Flanked by the Raccoon and Des Moines Rivers, the Civic Center Historic District is an area seemingly frozen in time. Home to number of historical structures, including the World War Memorial Building, Public Library of Des Moines and the U.S. Court House, this neighborhood takes you on a nostalgic journey through the early 1900s. The neighborhood is most noted for its vintage architecture, with numerous Beaux-Arts and Art Deco style structures peppered throughout the neighborhood.
The Iowa State Historical Building is located in the Historic East Village district of Des Moines. The building is home to the State Historical Museum, the Iowa Museum Store, the State Historical Museum Library and Archives, and Café Baratta's. Various community events are held here, including the annual Wild Rose Film Festival.
This courtly state capitol is perched atop a verdant hill, and is a canopy of elegance and dignity. A landmark structure in Des Moines, the building is at once imposing and regal, historic and contemporary. Constructed between 1871 and 1886, it is the only state capitol in the United States that has five domes, notably the gilded central dome. One of the tallest buildings in Iowa until 1924, this iconic government building houses the Iowa State Senate and House of Representatives, as well as the offices of the Governor of Iowa, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and other major agencies. With a gilded dome glimmering under the radiance of the sun and sky, the Iowa State Capitol also acts as a panoramic vantage point over the city's bustling downtown. The capitol's exterior is complete with Corinthian columns, porticoes and a finely-sculpted pediment, while the interior is adorned with opulent furniture and remnants like ship models and ceremonial gowns attached to historic luminaries. The grounds of the capitol also shelter the soul-stirring Lincoln and Tad Statue and the Soldier and Sailors Monument.
Hohberger Building is a part of the National Register of Historic Places since 1978. Erected in 1898, it is among the very buildings in the city with a cast-iron Late Victorian architecture. Its cast-iron facade presented a decorative appeal during that era. It is a commercial building and now houses Wooly's, a live music venue among other commercial offices.
