Completed in 1886-the second capitol on this site-the Beaux-Arts Iowa State Capitol sparkles on its perch overlooking downtown. While its most recognizable feature is its glittering, 23-carat-gold-covered dome (modeled after Les Invalides in Paris), ..

The Des Moines Art Center combines galleries by three great 20C architects. Eliel Saarinen's original museum building (1949) hugs a hilltop perch and encircles a reflecting pool. Its galleries house the center's collection of late-19C and early-20C a..

One block away from the State Capitol, the red granite and glass ziggurat contains eye-catching exhibits about various periods of Iowa history. On the west side of the building, three levels of exhibits—which don't shy away from thorny topics such as..

Dubbed "Palace of the Prairie" upon its completion in 1869, 21-room Terrace Hill is considered one of the best-preserved examples of the Second Empire style in the US. Its original owner, Iowa millionaire Benjamin F. Allen, commissioned Chi..

Nestled on 11 wooded acres stands what may seem an anachronism: a Medieval manor in a state that wasn't settled until the Victorian era. But cosmetics tycoon Carl Weeks was bent on re-creating the King's House, a royal-family retreat in Salisbury, En..