Place/Event: Iowa Hall of Pride
Location: 330 Park Street, Des Moines, IA 50309
Cost: Free for Iowa students.
Grade/age range: All ages.
Group size: small or large
Hands-on: Yes
Stroller friendly: Yes
Bathrooms: Yes
Food: No
The Iowa Hall of Pride highlights achievements from individual Iowans in a high-tech museum experience. The primary focus is on sports but exhibits also include fine art, agriculture, music, and more. The interactive exhibits are technology-based and accommodate large student groups.
When students first arrive, they are greeted and taken to the theater room for an introductory film.
Educational coordinator Teri is terrific with the students. After the film, students are shown around the museum and given instructions on how to operate some of the more technical displays including the 360-degree screen room.
Iowa Hall of Pride boasts “40+ hours of video footage, 230+ Outstanding Iowan interviews, and thousands of trivia questions. The 47 interactive exhibits will make them [students] proud to call Iowa home.”
As fun as the exhibits are, there is still more fun at the rear of the museum. Students can practice some of their sports skills in a variety of arcade-like games including bowling, football, dance, and jumping. Each student is given a select amount of tokens and a time limit for enjoying this portion of the museum.
Students will find a wide variety of displays that will be sure to capture everyone’s interests. Parents, teachers, and others are honored in the Hall of Heroes.
Educators can prepare students for their visit by utilizing the resources available on the Iowa Hall of Pride website. For additional field trip opportunities in the metro, read 10 Science Field Trips in Des Moines and 10 Historical Field Trips in Des Moines.
