We stumbled upon the capitol building by accident; seeing it from a distance and not knowing what it was we drove around until we found it. It's stunning and the memorials to the Civil War, Korean, Vietnam and Senator Allison are amazing. It was unexpected and delightful even on a cold wet day. More

I was just amazed at this place! I have seen state capitol buildings before, but Iowa's state capitol building has a dome covered with 23 carat pure gold!! No other state capitol dome I have seen in the Midwest is as golden as the one in Iowa. Unfortunately, access to the dome itself is no longer available. But you do... More

We had the tour with our 6 and 9 years old. It was very interesting to both adults and kids. I would highly reccomend it. THe guide was very knowledgable and attentive. Note that the last part is only for kids above tyhe age of 6 which really upset our almost to be 6 kid... More

I thought the Iowa State Capitol was simply amazing. Not only is it beautiful on the outside, but the inside really surprised me. There was so much to see and so much character. Great place to stop if you like history or architecture! You can get a free guided tour which lets you go up in to the dome which... More

Wonderful, friendly, helpful staff! Beautiful building with great tour guides. I took my children 6 and 9 years old. I don't think that they understood the significance of the historical items but they loved the building and especially going up the stairs to the dome. I would compare this to building in Europe. I would definately go back again! It's... More

The Capitol is beautiful and scrupulously maintained -- particularly the law library. The guided tours are great, and it's free. This is a great option if you have a couple of hours free in downtown Des Moines. More

My husband & I have been to 20 different State Capitols and so far we both agree this on is the most beautiful one. The tour guide was very knowledgeable, and enthusiastic. More

I would recommend calling ahead and getting a guided tour of the capitol since you have more access to different areas (such as the dome), and get to learn a lot about the history and architecture of the building. It's a beautiful place, easy to get to, and plenty of free parking at the capitol complex lot. The tour itself... More

I had a day to kill after interviewing at Des Moines University so I thought I would explore the Capitol building in downtown Des Moines. It was really gorgeous and I really enjoyed the view from the front steps of downtown Des Moines. The tour guides were very friendly. They won't do a tour for just one person, so I... More