Place/Event: The Iowa State Capitol
Location: 1007 E Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50319
Cost: Free
Grade/age range: Prek-12 – any age can enter but limited interest for younger students
Group size: large or small
Hands-on: Limited
Stroller friendly: Yes but some areas of the building are more narrow
Bathrooms: Yes
Food: Yes and can bring in food
We took the opportunity to go on a field trip at the Iowa State Capitol with Home School Iowa this past spring for their Capitol Day. It’s pretty exciting to be at the capitol while the House and Senate are in session.
Parking and Entrance
So first things first – you have to find a parking spot and find the door! It’s not a trick, our elected leaders really aren’t trying to keep us out of the building. The Iowa Legislature Page has maps and lots of great information.
There is a free public parking garage on the northwest corner of E Grand Ave & Pennsylvania Ave. The Capitol is about a two block walk uphill from there. As you come up the hill to the Capitol, on the north side of the building is a driveway/sidewalk and the public entrance.
Don’t go up the stairs – go under the arch
good to know before entering building
security to come in to the building
Ground Level, First and Second Floors
Once inside you’ll find yourself on the ground level where there is a cafeteria, gift shop, and a place to sign up for a Capitol Tour.
On a Capitol Tour, visitors can experience walking to the top of the dome. We didn’t fit that in for this trip, but hopefully next time. There are age restrictions for the dome, so make sure to ask!
The first floor houses the governor’s office along with several glass display cases. Home School Iowa invited Brian Bopp for historical roleplaying as President Teddy Roosevelt.
battleship display
several displays in the building
Brian Bopp roleplaying as President Teddy Roosevelt
On the second floor is the mailroom, library, House, and Senate Chambers. The library is magnificent and a favorite of my kids.
the public is allowed to walk up one flight on stairs in the library on the south end
looking toward downtown Des Moines from library door
The public is allowed to walk up one flight of stairs on the south end. Keep in mind that this is a working library and little ones need to be quiet.
Meet Your Legislator
Next on the second floor is visiting with your legislator. If you have never been to the capitol and met with one of your leaders, I really encourage you to try it. It’s fun and exciting!
The second floor is very active with lobbyists, tour groups, even foreign tourists, but this is our working government whom we voted for. Don’t feel intimidated to visit. Find Your Legislator Here.
How to visit with your legislator:
- Decided to chat with either a House or a Senate leader.
- Locate the small desk/table at the bottom of the steps leading to the doors of either chamber.
- Fill out a little slip of paper with your info and the legislator you want to visit with. The doorman or a page can help you if needed.
- Hand the slip to the doorman and then wait for them to deliver your message to the elected official.
Next, a couple of things can happen.
- Your legislator will come out of the chamber and visit with you.
- Your legislator may be busy and will send their clerk. (sometimes a page) That’s OK! Chat with the clerk and pass on any information you want your legislator to know; even if it’s just a simple Thank You!
- You can always come back and try again another time of the day or another day.
Confession time – I didn’t know my senator prior to our visit. I have written down all the names of our elected leaders on our wall to remind our family to pray for them. However, Senator Whitver wasn’t more than a name on a notepad I received at a parade.
I am not sure what I was expecting when my senator walked out of the chamber doors; maybe some big bureaucrat smoking a cigar who I disagreed with?
But, right from the start, Senator Whitver was relaxed and attentive to my children and me. He stood and talked to us for much longer than I expected and shared with me about his family. He has three little children of his own and we chatted about education, its importance, and options in Iowa. We agreed on several ideas and he was very open to hearing my perceptive.
I greatly appreciated the time spent talking with my senator and felt that my opinions were heard. I walked away thinking, gosh, this guy would make a great neighbor and he is! I found out that Senator Whitver lives within a few miles of our family, which by “rural Iowa country living standards”, makes him my neighbor.
House and Senate Chambers
The kids and I also climbed the winding staircase up to the Senate Balcony.
The woman in black on the right side is a tour guide. There wasn’t much happening at this moment in the senate but the kids were amazed by the large elegant room.
these doors lead to a level platform
The double doors pictured above lead to a flat platform balcony that you could bring a stroller onto, however, keep in mind that kids need to be quiet. A narrow catwalk wraps around to the other side and the House Chambers.
Overall, it was a great day to have a fieldtrip to the Iowa State Capitol!
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