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Welcome to the City of Des Moines
Parks and Recreation

Providing clean, safe, fun, and beautiful parks, open spaces, recreational facilities, and professionally managed leisure activities.

News & Info

• Ice Skating Conditions

  
  Outdoor Ice Skating at Des Moines' Parks is Now Open Conditions are currently safe for skating at:

  • Grandview Golf Course Guthrie & E. 31st Street

  
  A flag system is in place to indicate availability of public skating. A red flag indicates that conditions are not suitable for public skating while a green flag indicates that conditions are suitable to skate. Watch this web page for updates on ice skating conditions in the Parks.

• The City of Des Moines Park and Recreation Department Requests Neighborhood Beautification Proposals

  
  Des Moines Parks and Recreation announces a grant opportunity for neighborhood-based groups interested in strengthening a neighborhood’s appearance with permanent physical improvements of a streetscape. Streetscape improvements that build neighborhood cohesion, have high public impact and visibility, improve the environment and are located on City of Des Moines property will be funded through the Neighborhood Streetscape Grant Program. A total of $25,000 is available for streetscape projects. There is no minimum or maximum amount that can be requested. Applications are due on January 15th, 2009.

  Neighborhood Streetscape Grant Program Application

• New Parks Maintenance Facility is LEED Certified

  
  In July 2008, the City of Des Moines Park and Recreation Department received certification for the Des Moines metro area’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)* building, the West Zone/Glendale Maintenance Facility located at 4909 University Avenue in the Glendale Municipal Cemetery building complex.

  Read more ...

• Des Moines Parks and Recreation Program Built a Fairyland Village at Ashby Park

  
  In conjunction with its Naturally Fun Urban Environmental Education series, the City of Des Moines Park and Recreation Department invited children of all ages to join local artist Sandra Gustafson in building gingerbread house-like “fairy houses” at the city’s Ashby Park, located at 38th and Davison Streets, on Saturday morning, October 4, 2008.

  The fairy house craft is catching on with fervor among young folks from coast to coast. The little houses were built outdoors with the use of materials found solely in nature and left behind for anyone who would like to use them in creating their own elfin magic while visiting the park. Kids took a second look at the park’s natural environment and used their imagination in searching for materials to use for their “construction project” while also making use of some of their math and building skills as they built their little fairy homes. This fun program was offered free of charge. WATCH FOR IT TO BE ON DES MOINES PARK AND RECREATION’S 2009 NATURALLY FUN URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION SCHEDULE.

  Photo Gallery

• New Location for Park and Recreation Department Administration Office

  Capitol Center I, Suite 200, 600 East Court Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309
  Office hours and phone number remain the same:
  8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday
  (515) 237-1386

• Youth Program Interest Survey

  The Des Moines Park and Recreation Department is interested in learning about your family’s potential use of recreational programs that the department is considering offering. Please take a few minutes to complete this on-line survey by October 31st. The results of the survey will be compiled and shared at www.dmparks.org after December 1, as will a 2009 recreation program guide. Feel free to forward this survey to others.
  

• Current Recreational Trail Conditions

  Trails and portions of trails that are closed at this time include:

  1. Neal Smith Trail from Birdland Park Marina to the InterUrban Trail Bridge, located just east of Martin Luther King Parkway
  2. Trestle to Trestle and John Pat Dorrian Trails (these trails are closed until further notice due to construction and temporary flood control measures in place since the June flooding)
  

• Planning for the Future

  
  A random-sample Des Moines citizen survey was conducted at the end of 2007 to determine recreational needs, priorities and satisfaction levels. A wide range of questions were asked on important issues that will affect short- and long-range planning, management practices, programming and allocation of resources for the Park and Recreation Department.
  
  Find out more about the results of the overall survey, specific Des Moines geographic area input and details of the survey instrument by clicking on Citizen Survey Results.

  
  
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  More Info...

  
  

  Drake University Municipal Observatory Information
  
  Recreation League Standings