Guide to an artful Des Moines stay

Whether you’re coming to Des Moines for the first time, or the hundredth, there’s always something new to experience. Our amazing blog readers have LOVED our Instagram worthy spots recap and so we are following this up to include an itinerary for Des Moines that have beautifully designed and artful locations throughout. I love the New York Times travel series “36 hours in…" so here’s our beautiful Des Moines version.

12:00pm: Lunch at Bubba (200 10th St., Des Moines). I’m a huge fan of their deviled eggs and cheese board and don’t sleep on the fried chicken. Beyond that, I may be biased because I worked on their art, but this is a beautiful restaurant. It’s full of thoughtful design and art throughout tying owner Chris Diebel’s Texas southern roots back to Des Moines.

1:30pm: Walk off the food by heading to the Pappajohn Sculpture Park. Is this a cliche recommendation? Maybe, but things become cliches for a reason. This is a world-class park and you’ll see work by Keith Haring, Yayoi Kusama, and Olafur Eliasson. If you walk from Bubba to the park you’ll pass by buildings by world-renowned architects David Chipperfield (The Des Moines Public Central Library) and Renzo Piano (The Krause Gateway Center).

2:30pm: Head down to the Renaissance Savery Hotel (401 Locust St., Des Moines) to pose in front of the Des Moines mural by Ben Schuh created for the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines and commissioned by our gallery. How will people know you’re in Des Moines if you don’t take a picture in front of a giant placemaking mural? Picture or it didn’t happen.

3:00pm: Ready for some more walking? Downtown Des Moines is incredibly walkable to head about half a mile to the East Village. First stop? Liz Lidgett Gallery, of course. (111 E. Grand #110, Des Moines). We’re open Monday through Friday 10-5 pm and we’d love to show you our current exhibit or talk about any of our artists. Next, fuel up at Dreiberge Coffee next door and start walking around the beautifully appointed shops. For clothing, take a look at Velvet Coat, Dornink and Aimee. For all your Des Moines and t-shirt needs—Raygun. For home design, Sticks Gallery, She and Porch Light. And for beautifully appointed stationery, both Pink Print Stationery and Ephemera.

7:00pm: Want a beautiful meal with seasonally prepared food and delicious cocktails? Great. Head to Proof (1301 Locust St., Des Moines). Our gallery changes out the artwork in the space quarterly so you’re also guaranteed to eat amongst lovely artwork as well. Plus, I’m a huge fan of the two all glass walls so you can see the city passing by while you eat.

9:00pm: You’ll definitely want an after dinner drink, right? Right. So, Bellhop (440 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines) is the perfect place to go. This is one of those spaces that’s so cool and designed so well, I wish we had something to do with it.

10:00am: If it’s in season, definitely head to the Des Moines Farmer’s Market. Walk amongst thousands of your best friends, and buy from a huge variety of local farmers and vendors. I’m biased but this is the best farmer’s market in the country. There, I said it. Also take a look at the RoCA mural wall where 12 local artists have created a “quilt” of murals up a 150 year old building.

12:00pm: It’s noon on Saturday—which of course, means brunch. You can’t go wrong with Centro or Django depending on how you’re feeling. American cuisine beautifully appointed or french cuisine equally as well done? Both restaurants are by restaurant group Orchestrate Hospitality and they are the best in the business for what they do.

2:00pm: Want an artful stay in Des Moines? Then you must, MUST, head to the Des Moines Art Center (4700 Grand Ave., Des Moines). This is a nationally-renowned museum that hits well above its weight for the size of our city. Stunning architecture, world class artwork, and it's free. Can you believe it? I hardly can either and I go on a monthly basis.

4:00pm: Time to head down to Valley Junction and check out a different part of Des Moines. These shops specialize in antiques, vintage, and specialty stores. There’s a great Iowa store, Heart of Iowa (211 5th St. West Des Moines) for any of your souvenir needs. Plus, there are so many wonderful bars and restaurants to duck in to get a bite to eat if you have worked up an appetite.

7:00pm: If you haven’t eaten yourself silly already, head out a bit to Clive and go to Table 128 (12695 University Ave #140, Clive). They specialize in eclectic, modern, american cuisine and have great gluten-free options if that’s your bag. I, of course, have nothing to do with the food but I am particularly proud of the artwork and gallery wall I created a few years ago for them which includes a framed menu from the owners’ honeymoon and a signed apron by Julia Child. The gallery wall is just as personal as the beautiful food they create each night.

9:00pm: For tonight’s after dinner drink? Head back to Des Moines proper to Bartender’s Handshake (3615 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines). It’s a cozy bar that’s well designed and serves great drinks. You couldn’t ask for more.

And that concludes your trip! I hope this guide gives you a hint at just how beautiful our city truly is both inside and out. For the locals, leave us a comment if there are any other beautifully designed or artful places you’d recommend. For those that use the guide, we’d love to hear how you use it and any other places you discover!