Historic Places in Des Moines

There are a bunch of historic places worth visiting in Des Moines, but after lots of snow (who’s counting anymore?) and sub-zero temperatures you might prefer visiting some Des Moines landmarks from the cozy comfort of your home.  All you have to do is visit the Historic Places page of our Local History Wiki.  There are two historic tour maps, a map and list of places on the National Register of Historic Places, and a number of links to other historic places websites that focus on Des Moines and Polk County (Drake’s Historic Des Moines collection is very nice).

So go ahead and enjoy a digital tour of historic places in Des Moines.  Maybe you’ll find a few places you want to visit in-person when the weather turns.

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Des Moines Downtown 1907

The image above is Des Moines Facing East taken by Frederick J. Bandholtz in 1907. It is available from the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. At this site, you can obtain more information and view the image larger by clicking on it.  The original image was altered for the header on this page.

The road in the middle of the image is Court Avenue. On the left side of the street you will see the Des Moines Saddlery Co (307-311 Court Ave), which has since been the Kaplan Hat Company and now Court Avenue Restaurant and Brewing Co. On the far left of the image is the Iowa Loan and Trust Company and to the far right is the Morgan European Hotel.

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