Science Center of Iowa
Science Center of Iowa things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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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, Hotel Fort Des Moines, Curio Collection by Hilton, Brenton Skating Plaza, restaurants: The Iowa Taproom, Buzzard Billy’s, Fong's Pizza, Hessen Haus, El Bait Shop, Mullets Restaurant, Bubba, The High Life Lounge, The Royal Mile, Malo
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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.
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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
This place was an amazing spot to bring our 3 year old. There are so many cool things for them to do and see here. There's a whole nature center with snakes and bees - the glass bee display is so cool, because it exits to the outside of the building and the bees come in here and you can watch them do their thing. All of the animals looked to be in good health and spirits. We didn't get to see the whole place because we got stuck in the "Toying with Science" exhibit, which is this giant activity space where the kids can race and build LEGO cars, build air rockets, play with the ball wall, and build water dams. Our little guy smoked himself here and had a blast. This is the perfect way to spend a couple of hours while you're in Des Moines with the kids.
Greg EakinsGreg Eakins
10
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
Hotel Fort Des Moines, Curio Collection by Hilton
Brenton Skating Plaza
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
(998)Click for details
Iowa Events Center
4.5
(797)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Science Center of Iowa
The Iowa Taproom
Buzzard Billy’s
Fong's Pizza
Hessen Haus
El Bait Shop
Mullets Restaurant
Bubba
The High Life Lounge
The Royal Mile
Malo
The Iowa Taproom
4.6
(1.7K)$$
Click for details
Buzzard Billy’s
4.4
(1.8K)$$
Click for details
Fong's Pizza
4.5
(1.7K)$$
Click for details
Hessen Haus
4.6
(1.4K)$$
Click for details
Reviews
Overview
4.5
(349 reviews)
Phone
(515) 274-6868
Call
Website
sciowa.org
Visit
Deep Dive
A deep dive into Science Center of Iowa
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