Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

Step inside an 80-foot geodesic dome conservatory, then stroll 12 acres of indoor and outdoor gardens on the Des Moines River next to downtown.

909 Robert D. Ray Drive, Des Moines, IA 50309 · Des Moines, IA

About Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden covers 12 acres on the east bank of the Des Moines River, just north of I-235 and a short walk from downtown. Its centerpiece is a geodesic-dome conservatory 80 feet tall and 150 feet wide, built when the garden opened in 1979, surrounded by outdoor gardens expanded in 2013 and 2021. Adults pay $14 and children 2 to 12 pay $10. The Robert D. Ray Asian Garden along the river is free and open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The garden is closed on Mondays.

#botanical garden
#conservatory
#geodesic dome
#gardens
#downtown des moines

What's around here?

The closest stops to Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Sightseeing
History Buff
Iowa State Capitol
No admission fee
Tour a five-domed statehouse topped in 23-karat gold, with 29 kinds of marble and a law library ringed by four stories of balconies.
Transit: reachable by public transit
0.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
Sightseeing
Date Night
Pappajohn Sculpture Park
No admission fee
Stroll 4.4 downtown acres of large outdoor sculpture, including Jaume Plensa's 27-foot figure made of letters.
Transit: reachable by public transit
1.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
Museums
Des Moines Art Center
No admission fee
A free museum, art school, and sculpture park in Iowa's capital city.
Transit: reachable by public transit
3.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
Sports & Outdoors
Walnut Woods State Park
Check prices
A quiet river-bottom state park in suburban West Des Moines, known for its black walnut forest and 1930s CCC-era lodge.
7.7 mi awayMore like this
Sports & Outdoors
Lake Ahquabi State Park
Check prices
Iowa state park built around a lake south of Indianola, offering trails, a swimming beach, boating, fishing, and campsites.
21 mi awayMore like this
Sports & Outdoors
Reiman Gardens
Under $25
A university-owned public garden on the Iowa State University campus in Ames, with year-round events and a tropical butterfly house.
29 mi awayMore like this