East Village sits on the wrong side of the river, historically speaking, and that's exactly why it works as a walk. For most of the 20th century this stretch east of the Des Moines River was a warehouse and light-industrial district, overshadowed by downtown across the water. Iowa's gold-domed capitol has watched over it from the hill the entire time, but it wasn't until the late 1990s that the city rezoned the area and let small businesses move into the brick storefronts along Locust and Grand. What's there now is a compact grid of independent galleries, restaurants, and boutiques that never got the chain-store treatment.
This route runs from the Capitol grounds down through the commercial spine of East Village, past a mix of public art, converted warehouses, and one of the best small museums in the city, before finishing at a restaurant that's been anchoring the neighborhood for over a decade. It's flat, entirely on sidewalks, and short enough to do slowly with stops for coffee or a gallery browse without blowing past two and a half hours. The Mosey app has the full route mapped stop to stop, so you're not checking a paper map at intersections.
August 30 in Des Moines usually means late-summer heat that breaks by evening, so plan for either a morning start or a golden-hour walk finishing around dinner. Everything on this route is within a few blocks of East Grand and Locust, so if you need to bail early or double back for a shop you skipped, it's easy to improvise without losing the thread.
The Route: Capitol Hill to Court Avenue
"Completed in 1886 after a construction period that stretched over 15 years, the Capitol's central dome is covered in 23-karat gold leaf, first applied in 1905 and re-gilded several times since, most recently in the 1990s. The building was designed by a committee of architects after the original architect, John C. Cochrane, was replaced partway through construction. Inside, the law library has a self-supporting spiral staircase, and the rotunda floor is inlaid with mosaic tile depicting Iowa's history."
Entry is free and the building is open to the public on weekdays; check current tour hours before arriving since access varies by legislative session. Climb to the second floor for the best view up into the dome, and don't skip the law library even if you're short on time — it's the one interior space that photographs better than the exterior.
"The walk from the Capitol down toward East Village crosses the Des Moines River, historically the dividing line between the government district and the working-class east side neighborhoods that grew up around the rail yards and warehouses in the late 1800s and early 1900s. East Village itself takes its name from a 1990s rebranding effort, but the streets you're walking predate that name by a century."
Pause here for the skyline view back toward downtown and the Capitol dome behind you — it's one of the few spots on this route with a clear sightline to both. No cost, no crowds, good any time of day.
"This stretch marks where the warehouse district begins, brick buildings that once housed wholesale grocers, printers, and machine shops serving the rail lines a few blocks east. Many of these structures date to the 1890s–1910s and survived because they were too solidly built to bother demolishing, even during the decades when the area was considered marginal."
Look up rather than at street level here — the upper facades still carry ghost signage and cornice details from their original commercial tenants. Nothing to pay for, just worth a slower pace.
"Housed in the former Fire Station No. 1, built in 1917 and used as an active firehouse until 2003, this building was converted into a multidisciplinary arts center in 2011. The nonprofit runs a black-box theater, gallery space, and studios for visual art, ceramics, and film out of the old apparatus bays and upper floors. The original truck bay doors are still visible on the ground floor facade facing Water Street."
Gallery admission is typically free; check their event calendar before you go since theater performances and classes can limit public access to certain floors. Worth 15–20 minutes even on a day with no scheduled show, just to see how they repurposed the firehouse layout.
"East Village has accumulated a scattered public art collection since the 2000s, funded partly through the city's percent-for-art program and partly through private gallery initiatives tied to the Des Moines Art Center's broader civic presence. Sculptures and murals rotate more than people expect; several of the building-side murals along E 5th and Locust were commissioned within the last five years as part of ongoing neighborhood beautification grants."
This isn't a single formal stop so much as a few blocks where murals and sculptures appear at intersections — Mosey flags the specific pieces currently installed since they do change. Free to view, best in late afternoon light.
"Court Avenue was Des Moines' original wholesale and produce district in the late 19th century, lined with warehouses serving riverboat and later rail commerce. The Renaissance Revival and Romanesque brick buildings here mostly date from 1885 to 1910 and survived the mid-century urban renewal push that leveled comparable districts elsewhere in the city. By the 1980s the area had been rebranded as an entertainment district, predating East Village's own commercial revival by roughly a decade."
Independent boutiques and galleries occupy most of the ground floors now — good browsing if you have time, entirely skippable if you're on a tighter schedule. The architecture is the real draw here more than any single shop.
"Zombie Burger opened its first location at 300 E Grand Ave in 2010, part of the first wave of restaurants that gave East Village its current identity as a food destination rather than just a warehouse district. The menu runs on themed burgers with pop-culture names, and the building itself is a converted early-1900s commercial storefront typical of the block."
Expect a wait on weekend evenings; a weekday lunch or early dinner around 5pm gets you seated faster. Burgers run roughly $10–14, and the hand-spun shakes at the attached Drink Lab bar are worth the extra stop even if you're full.
Planning Your Walk
Best time to walk: Late August in Des Moines runs hot and humid, often in the mid-80s by midday. Morning starts before 10am or after 5pm avoid the worst of it; afternoon thunderstorms are common this time of year, so check radar before you leave.
Shoes: Flat sidewalks and paved paths the entire way — regular walking shoes or sandals are fine, no hiking gear needed.
The narration: Mosey surfaces the year each building went up, who developed or restored it, and what stood there before East Village became a commercial district, right as you approach each address.
Walk East Village with Mosey
Get turn-by-turn guidance and the full historical narration for every stop, right on your phone, with the Mosey app.
Download on the App Store — FreeFrequently asked questions
How long does it take to walk East Village in Des Moines?
Plan on about 2.5 hours for a 1.5-mile route that includes the State Capitol, Des Moines Social Club, Court Avenue, and a meal stop. Walking time alone is closer to 30 minutes; the rest is browsing galleries, viewing public art, and eating.
Is East Village in Des Moines walkable?
Yes. East Village is flat, fully sidewalked, and compact enough to cover on foot without a car. The neighborhood spans roughly from the State Capitol grounds down to the Des Moines River, with most restaurants and shops concentrated along Locust Street, Grand Avenue, and E 5th Street.
Is it safe to walk around East Village at night?
East Village is generally well-lit and busy with restaurant traffic into the evening, especially along Court Avenue and Locust Street. Like any urban district, stick to main streets after dark and skip the quieter side streets near the river if walking alone late at night.
Is the Iowa State Capitol free to visit?
Yes, admission to the Iowa State Capitol is free. Public tours run on a set schedule on weekdays, and the building is generally open for self-guided viewing during business hours, though access can be limited during active legislative sessions.
What's the best time of day to walk East Village for photos?
Late afternoon, roughly 5 to 7pm in summer, gives the best light on the brick warehouse facades along Court Avenue and the murals near 5th Street. It also times out well with dinner, since most East Village restaurants get busy starting around 6pm.
Can you do this walk with kids?
Yes, the route is flat with no stairs required outside the Capitol building, and Zombie Burger's menu and casual setting work well for families. The Des Moines Social Club also runs family-friendly events and workshops, though it's worth checking their calendar in advance.
More Des Moines Neighborhoods to Explore
If East Village leaves you wanting more of Des Moines on foot, the Sherman Hill Historic District just west of downtown has a denser concentration of Victorian-era mansions and a slower, more residential pace. The Downtown Skywalk system and Western Gateway Park, home to the Pappajohn Sculpture Park's outdoor collection, make for a good contrast — more contemporary art, less brick warehouse. Mosey has both mapped as standalone routes if you want to string together a full day of Des Moines neighborhoods.