After a very hot and humid field trip to the Blank Park Zoo (using our free children’s passes from the library summer reading program) my friend and I headed to downtown Des Moines with our van full of kiddos to find some 3D sidewalk paintings!
We drove around the Pappajohn Sculpture Park and the main central streets, trying to find this connecting art route with no luck! But the kids were ecstatic when we stumbled upon Cowles Commons Fountain and yes, we let them get soaked in their clothes!
Next time we will be more prepared and bring towels and swimwear…but the kids thought it was wonderful that they got to get their clothes wet! They also wished they had their goggles. The water is treated and you can smell the chemicals. 
We might bring a few small water toys. Some cups for collecting and pouring or water balls would extend the fun! 
This is a public outdoor plaza. There are NO bathrooms located outside near the fountain. I am sure you could find one in a local office building… I also saw no drinking fountain or location to fill a water bottle. 
The fountain is constantly changing heights and patterns. After 35 minutes, the kids still wanted to play. The time went by fast! Luckily I set an alarm on my phone so we didn’t let the meter expire. 
Finding a parking spot was hard…we kept getting stuck on one-way streets. We finally made it down 3rd Street and parked on the corner just before Locust Street.
Looking forward to more adventures in downtown Des Moines with my kids!
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