Family Fun in Des Moines Area

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Urbandale Breakout Games

★★★★☆ 4.9 (6206)

Family Fun Centers

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Ames Ames History Museum

★★★★☆ 4.9 (44)

Children's Museums

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Urbandale Pump It Up Urbandale Kids Birthdays and More

★★★★☆ 4.4 (393)

Trampoline Parks

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Clive RezBlue Virtual Reality Des Moines

★★★★☆ 4.9 (462)

VR Experiences

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West Des Moines West Grand Golf

★★★★☆ 4.4 (318)

Mini Golf

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Ames North River Seasonal Ice Skating Rink

★★★★★ 5 (1)

Skating Rinks

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8 city pages

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Des Moines 12 activities West Des Moines 6 activities Ames 4 activities Urbandale 4 activities Grimes 3 activities Clive 2 activities Altoona 2 activities Boone 2 activities

Planning notes

Des Moines Area has 35 family activities across 11 categories and 8 cities. Pick an activity to see top picks, or jump to a city.

Venue notes from Des Moines Area tracks

K1 Speed - Indoor Go Karts, Corporate Event Venue, Team Building Activities: Features electric go-karts capable of reaching 45 mph indoors, providing consistent torque at all speeds with no stalling risk
The Operating Room features a unique 'drink flight' concept with slushies offered in curated selections, mentioned as a signature offering that draws customers even during hot weather
Perfect Games features a 2-story laser tag arena, which is a notable multi-level setup for a family entertainment center
Spare Time Des Moines: Features an 'Elite Room' specifically designed as a sensory-friendly bowling experience, making it one of the few family entertainment centers with dedicated accessibility accommodations for children with sensory sensitivities
RezBlue Virtual Reality Des Moines: RezBlue offers untethered room-scale VR experiences, allowing players freedom of movement without being tethered to equipment
Monsterama Pubcade features a distinctive monster/horror theme throughout the venue, creating a dark and atmospheric setting that complements the retro arcade experience from the 80s and 90s
Breakout Games Urbandale maintains an exceptional 4.9-star rating across 6,206 reviews, indicating consistently high customer satisfaction for their escape room experiences
Kids Empire Merle Hay offers same-day re-entry with no additional cost - visitors can leave and return the same day by signing out with staff, maximizing value of their all-day access pass
Escape Chambers Des Moines operates a two-story laser tag arena with wireless rifle technology featuring realistic firing sounds and simulated recoil, along with padded drop steps connecting levels instead of traditional stairs
Gameday features a made-from-scratch kitchen with signature items like spicy deviled eggs ($9 for 6), charred wings, and a HUGE pretzel appetizer with house-made dips, indicating a more upscale casual dining approach than typical arcade venues
Chuck E. Cheese offers a free Kid Check safety program that uses matching stamps for children and adults to ensure safe reunification—a unique safety feature not commonly highlighted at typical family entertainment centers
Air Lanes uses traditional free-fall pinsetters instead of modern string pin systems, providing a true regulation bowling experience with natural ball and pin reactions

More venue notes

Clive Aquatic Center features a lazy river as one of its main attractions, mentioned in 19 reviews - significantly more than any other individual feature
Altoona Aquatics Park offers exceptionally affordable concessions with all items priced at $4 or less, making it budget-friendly for families
Adventureland Park features a lazy river as part of its water park amenities, with 75 review mentions highlighting this attraction
Get Air Urbandale offers dedicated Toddler Time sessions with a 46" height requirement, providing a segregated jumping experience for younger children on Sunday mornings and Tuesday/Thursday mornings
Sky Zone implemented a new wristband policy starting September 8th, requiring all guests to wear wristbands while inside the facility for safety and tracking purposes
Pump It Up Urbandale Kids Birthdays and More: Offers 100% private party experiences where the entire fun zone is reserved exclusively for one party, ensuring no mingling with other groups
Blank Park Zoo operates active conservation breeding programs including a Cotton-Top Tamarin breeding program and a Turtle hatchling conservation program, demonstrating its commitment to species preservation
Blue Zoo Aquarium features a fully interactive hands-on experience where visitors can touch and feed stingrays, starfish, birds, reptiles, and small fish, with stingray interactions being mentioned in 323 reviews and stingray petting specifically in 86 reviews
Des Moines Children's Museum: Adults receive free admission to the Des Moines Children's Museum, making it an economical destination for family outings
Great Cats features 70+ animal species including rare animals such as Amur Tigers, Snow Leopards, and Eastern Black Rhinoceros
Ames History Museum: The museum features a unique vault that visitors can explore, described as 'uniquely interesting' by reviewers
Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & James H. Andrew Railroad Museum: The High Bridge is a notable scenic landmark featured prominently in train excursions, mentioned in 42 reviews, making it one of the most talked-about features of the attraction
Living History Farms: The museum spans 500 acres and features four distinct historical time periods: 1700 Ioway Indian Farm, 1850 Pioneer Farm, 1876 Town of Walnut Hill, and 1900 Horse-Powered Farm, allowing visitors to journey through 200 years of agricultural history
The Zoo: Children's Underground features a story reader program available to enhance the visitor experience
Combat Live Laser Tag: Features 285 different weapon simulations that rotate weekly, providing constantly varied gameplay experiences
The Fat Putter features 3 different mini golf courses plus arcade games and brain buster puzzle games integrated throughout the courses
West Grand Golf offers a unique tiered pricing structure including free play for children 5 and under, discounted daycare rates at $9 per child, and group lesson packages, making it exceptionally accessible for families and organized groups
Monster Mini Golf Grimes: Features custom artwork and murals paying homage to local Grimes culture and landmarks, making it a locally-themed attraction rather than a generic franchise experience
Skateland features an indoor skate park with a quarter pipe, drop-in quarter pipe, and multiple ramps and rails, plus an augmented reality interactive mural on the northern-most half pipe
Ames / ISU Ice Arena: The rink features a pep band and cheerleaders at hockey games, which is notable enough that visitors specifically mentioned it as their first experience seeing this at a skating venue
North River Seasonal Ice Skating Rink features separate dedicated rinks - one for hockey and one for general skating - allowing simultaneous use by different skating disciplines
Skate South: VIP glow room party packages include multiple entertainment and food amenities: food, beverages, airbrush tattoos, and arcade game cards all included in one package
K1 Speed - Indoor Go Karts, Corporate Event Venue, Team Building Activities: Offers specialized racing formats including Monthly Race Leagues, Drift Night, GLO KARTING, and K1 World Championship events
The Operating Room West Des Moines: Pinball is a dominant attraction at this venue with 38 mentions in reviews, significantly outpacing other games and suggesting it may be a specialty focus compared to typical family entertainment centers
Perfect Games: The venue allows customers to bring their own birthday cakes to parties, offering flexibility uncommon in many entertainment centers
Spare Time Des Moines: Laser tag requires a minimum of 10 people to play, which is notably higher than typical laser tag venues and positions it specifically for group events and parties rather than individual or small group play
RezBlue Virtual Reality Des Moines: The venue features large screens available for spectators to watch VR battles in real-time from outside the play area
Monsterama Pubcade: The venue hosts organized pinball tournaments and pool leagues, indicating a competitive gaming community and structured event programming beyond casual play
Breakout Games: The venue offers 8 distinct themed escape rooms including CLUE, The Kidnapping, Kidnapping 2: Afraid of the Dark, Mystery Mansion, Wild West, Bomb Squad, Island Escape, and Operation: Casino, providing diverse difficulty levels and narratives
Kids Empire Merle Hay: The venue has specific accessibility accommodations for children on the autistic spectrum, including advance notice of surprise parades with loud music and elevated noise levels to help manage sensory sensitivities
Escape Chambers Des Moines: The venue offers multiple laser tag game modes including Team Slayer, Snipers, and King of the Hill within their 60-minute sessions
Gameday: The venue serves as a sports viewing destination with multiple TVs for watching games, and offers a full-service bar with signature cocktails like Blue Porch Punch, combining traditional arcade/bowling entertainment with premium sports bar amenities
Chuck E. Cheese: This location features an Adventure Zone with both trampolines and an obstacle course, with the trampoline zone restricted to visitors under 56 inches tall, creating a specialized area for younger children
Air Lanes Bowling Center: Features cosmic bowling with nightclub-like atmosphere including special effects lighting and music, creating a glow-in-the-dark disco bowling experience
Clive Aquatic Center: The facility offers dedicated toddler time programming, mentioned in 6 reviews, indicating structured activities beyond standard pool hours
Altoona Aquatics Park: The park features an island and open grassy sunbathing area, providing a distinct layout compared to typical water parks
Adventureland Park: The park operates seasonal special events including Neon Nights (Friday & Saturday nights July 10 to August 15), Oktoberfest, and Phantom Fall Fest Halloween event, plus entertainment shows featuring magic, lumberjack performances, and drone shows
Get Air Trampoline Park: The venue features Club Air, a specialized evening jump session with music and lighting effects, offered Friday and Saturday nights from 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Sky Zone Trampoline Park: The facility requires waivers for all guests including observers, with the convenience of online completion prior to visit
Pump It Up Urbandale Kids Birthdays and More: Features a Weekend Glow Jump special event with glow-in-the-dark capabilities, which reviewers specifically highlighted as a unique and fun add-on option
Blank Park Zoo: The zoo houses over 60 animal species across both indoor and outdoor exhibits, including rare species such as Snow Leopards, Amur Tigers, Eastern Black Rhinoceros, and Panamanian Golden Frogs
Blue Zoo Aquarium Des Moines: The aquarium hosts mermaid shows as a regular attraction, mentioned in 81 visitor reviews
Des Moines Children's Museum: The museum hosts Touch A Truck events in partnership with the City of Windsor Heights, providing interactive exploration of vehicles and equipment as part of its hands-on learning programming
Great Cats: The zoo offers interactive giraffe feeding experiences available at scheduled times (11am, 1pm, 3pm) on weekends through Memorial Day
Ames History Museum: The 'We the People of Ames' exhibit includes Civil War artifacts, U.S. Bicentennial items, presidential visit memorabilia, and World War II business artifacts
Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & James H. Andrew Railroad Museum: Offers specialized Rail Explorers experiences where visitors can ride in pedal-powered rail cars, a unique interactive experience distinct from traditional train rides
Living History Farms uses on-site interpreters and historians who embody their time periods to deliver educational experiences, with review mentions highlighting staff expertise in bringing history to life through hands-on demonstrations like printing shop activities
Combat Live Laser Tag: Arena course layout changes weekly and game modes are dynamically adjusted based on the arena configuration
The Fat Putter Des Moines: The venue operates as a 21+ only venue from 6pm to close, transforming into an adults-only entertainment space in the evenings
West Grand Golf: The course features cascading waterfalls, elegant fountains, and picturesque rock gardens with colorful blooms integrated throughout the 18-hole layout, creating a distinctive natural landscape setting for mini golf
Monster Mini Golf Grimes: Offers a multi-entertainment complex with 18-hole glow-in-the-dark mini golf, laser maze, bowling, and arcade in one location
Skateland: The rink offers games approximately every 15 minutes during skating sessions to provide entertainment breaks for guests
Ames / ISU Ice Arena: The rink experienced a month-long closure in May, after which hockey sessions were added back to the calendar
North River Seasonal Ice Skating Rink: The rink operates on a completely free admission model with extended hours from dawn until dusk throughout the winter months
Skate South: Parties booked during rink opening result in significantly less crowded experiences, allowing private event guests to nearly have the place to themselves

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Family Fun Centers in Des Moines Area

Children's Museums in Des Moines Area

Trampoline Parks in Des Moines Area

Laser Tag in Des Moines Area

Mini Golf in Des Moines Area

Skating Rinks in Des Moines Area

Zoos in Des Moines Area

Water Parks in Des Moines Area

Escape Rooms in Des Moines Area

Go-Karts in Des Moines Area

VR Experiences in Des Moines Area

Featured across Des Moines Area

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Planning notes