Des Moines, the capital of Iowa, was incorporated in 1851, as Fort Des Moines, which was later shortened to “Des Moines.” It is named after, the Des Moines River, which was adapted from the early French name, meaning “River of the Monks.”
Based on archeological evidence, the junction of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers has attracted humans for at least 7,000 years. Several prehistoric occupation areas have been identified in Des Moines.
In 2010, an expansive, 7,000-year-old site was found that contained well-preserved house deposits and numerous graves. More than 6,000 artifacts were found at this site.
At least three Late Prehistoric villages, dating from about AD 1300 to 1700, stood in or near what developed later as downtown Des Moines.
Also, over 15 prehistoric American Indian mounds were observed in this area by early settlers. All have been destroyed during the development of the city.
Today, Des Moines is a major center of the US insurance industry and has a sizable financial services and publishing business base. Des Moines is also the cultural center for Iowa and home to several art and history museums.
Museums in Des Moines, Iowa
- Salisbury House & Gardens
- Science Center of Iowa & Blank IMAX Dome Theater
- State Historical Building
- Pappajohn Sculpture Park
- The Wallace Centers of Iowa
- World Food Prize Hall of Laureates
- Fort Des Moines Museum & Education Center
- Iowa Hall of Pride
- Living History Farms
- Jordan House
- Hoyt Sherman Place
- Iowa Gold Star Military Museum
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Museums in Des Moines, Iowa
- City: Des Moines
- State: Iowa
- Country: United States
- Founded: 1843
- Incorporated: 1851
- Population: 0.7 million, metropolitan area
Museums in Des Moines, Iowa – Map
Museums in Des Moines, Iowa – 360 Virtual Views
Museums in Des Moines, Iowa- 360 Virtual Views
Museums in Des Moines, Iowa – 360 Virtual Views
Top 100 Museums in the United States
- Top 100 Museums in the United States
Museums in Des Moines, Iowa
New York Museums – Virtual Tours
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art or MET
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Intrepid, Sea, Air & Space Museum
- Neue Galerie New York
- The Cloisters
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- American Museum of Natural History
- Museum of the City of New York
- New-York Historical Society
- Frick Collection
- Met Breuer
- Rubin Museum of Art
- Brooklyn Museum
Museums in Des Moines, Iowa
Washington, D.C. Museums – Virtual Tours
- National Gallery of Art
- National Museum of American History
- National Air and Space Museum
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- National Museum of Natural History
- National Portrait Gallery
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- The Phillips Collection
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
- International Spy Museum
Museums in Des Moines, Iowa
The History of the Iowa Capitol Building in Des Moines, Iowa
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“Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t.”
– Mark Twain
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Photo Credit: Carol M. Highsmith / Public domain; BarbaraLN / CC BY-SA (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0); Iowahwyman at the English language Wikipedia / CC BY-SA (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)
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