If you're looking for a relaxing break while exploring downtown Des Moines, I'd definitely recommend spending an hour or two at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden! The gardens are beautiful year-round, with a mix of tropical plants, seasonal flowers, and peaceful walking paths. The conservatory is my favorite part--it feels like stepping into another climate, and there are so many unique plants to see! Outside, you'll also find beautifully landscaped gardens overlooking the Des Moines River. Whether you're visiting as a couple, with family, or just looking for a quiet place to explore, it's an easy stop to add to your itinerary! If you're visiting Des Moines, I'd definitely put the botanical garden on your list! read more

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This place is honestly magical. We've talked about going to the Des Moines Botanical Garden for years and just never made the time. We finally went during the holidays, and I'm so glad we did. Everything was decorated beautifully, the self-guided walk was easy, and there were photo opportunities everywhere. It was busy with families, but the timed ticketing really worked -- it never felt packed or overwhelming, which I appreciated. Going on a snowy, cold night actually made it even better. It felt cozy, festive, and kind of special. They also have concessions with drinks for kids and adults (with or without alcohol), which was a nice surprise. There's a restaurant inside called Flora that's reservation-only, plus brunch options. We also saw the little igloo huts you can reserve for dinner or small groups (I think around 8 people), which looked really fun -- definitely want to look into that more. Parking was free, and if you want to make it more of an experience, you can even ride the trolley over from the East Village. Overall, this was easily a 10/10 for us. Can't believe it took us this long to go -- we'll definitely be back. read more

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Be sure to check the days they are open. Right now they are closed on Mondays. I knew that, but I thought I could walk around outside even though they were closed, but no, it is gated. I will just have to come back another warm day! For what I could see, it's going to be a beautiful year although it looks like some renovation has started outside. This is always a fun place to visit for a plant lover. read more

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While in town, my friend and I visited the Botanical Garden. The location is easy to get to and the complimentary parking was great. The gift shop was adorable. They had so many cute things. The staff at the shop sold the tickets and was very nice. The woman at the entrance was very kind as well. She offered a ton of information enthusiastically. As we walked around, everything was displayed beautifully. All of the flowers and plants were well cared for. I kept smelling chocolate and then realized they were having a chocolate event. I was impressed with the many event spaces. Overall, it is definitely worth a visit. read more

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My only real gripe: not much for sale in terms of plants. You would think at a botanical center, there would be plants available for purchase. However, it's very peaceful and pleasant to walk around looking at the plants and watching the fish. It's so warm, as greenhouses are, which I find very comforting. There's not much to do besides just walk around. But still a pleasant place to visit. And a bonus: people with an EBT card can get in for free (up to 4 people). A good learning experience for lower income individuals and families. read more

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

So I'm prefacing this with I've been to a lot of botanical gardens. I'd say this is a four star primarily based just on size. It's really well maintained and the grounds were really pretty. There isn't much as far as indoors but the waterfall was nice. I loved the water features outside and proximity to the river. I really enjoyed the visit and would go again. read more

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Enjoying a beautiful indoor garden on a wickedly cold and windy mid-winter night was a fun visit. We attended one of their "Dome After Dark" events, a regular Friday theme that lasts from 6-10 PM for a separate, after-hours admission. On-site parking eases the arrival, and obtaining online tickets in advance enabled us to have an easier entry with a timed admission. It's a lovely winter getaway, with tropical plants as your focus despite the outside temps. It is well-lit, cute gnomes, and I suggest going upstairs to enjoy the view. We loved Joel Ryser's "Hot Glass Inc" glass work! Flora, their dining option, was open, and staffer Shea informed me about their menu and events. I enjoyed their ToGo apple pie and ice cream! I'm returning for lunch sometime, and I look forward to visiting the riverside venue on a nice day. read more

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It has been 20 years since I was last here, and they have made huge improvements. I was expecting to just walk around the dome and go home. Then we realized that they added a ton of new stuff to the backyard, and we didn't have enough time to see it all. If I still lived in DSM I would probably become a season pass holder and just come here to chill out. It's so relaxing inside and out. read more

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

So much fun! Lots of cool gardens both inside and outside. It took us maybe 30-40 mins to look through everything so was definitely worth the price. There was a very helpful guide Steve (or Steven?) there who answered all of our questions and pointed out some cool features! read more

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What an amazing place to visit multiple times a year - I highly recommend visiting them for a night time event at least once!!! However, this post if for their restaurant on site Flora. We arrived and got a spot placed, as it was fairly busy and told 45 minutes to an hour. We took that as the perfect stroll through the garden. The food was divine. All seasonal foods were incredible and the lemonade beats any state fair lemonade I have ever had. Our server was so incredibly sweet and allowed us extra time with our menus as we were just gawking at all the senior photos, brides and beautiful flowers and plants surrounding us. We will be back again for the food!!! read more

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Music in the Garden is a great event. Live music in the air, art students drawing & painting along the pathways, cafe and concessions area with seating, groups in lawn chairs, and kids milling around made for a wonderful evening in Des Moines! Thanks to the National Senior Games staff for providing the information about the music series at Athlete check-in and Botanical Garden staff at ticketing, cafe, concessions and throughout the garden being so helpful. It did not disappoint. Thank you! read more

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Outstanding! My mom and I visited the gardens today. We are from out of town and visiting DesMoines for a wedding. We decided to spend the day at the botanical gardens and it surpassed our expectations!! This place is LOVELY!! The grounds walking in from the parking lot are beautiful. The dome was stunning. So many plants and flowers to see...butterflies everywhere..koi pond...and then you go outside! So beautiful! The waterfalls, lily pond, walkway along the river where we watched the rowing teams...just perfect. Also...eat at the cafe inside it's a delight! read more

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Nice outdoor and indoor space. $12 adult entry was nice time to spend the day although I wish spaces like this were free for public enjoyment. Bike trail nearby to continue a day outside read more

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Loved our first-ever visit to the Des Moines Botanical Gardens. We visited early on a Friday afternoon and stayed about 1.5 hours. I would say we were moving at a leisurely pace. Parking was free and admission was $12/adults. I really liked the Master Gardener area, Garden Quote Walk and the waterfall. The grounds were beautifully maintained. The volunteer who was working, Donna I think her name was, was a hoot. She told us all about the living wall in the lobby, and where things were located. Don't miss the gift shop on the way out. Really fun things! They also have a restaurant that's open from 11-2, so we didn't try it. Multiple people have told me good things about it. A must-see if you're visiting DSM. read more

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We took our six-year-old Granddaughter to see Dome for the Holidays. The gardens were decked out in festive lights throughout. I think it was more appreciated by adults but we were given a scavenger hunt which made it somewhat entertaining to look for 50 gnomes (found 36), the train, sixteen stars (found all of them) as well as some other things. After about an hour, she had had enough so if you are taking young children, that would be my recommendation. Beautiful way to enjoy the holidays! read more

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The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden is a peaceful spot right in downtown Des Moines, offering a quick escape amidst the bustling city. It's reciprocal to the Missouri Botanical Garden so I swung through for a quick walk around. It's a lush 12-acre garden along the river. Stepping into the garden, you walk through their conservatory which is so peaceful. The indoor and outdoor gardens showcase so many plant species from around the world. The outside gardens have multiple pathways including up one side of the waterfall and down the other. It's very well laid out. Initial seeds were planted and the plans for the garden were laid out in spring of 1929 but the stock market halted progress that fall. Finally in 1966, the city of Des Moines secures a 14-acre brickyard that will eventually become the site of the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. read more

We attended "Dome for the Holidays." It was fun to explore the Botanical Gardens in the evening. It was magical actually. It wasn't too crowded and something everyone should checkout. They have their own parking lot which is free and they have a bar area if you want to still and sip on a little drink. This is open nightly until Christmas from 5-9pm read more

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Trying to escape a windy day in Des Moines, my family visited this lovely garden! It's not a huge place for $10... but definitely has a ton of different plants to look at; so much variety and cute photo opportunities. The glass dome has a beautiful inner lining that provides an aesthetic backdrop! Many wedding photos are taken here. The Gardener's Showroom was my favorite area tucked away in the back of the garden. Lots of air plants, succulents, and seating areas inside. It gets really warm in here, so it's nice they provide coat hangers by the gift shop! They aren't liable if your coat gets stolen though. read more

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Great botanical garden in a rather small city. The Dome is a haven - especially during winter. There were lots of parents with small children visiting in early March - which was great to see. The Flora Cafe has only been open a short while but needs major rethinking. The prices are high and the portions are really tiny. My chicken salad sandwich had barely a teaspoon of chicken salad! The side soup wasn't enough to feed a bird. Disappointing. read more

Well-worth a visit. If I lived in the area, I would drop in a few times a year, since they have the grounds set up so pleasantly and have a very nice cafe. I visited in April and there was a lot of construction going on. In addition, the water features were turned off, but I could get a sense of how nice it must be when they are running. Their show room was very interesting. It was set up so you had the feeling you were walking through the backyards of several people, making it a great place to pick up ideas to take home. I did not think they had much in the way of plants from around the world, but I think they had a nice collection of plants that most people could grow on their own, making the experience feel very practical and useful. It is a bit small, but then again, most botanical gardens grow over time. read more

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Beautiful botanical garden. Easy map to navigate with a Q-Code on your phone. It's way bigger than it looks. Spacious & well-organized. Friendly staff! Parking lot has plenty of room. read more

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After dark is a cute family friendly activity. Hard to see the plants, so if you're into the plants specifically, visit during the day. If you're there for the vibe and a place to grab a drink, this is a great spot. There are fun activities too like plant crafts if you sign up in advance. It was busy with lots of families with littles there the night we went, but still a fun visit. read more

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden - After dark - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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One of the most inspiring places! I loved my visit to these gardens. I'm only posting a few pics which don't come close to doing justice to the beauty of these gardens. I was able to take my time and stroll the outside and inside. So much to see and appreciate! I was especially inspired by one of the interior rooms - I can't recall what it was called? Such a comforting and restful space. I didn't get to try the restaurant. Perhaps next visit. And that's the appeal of returning: gardens like these are a unique experience at different times of the year; they're continuously expanding and changing. Each time you visit will be a new and different experience. Whether you're visiting or call Des Moines home, I encourage you to patronize this oasis in the city! read more

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Not a large place, but interesting. There's plenty of sections that provide "moments" - moments of tranquility, moments to sit and people watch, photo-op moments/moments for the Gram... - there's an upstairs cafe, but for some reason it was closed while we were there (pre-covid). And then a break-away section that was more like a nursery in lay-out, but just another manner to experience some botanicals. Quaint in space, but held an element of charm. All-in-all, a pleasurable activity... and i am NOT a "plant" person. Don't have a green thumb - more like a black thumb - and not super "earthy" either. I'd say a nice place to experience nature without some of the unsavory parts! read more

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I was in town for a bit and decided to go to the botanical gardens here. It's only about $10 and they are all really helpful inside and really sweet. Once you are inside with people love talking to you about everything without you even having to ask, which I thought was really nice because it shows that they really love their job and they really care about the gardens. And it's not like you paid for a tour so I really really liked the people here. I went during winter so I couldn't go outside, I definitely wanna go back during the summer to see the outside part. The inside though is really cool! I actually did learn a lot here! They also have some other rooms where you can see other kinds of plants. They have the most Coleus of all the botanical gardens here. There's over 650 different species and they display 50 at a time. They also have a good orchid collection. As well as desert type plants which surprised me because I'm from Vegas. I didn't think they would have that here. They even have a separate room where you can make your own plants! If you were in the Des Moines area, I highly recommend you stop by here. read more

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was out mid-west with the cutest of chicks and needed to stretch our legs and get some fresh air and sunshine and that kind of stuff so where better than the Botanical Gardens in the heart of Des Moines in October? getting in from the expressway is just a matter of following the signage through a series of right turns; easy breezy and you'll pass the asian garden on the way in (but you can stop by just as easy on the way out.) a big crazy spray of flowers greet you as you walk up to the front doors: mostly roses in the rose garden and even this late in the fall lots of blooms and color and most of them are sniffy and there's a mess of tall prairie looking specimens along with. I got no idea what they are but they sure are pretty. $10 american to get in and have a look around is more than fair since there's so much garden to take in... a half dozen or so bonsai on the patio overlooking the water garden full of lily pads and reeds and frogs... the Koehn Garden features an espalier wall literally crawling with edibles... across the lawn a rather fancy water feature comes off a hillside covered with evergreens and mostly greens and bunnies... continue to another fountain spewing water mightily into the midday sky keeping a tree-lined promenade moist and green and happy. then we're back to the conservatory for a bite of lunch before having a quick peek at the succulents and orchids and other succulents and everything else under the dome. way too much to see all at once and there's something brewing out past the ruan allee so yeah, this should really be savored in small doses over several days (or maybe even a lifetime.) read more

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I got really into houseplants over COVID, and I never had interest in the gardens before this year. I was honored to shoot a wedding, and decided I had to find a way back to visit. If you want a pleasant stroll through tropical plants, take a visit! Tickets are a tad pricey if you don't plan to spend more than 30 minutes looking around, but if you take your time it's very refreshing! Best times to visit are in the winter since it stays warm and humid. They also have plenty of events for families, and the summer outside has some great gardens. I realized after this last visit I didn't even see everything outside and I can't wait to go back! read more

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It took us about 45 min to stroll through the botanical gardens. Lots of beautiful and unique plants and trees both indoors and outside. A beautiful waterfall and fountain outside make for a peaceful environment. Nestled by the river, you can stroll afterwards down to the Asian gardens, over the walkable bridge to the expansive skate park. read more

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I was so looking forward to eating here since it opened and I was so happy to be able to experience dining here. I enjoyed everything and highly recommend it. I'd love to come during the late spring or anytime actually as it really is lovely. The food was excellent and although I didn't have a dessert or a glass of wine, the options were excellent and looked beautiful. Although lunch is very busy, I sat at the bar and it was perfect as alas, John didn't accompany me on my vacation/business trip. I felt very welcome and comfortable dining here alone and I will definitely come again! Thank-you for the great idea of partnering with the Botanical Center too! read more

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden - Combination Plate of Sesame Salad with Chicken Paprikash. - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I personally went during the coldest month, and got to see the indoor botanical garden, with tropical, arid, and desert plants. I enjoyed it tremendously. Although I didn't get to see the place in the summer, I love palm trees and tropical plants, which this place has tons of them indoors. I've been to many parts of Florida, and this place has many great tropical species. It's a very relaxing experience to visit when there's still snow outside. The staff were friendly, and although a smaller area it was packed with lots of life. read more

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Beautiful and fun place to visit. There was so much going on in the conservatory, especially for being January. There were so many plants in bloom and so much to see. I really enjoyed the Gardeners Show House. It was full of beautiful plants and flowers along with cool sitting areas and other whimsical displays. I look forward to being able to visit during the warmer months when the outdoor gardens are alive and blooming. read more

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This is a great place to have here is Des Moines. If you are a gardener of any fashion this is a must at least once. If you are looking for a unique meeting place, wedding location, stop along the bike trail this is it. I have been here before for different events. This stop was so unique. The corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) was blooming! A must see because of the size of this plant and the smell! They had a line of people to check it out, smell and take pictures. The one thing a lot of people forget is that it is warm in the dome. It was already 90 outside. So it marched it inside. The staff did a great job getting people though and the flower was pretty cool. I love weird nature. I plan on biking out again and hopefully come back for another event. read more

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Beautiful. The first words out of my mouth. I hadn't been here for years. I went for a wedding. What a beautiful backdrop for a perfect day. After the ceremony we were able to walk around the gardens. The event was beautiful. The staff seemed to be very attentive. I wish I had gotten photos of the inside gardens. The views outside were amazing read more

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I went for a rain barrel making class. It was $55 for all the materials and to use their power tools. There were15 barrels there, fortunately only 14 people making barrels. The presentation made by Cody was very informative and I learned a lot from that. My issues start with the construction of the actual barrels. 14 barrels, 2 drills and 1 sawzall. Cody asked if I wanted to cut my own holes. I told him I would like to try. By the time they got to my barrell (last one), I think time was running out and the instructors were doing all the power tool work. I was impressed with the instructors, all women, using power tools, but I wanted to be a woman using power tools. They need less participants or more power tools, because it was a lot of standing around and waiting. Staff was good, except for when I was asked "What are you needing now," it came off as exasperated. I think they were just wanting the even t to be over with. I get that, but you offered me to make a rain barrel using power tools. You made my rain barrel for me. Anyway, I think more rain barrels will be in my future, but thanks to Cody and the girls I can do it myself. I'd like to check out other classes to see if they're run any better. It won't stop me from checking out another class, but I'll be more vocal nest time. The gardens are beautiful, I didn't get to spend enough time checking those out. read more

What a fun way to spend part of the afternoon! When we came, only the outdoor portion was open, but it was an incredible sight. The gardens are well maintained and beautiful. The pond was entertaining with all the frogs, and it was a nice way to spend time outdoors! I would love to come back to see inside the dome. read more

We were here for a dinner memorializing my parents. It's gorgeous. So much beautiful! See pics. Friendly staff. Family friendly. Clean. Lot parking. We didn't pay, so I don't know the pricing. The food here was very good. Nicely presented. Marcy'sDinerTantrumScale 5/5- NoScreamingKids. read more

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Took my little (Big Brother Big Sister Program) here and neither of us had been before. They recommended you buy tickets online ahead of time but were still selling tickets on site as well. The flowers and trees were beautiful they have such a great variety. The outdoor plants had withered so we plan to go back when they are in full bloom next spring. Would definitely recommend as an activity to do alone or with friends or family where you can still practice social distancing. read more

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This place is amazing, especially in the winter!!! It was -3° today and we needed to get out of the house and a friend was here recently and so we decided it was more than worth admission to warm up and see some amazing plants!! A lot of others had that idea, it wasn't packed but fairly busy for just opening around when we showed up!! Everything was awesome as usual and everyone was so helpful!! It is a great gem in DSM and I'm happy it's still here! I have many fond memories from my past from going to shows in high school in the classrooms and seeing the plants when I was little, it felt good to bring our son here! Thanks for the cheer up on this freezing day, Botan!! read more

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What a great place to take a family! We love coming here to learn and just to sit and enjoy the lush gardens. There's plenty to learn for both kids and adults, even if you grew up with a certified master gardener for a mom like I did. Buy a membership, you won't regret it! Great way to kill the winter blues. read more

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Interesting place with lots to see. Garden views that can be enjoyed at any pace and a relaxing environment at the cafe.