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2023 Architecture on the Move Downtown Des Moines Walking Tours Announced

DES MOINES, IOWA, April 2 5, 2023 – The Iowa Architectural Foundation is proud to announce that our walking tours are back for the 2023 season of Architecture on the Move ! These public tours, sponsored by BRAVO and Krause Group, provide an opportunity for local residents and visitors alike to appreciate and understand the architectural treasures of Iowa’s capital city. The first tour of the season will be Friday, May 1 2, 2023.

202 3 Summer Walking Tour Dates

May through October

• Friday, May 12
• Friday, June 9
• Friday, July 14
• Friday, August 11
• Friday, September 8
• Friday, October 6

Tours are guided by architects and historians and are not scripted, so each tour is unique. They cover both contemporary and historic architecture. Learn about architectural detail, style and elements, with intriguing stories and the historical significance of the buildings that shape the downtown skyline. Sign-in starts at 5 PM, in the atrium at Capital Square, 400 Locust Street, Des Moines. Tours take off promptly at 5:30 PM. Comfortable shoes and clothing are recommended. The cost is $20 and tickets for any of the tours can be purchased now, in advance on Eventbrite , where you will also find more details. Four different tour routes are offered for each tour date.

Many people come back to take all four tours. They typically last 90 minutes and are approximately 14 city blocks in length. A limited number of tickets are available at the door, with only cash or check accepted. If you have questions, email the Iowa Architectural Foundation at [email protected] with a subject line of “Architecture on the Move Inquiry.”  A Skywalk tour will be offered in case of inclement weather, including rain and excessive heat. There are no refunds, but if you alert us in advance that you are unable to attend, you will be rescheduled for another date, or you may also give your ticket to someone else. All proceeds benefit the Iowa Architectural Foundation’s public educational programs

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Our Des Moines: Iowa Capitol tour gives even the most familiar visitors new insights

When I first started working at the Iowa Capitol as a brand-new baby Statehouse reporter in 2015, I worked really hard to make it look like I knew exactly what I was doing and where I was going.

I tried not to look as excited as I felt while snapping a picture from my seat on press row during the first day of floor action, angling my phone so I could capture the glimmering chandeliers and rows of dark wooden desks. Better not look too earnest, I thought, lest someone think they could take advantage of my naiveté.

Soon enough, I was spending my days hustling from committee meeting to committee meeting, losing sight of everything but the deadlines that loomed in front of me. There was rarely time to stop and marvel at my surroundings as I raced through the days.

But at night, after the chaotic buzz of energy had subsided and nearly everyone had gone home, I’d remind myself to stop and look up. Exhausted and reveling in the quiet, I’d try to take in the flowing marble, the towering dome and the ornate details that adorn every hall.

Iowa has a beautiful Capitol. Yet for all the time I’ve spent inside its halls, it’s always bothered me that I knew so little about the art, the architecture and the history that surrounds me while I’m at work.

So, on a recent Friday afternoon, I confirmed a 9:30 a.m. public tour for myself and a couple of my Des Moines Register colleagues.

We met in the basement by the tour desk. Becky Thompson, who has been giving these tours for the last two years since retiring from the VA, eagerly rounded us up and got us moving.

For a full 90 minutes, Becky led us through the halls of the Capitol. We got to stop and gawk and ask question after question.

I learned that there’s a fire-safe vault in the secretary of state’s office where they keep hard copies of every bill ever generated by the Iowa Legislature and a ledger containing Abraham Lincoln’s signature.

I learned that a beautiful mural depicting the branches of government is actually a series of mosaics designed using thousands of Venetian glass tiles the size of my fingernail.

I climbed up 99 steps from the second floor into the “whispering gallery,” which encircles the base of the central golden dome.

And I finally heard the entire story of how the House of Representatives was engulfed in flames during the building’s switch from gas to electric power. I had heard only snippets of the tale as tours moved through the House chamber as I worked. To save the building from burning, a quick-thinking engineer crawled on his hands and knees into the attic to shut every vent and door to smother the fire.

I’m lucky that my job gives me such a special peek behind the curtain at the Iowa Capitol. But the beauty of the building is that it belongs to all of us. If you’re new to Des Moines, do yourself a favor: Don’t wait six years to take the tour.

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. When she's not at the Capitol, she's running around the East Village with her dog, Lois. What's your favorite Iowa Capitol fact? Send it to her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @brianneDMR .

To schedule a Capitol tour

There's an online form to fill out for groups of 10 or more:  www.legis.iowa.gov/resources/tourCapitol/request

For smaller groups, call 515-281-5591.

Tours are offered Monday through Saturday. Allow 90 minutes. A virtual tour option is also available.

Share your ideas for Our Des Moines

Our Des Moines is a weekly feature on an interesting person, place or happening in the Des Moines metro, the kind of gems that make central Iowa a special place. Have an idea for this series? Contact [email protected].

Sunday, June 2, 2024   •  12:00 – 5:00

Tickets required

The annual home tour is a self-guided tour of mid-century homes in Des Moines and its neighboring suburbs. Each house on the tour is carefully selected to showcase how real people decorate with vintage and mid-century in their modern lives. Many of the featured homes boast stunning architecture and history, while others simply demonstrate how mid-century furniture and decor can add timeless elegance to any style. This year's tour will feature four beautiful homes in Greater Des Moines.

Proceeds will benefit the Iowa Architectural Foundation.

Tickets will be available beginning Sunday, April 28, at 9:00 AM CST.

Mid-Century Modern Homes of Iowa Tours: April 26 – May 1, 2021

Modernism Month Event

Iowa Architectural Foundation (IAF) and Iowa Mid-Century Modern are collaborating to bring you four professionally-produced Mid-Century Modern Home Tours to celebrate Modernism Month. Links to the virtual tours are to be released to ticket holders, one per day, starting on April 26. Access to each tour will be for two weeks to give ticket holders plenty of time to enjoy. The homeowners will join ticket holders at a special Zoom Q&A, Sunday, May 2, from 4 – 5:30 PM. The tours include Oskaloosa’s famed Lamberson home, designed in 1948 by Frank Lloyd Wright (1867 – 1959), which has been meticulously restored by its owners. Also included are a home in Indianola, designed by architect David Block, AIA-E; and two homes in Des Moines, one designed in 1952 by architect Amos Emery (1895-1973); and the other, built in 1954 and designed by architect Jim Lynch (1923-2000). The homes epitomize the Mid-Century Modern design aesthetic, and are rarely available for viewing. They will be personally led by their homeowners, who will share their experience of living in, restoring or renovating, caring for, and their future plans for these remarkable homes. Not only do the tours provide excellent architectural examples of the era, but they also exhibit how to bring mid-century styles to homes of every decade.

While early bird tickets are sold out, there are still regular price tickets available for $48. They are available on EVENTBRITE . The ticket price includes tours of all four homes and the Q&A Zoom with the homeowners. Tickets are required for access.

What is MCM and why would your readers/viewers be interested?  

Mid-century Modern (MCM) is a design movement characterized by clean, uncluttered lines, modest square footage and integrated furniture, textiles and lighting. It gained momentum in post-World War II America as the country was trying to meet an unparalleled housing shortage, targeting the needs of the average American family. Many mid-century houses utilized post and beam construction, allowing free-flowing spaces and eliminating support walls. Expansive windows and open floor plans opened up interior spaces, bringing the outdoors in. MCM homes were designed to facilitate and reflect a revolutionary new modern lifestyle.

MCM design is experiencing a resurgence, with passionate followers seeking out houses, furnishings, ceramics and glass from the period. While some people think of Mid-Century Modern as a California design aesthetic, there are many amazing MCM homes here in Iowa designed by talented local architects, and a few by internationally-recognized architects, as well. The Iowa Architectural Foundation is pleased to open the doors to four of them for your enjoyment.  

Note: Producing virtual events is generally more expensive than in-person events. Proceeds from this collaborative event will help Iowa Architectural Foundation remain true to its mission during these challenging times, providing programs and increasing the public’s awareness of the value of architecture and good design in building a better world. For more information about sponsorships, tours, classes and special events, visit www.iowaarchfoundation.org or https://www.facebook.com/iowaarchfoundation/ .

For additional information you may contact the collaborating organization at:

Iowa Mid-Century Modern: Suzie Fredregill [email protected] .

Sponsors for the event are:

35 th Street Antiques (DSM)

Modville – Adel

Iowa Mid-Century Modern ~ A collective dedicated to building a local community of design enthusiasts

Funky Finds Vintage & Retro (just re-opened) – Western Gateway (DSM)

Atomic Garage – Valley Junction (WDM)

AOK Antiques-Atomic Blond MCM Loft, Valley Junction (WDM)

Moderne Masterpiece: Butler House Architectural Tour & Lecture

Date : Thursday, Mar. 12, 2020 6:30 p.m.

Location : Butler Mansion on Fleur, 2633 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, 50321

Event Information

Description.

See the home that was described in 1937 as the "the world's most modern house," today one of the best remaining examples of the Streamline Moderne style of the 1930's. The reinforced concrete, 28-room house features ramps instead of staircases, compared by some to those designed by famed architect Le Corbusier for his "machine for living," the Villa Savoye. With the property currently for sale, you have a unique window to get inside for a personal tour and lecture. A limited number of tickets are available at Eventbrite for $30. Event sponsors: Simonson & Associates Architects, ASK Studio.

Neighborhoods

Gray's Lake

Host Organization

Iowa Architectural Foundation

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/moderne-masterpiece-butler-house-architectural-tour-lecture-tickets-91316312549

Pricing Information

Claudia Cackler 515-669-5629 [email protected]

Drake Architecture Tour with Iowa Architectural Foundation

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Program description, event details.

Here's a map to help you find the Harkin Institute!

Join the library and the Iowa Architectural Foundation for a walking tour of the Drake University campus, deemed the place “where a new age of modern architecture began.” In the mid-twentieth century, father-son architects Eliel and Eero Saarinen set Drake on a fresh course with nine buildings, beginning with the Ingham Hall of Science and Fitch Hall of Pharmacy (1949), then lauded as “remarkably successful and beautiful examples of integrated design.” Next came the Quadrangle Dormitories (1951), four economical dorms linked by minimal pedestrian bridges; Hubbell Dining Hall, with floor-to ceiling limestone panels and glass walls; and Medbury Hall and Scott Chapel (1955), a landmark of mid-century modern architecture that showcases wood beams and shafts of diffused light. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe extended the Saarinens' modernism with his design of Meredith Hall (1965), an icon of Mies’s “less is more” philosophy and a hallmark of craftsmanship and precision. Brutalist architect Harry Weese followed with the Olmstead Student Center in 1973. The forward-facing orientation of Drake’s architecture is more recently embodied in the Harkin Center, which set a new standard for inclusive design with its completion in 2020. Led by local architects, this walking tour will open your eyes to the modern spirit of Drake’s campus. This tour is offered by the Iowa Architectural Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring the appreciation of architecture and design through adult enrichment and youth education programs.

Space is limited to 30 attendees due to volunteer capacity.

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