City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (515) 277-4405

Address: 4700 Grand Ave.

Description: The big draw here—other than the fact that it’s a free museum—are the art backpacks provided to young visitors near the front door, which contain a wealth of activities to keep kids preoccupied, like scavenger hunts that will take them through the museum and opportunities to create their own art. They may also find the museum’s collections of interest—with a large number of modern painting and sculpture, there is lots of artwork that will appear to younger visitors. The galleries wind throughout the building, making this a nice spot to spend a couple hours, and the grounds outside are worth exploring as well. It’s also adjacent to Ashworth/Greenwood Park, a sprawling city park that has lots of stuff for kids to see and do, including a lagoon, amphitheater, playground, and city swimming pool. The art museum is closed Mon.