West Des Moines Parks & Recreation / Aquatic Centers

West Des Moines Parks & Recreation / Aquatic Centers We provide our community everyday enjoyment through people, parks, and programs. IG: wdmparkrec

Donโ€™t miss our last Full Moon Kayak Tour of the season!Relax and enjoy a fall evening on the water. Paddle along the sho...
09/13/2026

Donโ€™t miss our last Full Moon Kayak Tour of the season!

Relax and enjoy a fall evening on the water. Paddle along the shoreline dappled in fall colors and take in the sights of the setting sun and rising full moon. Participants will be outfitted with a kayak, paddle, lifejacket, and stern light but are asked to bring their own headlamp.

Saturday, September 26 | 6-8 pm
$28/person | Ages 18+
Raccoon River Park Boathouse

Sign up at wdm.iowa.gov/ParkRecReg using program ID 53692.

WHAT A SUMMER! A HUGE thank you to everyone who visited our aquatic centers this summer! With nearly 140,000 visits, we ...
09/12/2026

WHAT A SUMMER! A HUGE thank you to everyone who visited our aquatic centers this summer! With nearly 140,000 visits, we had our highest aquatic center attendance in history! ๐ŸŽ‰

Whether you stopped by for a quick swim, spent the whole day at the pool, grabbed a snack, joined us for an event, or visited again and again โ€” thank you. An extra-special shoutout goes to our incredible aquatic center staff for their hard work, dedication, and for keeping everyone safe all season long.

Your support made this record-breaking season possible. Thank you for making 2026 one for the record books! Weโ€™ll see you at the pools next year! โ˜€๏ธ๐Ÿ’ฆ

The wait is overโ€”the new Crossroads Park Skatepark is officially OPEN! ๐Ÿ›นโœจAfter nearly two decades of heavy use on our ol...
09/11/2026

The wait is overโ€”the new Crossroads Park Skatepark is officially OPEN! ๐Ÿ›นโœจ

After nearly two decades of heavy use on our old wooden ramps, weโ€™re thrilled to unveil a brand-new, all-concrete facility designed for skaters and scooter riders of all skill levels.

Shaped by community feedback, this new setup features a wide assortment of street-style elementsโ€”including a slappy curb, box bollard, radius wedge, and quarter pipesโ€”offering beginner-friendly zones alongside fun, flowing lines for more experienced users. Plus, the nearby multi-use recreation trail has been slightly rerouted to improve accessibility and create a smoother flow through the park.

Join us to celebrate!
๐Ÿ“ Where: Crossroads Park, 5205 Ashworth Road
๐Ÿ—“๏ธ When: Wednesday, September 23 at 4:30 PM (Ribbon Cutting!)

Grab your board, come check out the new setup, and roll with us!

Friends of WDM Parks and Recreation is excited to host the 4th Annual Pickleball Tournament, presented by SCHEELS!๐Ÿ“ Vall...
09/10/2026

Friends of WDM Parks and Recreation is excited to host the 4th Annual Pickleball Tournament, presented by SCHEELS!

๐Ÿ“ Valley View Park Pickleball Complex
๐Ÿ’ฒ $50/team
โฐ Registration closes Sept. 15 at 5 pm โ€” just 5 days away!

Whether youโ€™re in it to win it or just looking for a fun day on the courts, this tournament is for you! All proceeds from the event support improvements and expanded opportunities for West Des Moines parks, facilities and recreation programs.

๐Ÿ“ Round up your partner and register before the deadline!
๐Ÿ‘‰ Register now: tinyurl.com/teamsidelinewdm

Letโ€™s play!

Join us for the inaugural West Des Moines Open! This 18-hole youth mini golf tournament is the perfect way to spend a fa...
09/10/2026

Join us for the inaugural West Des Moines Open! This 18-hole youth mini golf tournament is the perfect way to spend a fall Saturday morning. Enjoy friendly competition, test your skills, and compete for a chance to take home a prize!

Event Details:

* Date: Saturday, September 26
* Location: West Grand Golf (6450 Raccoon River Dr, WDM)
* Cost: $20 per participant
* Registration: wdm.iowa.gov/parkrecreg

Divisions:

* Ages 7-9: 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM (Program ID 52331)
* Ages 10-12: 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM (Program ID 52332)

Sign up today to secure your spot for a morning of fun and friendly competition!

๐Ÿ‚๐Ÿช ๐ˆ๐‹๐‹๐”๐Œ๐ˆ๐…๐„๐’๐“ ๐Ÿ๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ”: ๐€ ๐…๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐…๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐š๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง ๐…๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ! ๐Ÿช๐Ÿ‚Illumifest is taking flight in a new direction! โœจFor years, Illumifest ...
09/09/2026

๐Ÿ‚๐Ÿช ๐ˆ๐‹๐‹๐”๐Œ๐ˆ๐…๐„๐’๐“ ๐Ÿ๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ”: ๐€ ๐…๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐…๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐š๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง ๐…๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ! ๐Ÿช๐Ÿ‚

Illumifest is taking flight in a new direction! โœจ

For years, Illumifest has been known for its beloved lantern painting tradition. This year, we're giving the festival a fresh new look and bringing new ways to enjoy this fall favorite with family, friends and the community.

๐Ÿ“… ๐’๐š๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐š๐ฒ, ๐’๐ž๐ฉ๐ญ๐ž๐ฆ๐›๐ž๐ซ ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ—
โฐ ๐Ÿ’โ€“๐Ÿ— ๐ฉ๐ฆ
๐Ÿ“ ๐–๐ƒ๐Œ ๐‚๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐‚๐š๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฌ

Bring the whole family for an evening of activities and entertainment! Kidsโ€™ activities will take place from 4โ€“7 pm, featuring fun for all ages. Then, stick around for a live concert by Faculty Lounge (FL Funk) from 7โ€“9 pm.

And this is just the beginning! ๐Ÿ‘€ We'll be sharing more about the new Illumifest experience, activities, entertainment, food vendors and more in the days ahead.

For now, mark your calendars and get ready for a new chapter of Illumifest! ๐Ÿ‚โœจ

๐Ÿ‘‰ ๐‹๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ง ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž:
wdm.iowa.gov/Illumifest

Thank you to our sponsors for making this event happen! Illumifest is presented by Veridian Credit Union and sponsored by West Des Moines Community Foundation and Warners' Stellian Appliance.

๐Ÿ’ฆ ๐’๐๐‹๐€๐’๐‡ ๐’๐€๐‹๐„ โ€“ ๐Ÿ“๐ŸŽ% ๐Ž๐…๐… ๐€๐ƒ๐Œ๐ˆ๐’๐’๐ˆ๐Ž๐!๐Ÿ“… Monday, September 7Itโ€™s our FINAL DAY at the pools! ๐ŸŽ‰Grab your family, bring your fr...
09/07/2026

๐Ÿ’ฆ ๐’๐๐‹๐€๐’๐‡ ๐’๐€๐‹๐„ โ€“ ๐Ÿ“๐ŸŽ% ๐Ž๐…๐… ๐€๐ƒ๐Œ๐ˆ๐’๐’๐ˆ๐Ž๐!

๐Ÿ“… Monday, September 7

Itโ€™s our FINAL DAY at the pools! ๐ŸŽ‰

Grab your family, bring your friends, and make a splash with us one last time! Donโ€™t miss your chance to enjoy 50% off admission before we wrap up the season.

Fall is one of the best times of year to discover mushrooms, especially edible varieties. Join a naturalist and fungus e...
09/07/2026

Fall is one of the best times of year to discover mushrooms, especially edible varieties. Join a naturalist and fungus enthusiast to learn about common, easily identifiable edible mushroom species. We will discuss foraging safety, identification tips, and responsible harvesting practices before heading out on the trails to search for real examples in their natural habitat. Participants should be prepared for off-trail exploration. Sturdy shoes, long pants, and weather-appropriate clothing are recommended.

Tuesday, September 22
5:15-6:30 pm
Southwoods Park (350 South 35th Street)
$5/person
Ages 16+

Register at wdm.iowa.gov/ParkRecReg using program ID 52384.

9/5: Due to cloudy water and for the safety of our patrons, Holiday Aquatic Center will be closed for the remainder of t...
09/05/2026

9/5: Due to cloudy water and for the safety of our patrons, Holiday Aquatic Center will be closed for the remainder of the day.

Address

West Des Moines, IA

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15152223444

Website

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