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The $3.5 Million Transformation: Everything To Know About The Des Moines Children's Museum's Massive Move And 2026 Grand Opening

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The Des Moines Children's Museum (DMC) is on the cusp of a historic transformation, moving from its current, beloved location at Valley West Mall to a massive, permanent new home in West Des Moines. This crucial development, fueled by the ambitious "$3.5 million capital campaign, 'From Love to Legacy'," is set to redefine childhood play and interactive learning across the Greater Des Moines area, offering an experience that will rival major children's museums nationwide. As of today, December 24, 2025, families are still enjoying the current space while eagerly anticipating the spring 2026 grand opening of the expansive new facility. The museum, which began as a traveling exhibit founded by two local moms, has rapidly outgrown its current space, prompting the move to a much larger, dedicated building. The new venue promises to be a game-changer, dramatically increasing both indoor and outdoor play opportunities. This article provides a comprehensive guide to visiting the museum now, supporting the monumental transition, and what to expect from the state-of-the-art facility opening in 2026.

The Current Experience: Hands-On Play at Valley West Mall

For families planning a visit in the immediate future, the Des Moines Children's Museum remains a vibrant, affordable, and essential stop for young children. Located on the lower level of the Valley West Mall in West Des Moines, the current facility is a hub for high-quality, self-directed play. It is a place where children are the architects of their own learning, engaging with a variety of hands-on exhibits that rotate and evolve. The focus of the current location is on curating playscapes that encourage imagination, sensory exploration, and early childhood development. While the space is more intimate than the future location, it excels at providing a safe, well-maintained environment where caregivers can connect and children can socialize. The exhibits are designed to be accessible to a wide age range, although the majority of visitors are typically children aged one to ten years old.

Admission, Hours, and Essential Visitor Details

The Des Moines Children’s Museum prides itself on being an accessible resource for the entire community, which is reflected in its straightforward and affordable pricing structure. * Children 1–10 years old: $6.00 * Children under 1 year old: Free * Visitors over 10 years old: $4.00 * Members: Free The museum is also a proud participant in the Museums for All program, offering reduced admission to families who present an EBT or WIC card, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent access to play and learning. Current museum hours generally run from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM on most weekdays, with extended hours until 6:30 PM on Wednesdays. It is always recommended to check the official website for holiday or special event schedule variations.

Signature Programs for the Community

Beyond the daily exhibits, the DMC runs several unique, community-focused programs that enhance its topical authority in early childhood education:
  • Museum Babies: This is a free, dedicated social time held weekly, typically from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., specifically for babies under one year old and their caregivers. It is a vital opportunity for new parents to connect and for the youngest visitors to explore in a calm, age-appropriate setting.
  • Sensory Friendly Hours: Recognizing the need for inclusive play, the museum offers special, free hours on the fourth Friday of every month (usually 5 PM–6:30 PM) for children on the autism spectrum or those with sensory sensitivities. This is a crucial service that demonstrates the museum’s commitment to all children in Polk County.
  • Annual Events: Seasonal and annual events like "New Year's at Noon" and the "Giggle Gala Casino Night" fundraiser (mentioned for 2026) provide festive, unique ways for families and supporters to engage with the museum’s mission.

The Future is Now: The "From Love to Legacy" Campaign and 2026 Grand Opening

The most exciting news surrounding the Des Moines Children's Museum is its monumental move and expansion, which is set to establish the institution as a permanent, major cultural landmark in the area.

A New Home with Vast Space

The museum is relocating from its temporary home at the Valley West Mall to a new, permanent facility at 1200 12th Street in West Des Moines. This location is the former Des Moines Golf and Country Club building, which is undergoing a complete renovation to become a world-class children's play center. The scale of this move is staggering, promising to dramatically increase the museum's capacity and offerings: * Indoor Space: The new facility will boast approximately 26,000 square feet of indoor, climate-controlled space, allowing for multiple large-scale, interactive exhibits to operate simultaneously. * Outdoor Space: Perhaps the most significant addition is the inclusion of more than seven acres of outdoor space. This vast area will be transformed into an outdoor discovery center, nature playscape, and educational garden, offering a unique connection to nature and a year-round outdoor learning environment that is currently unavailable. This expansion will allow the DMC to move beyond its current "playscapes" and develop permanent, named exhibits that offer deeper engagement with science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) concepts.

The "From Love to Legacy" Capital Campaign

The ambitious move and facility development are being supported by the "From Love to Legacy" capital campaign, which aims to raise $3.5 million. This campaign is not just about purchasing and renovating the building; it is about securing the museum's future and creating a true legacy for the children of Greater Des Moines. Community support for this campaign is vital. Donations will fund the extensive renovations, the creation of all-new, permanent interactive exhibits, and the development of the seven-acre outdoor learning environment. The success of this campaign will ensure that the museum can finally fulfill its vision of becoming the premier children's museum in the region. Renovations are scheduled to begin after the purchase is finalized in the fall, with the highly anticipated grand opening of the new Des Moines Children's Museum facility planned for the spring of 2026.

The Des Moines Children's Museum vs. Other Iowa Attractions

While Central Iowa is home to other fantastic family destinations, the Des Moines Children's Museum fills a distinct and necessary niche in the educational landscape. It is often compared to other popular spots but offers a unique, dedicated focus on early childhood development through open-ended, hands-on play.

A Different Kind of Learning

Unlike the Science Center of Iowa, which focuses heavily on older children and specific scientific principles, or the Living History Farms, which is a seasonal historical experience, the Des Moines Children's Museum is specifically curated for the youngest learners—toddlers and elementary school children. Its environment is designed to be less about observation and more about direct, physical interaction. The emphasis on creative play—such as a dedicated construction zone, an imagination station for role-playing, and sensory tables—is what sets the DMC apart. This style of play is crucial for developing executive function skills, problem-solving, and social-emotional intelligence in preschoolers.

Integration with the Des Moines Cultural Scene

The museum's move to West Des Moines will further solidify its role as a key part of the region's cultural offerings, alongside institutions like the Des Moines Art Center, the Des Moines Botanical Garden, and the Brenton Skating Plaza. By offering a year-round, dedicated indoor and outdoor space, the DMC will provide an indispensable resource for families regardless of the harsh Iowa weather. The success of the "From Love to Legacy" campaign and the subsequent 2026 opening will mark the moment the Des Moines Children's Museum transitions from a successful local resource to a major, permanent destination, ensuring that children in Polk County and beyond have access to world-class, play-based learning for generations to come. Supporting this initiative today is an investment in the future of Iowa's children.
The $3.5 Million Transformation: Everything to Know About the Des Moines Children's Museum's Massive Move and 2026 Grand Opening
children's museum des moines
children's museum des moines

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