Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
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.
1007 East Grand Ave · Des Moines, IA
Built between 1871 and 1886, this Renaissance Revival statehouse is the only five-domed capitol in the country, and its central dome is covered in 23-karat gold leaf. Guided tours are offered, or you can walk the building on your own. Inside you see 29 kinds of marble and a Victorian law library with four stories of balcony shelves around an atrium. Look for the battle flags carried by Iowa regiments and the 18-foot model of the battleship USS Iowa.
The closest stops to Iowa State Capitol, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
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.
Transit: reachable by public transit
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Stroll 4.4 downtown acres of large outdoor sculpture, including Jaume Plensa's 27-foot figure made of letters.
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A free museum, art school, and sculpture park in Iowa's capital city.
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Feed giraffes, see red pandas and great cats, and ride the carousel at Iowa's accredited zoo on old Fort Des Moines land.
Transit: reachable by public transit
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Iowa county famous for its historic covered bridges, made famous by The Bridges of Madison County.
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Walk through the 1883 covered bridge over the Middle River made famous by The Bridges of Madison County.
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