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The Des Moines Art Center in Greenwood Park is a free art museum with a permanent collection strong in 20th-century and contemporary American and European art. The building itself is notable as a collaboration across generations: Eliel Saarinen designed the original 1948 structure, I.M. Pei added a wing in 1968, and Richard Meier added a third wing in 1985. Each addition is clearly distinguished and the complex works remarkably well as a whole.

The Iowa State Fair runs for 11 days in mid-to-late August at the fairgrounds on East 30th Street, about two miles from downtown. It draws over a million visitors, making it one of the largest state fairs in the country. Highlights include livestock shows, the butter cow sculpture (a full-size cow sculpted in refrigerated butter, an Iowa tradition since 1911), the agricultural exhibits, and the midway. Parking is limited; take the shuttle.

East Village, directly across the Des Moines River from the downtown core and within sight of the Capitol dome, is the most walkable and food-focused neighborhood in the city. Court Avenue and East Grand Avenue through the neighborhood are lined with independent restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. The World Food Prize Hall of Laureates and the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame are both located here.

The High Trestle Trail is a 25-mile paved recreational trail along the route of a former Chicago and Northwestern Railway line, running from Ankeny northwest through the countryside to Woodward. The centerpiece is a 13-story-high pedestrian bridge over the Des Moines River near Madrid, completed in 2011, whose steel half-arches create a kaleidoscopic tunnel effect at night when illuminated. It is free to access at any time.