des Moines for some culture, activites and restaurents when I can. I visited here in October '18, (2 weeks ago today). My son and I wanted to see the Lego Exhibit, "Brick By Brick" that opened Labor Day weekend. He is an adult Lego enthusiast and member of the local Lego Club in Des Moines. We both really enjoyed our day there. It' s just an amazing display. The Science Center of Iowa made a commitment to accept this as a permanent display with the designer and builder. It is a great addition to the Center. Famous world-known structures have been built to scale with Lego bricks. If you have not seen it,---please do!! This is not just for kids! I hope to post some pictures I took from that day.
Linda M. ObertLinda M. Obert
30
Nearby Attractions Of Science Center of Iowa
Des Moines' Downtown Farmers’ Market
Embassy Suites by Hilton Des Moines Downtown
Des Moines Marriott Downtown
Iowa Events Center
Graziano Brothers
Hilton Des Moines Downtown
Molly's Cupcakes
Cowles Commons
The Slaughterhouse Haunted Attraction
Hotel Fort Des Moines, Curio Collection by Hilton
Des Moines' Downtown Farmers’ Market
4.8
(1.5K)Click for details
Embassy Suites by Hilton Des Moines Downtown
4.1
(1.1K)Click for details
Des Moines Marriott Downtown
4.3
(990)Click for details
Iowa Events Center
4.5
(852)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Science Center of Iowa
Buzzard Billy’s
The Iowa Taproom
Fong's Pizza
Hessen Haus
El Bait Shop
Mullets Restaurant
Bubba
The Royal Mile
The High Life Lounge
Malo
Buzzard Billy’s
4.4
(2K)Click for details
The Iowa Taproom
4.6
(1.8K)Click for details
Fong's Pizza
4.5
(1.8K)Click for details
Hessen Haus
4.6
(1.5K)Click for details
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
401 W Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy, Des Moines, IA 50309
Map
Phone
(515) 274-6868
Call
Website
sciowa.org
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.5
(332 reviews)
Ratings & Description
cultural
entertainment
family friendly
Description
The Science Center of Iowa is a science museum located in Des Moines, Iowa. The museum opened in 1970 in Greenwood-Ashworth Park and was called the Des Moines Center of Science and Industry. It was renamed the Science Center of Iowa in 1985. It moved to its current location in 2005.
attractions: Des Moines' Downtown Farmers’ Market, Embassy Suites by Hilton Des Moines Downtown, Des Moines Marriott Downtown, Iowa Events Center, Graziano Brothers, Hilton Des Moines Downtown, Molly's Cupcakes, Cowles Commons, The Slaughterhouse Haunted Attraction, Hotel Fort Des Moines, Curio Collection by Hilton, restaurants: Buzzard Billy’s, The Iowa Taproom, Fong's Pizza, Hessen Haus, El Bait Shop, Mullets Restaurant, Bubba, The Royal Mile, The High Life Lounge, Malo
