Science Center of Iowa

"My kids loved the planetarium. There were tons of interactive displays. My kids are older and still enjoyed everything. The Science Center is a great way to get kids excited about science and the world around them!"

"We went to the science center when it was really cold outside. It was perfect for a chilly day! We learned so much and had so much fun!"

"This place was an amazing spot to bring our 3 year old. There are so many cool things for them to do and see here. There's a whole nature center with snakes and bees - the glass bee display is so cool, because it exits to the outside of the building and the bees come in here and you can watch them do their thing. All of the animals looked to be in good health and spirits. We didn't get to see the whole place because we got stuck in the "Toying with Science" exhibit, which is this giant activity space where the kids can race and build LEGO cars, build air rockets, play with the ball wall, and build water dams. Our little guy smoked himself here and had a blast. This is the perfect way to spend a couple of hours while you're in Des Moines with the kids."

"My kiddos loved the nature center and seeing all of the animals and snakes, the had fun building in the Lego center and looking at the professional Lego structures. The Cats and Dogs exhibit was a let down. I disliked the mass amount of tvs with headsets everywhere, headsets always gross me out, I mean really- how clean are they? It would've been nicer I think to add a play corner with toy cats and dogs for the kiddos to interact with. Maybe some skeletal structures/puzzles to do showing off the animals more, hands on interactive exhibits showcasing the use of animals in the service industry...etc... I think it could've been done better, as is we were a bit disappointed. Overall though, we spent 2.5 hours enjoying the whole museum. My kiddos are 2 and 4, they did excellent and had lots to do and play with. They loved seeing the honeybee hive! We'd still recommend people to check it out if you have the opportunity or a rainy day to fill!"

"The Science Center is great for all ages! I'm pretty sure every time I've come to Des Moines, I've come here. There's always new things, like this time new giant dinosaurs and fossils, and an updated space section. But plenty of classics remain, like an area to practice milking a cow, a huge room of various physics interactions like paper rockets, a giant Lego architecture room, and a nature walk room, where they were doing the local news weather broadcast live with kids from the room. Super cool."