To help ensure you have the best visit possible and to help keep the artwork safe, we ask that all guests follow the guidelines below.
Please do not touch the art (including indoor and outdoor sculpture). Touching works of art can damage the surface over time. Please remain at least 12 inches away from the surface of the artwork and do not lean on walls or display cases.
Food and beverages, including chewing gum and bottled water, are not allowed in the galleries.
Photography and videography for personal, noncommercial use is allowed in the museum’s permanent collection galleries. Personal use includes personal cameras, cell phones, tablets, and other non-commercial devices. The use of flash, lights, tripods, and selfie-sticks are prohibited. View complete photography policy.
All bags, parcels, or items larger than 11”x14”x 6” are considered oversized items and must be stored in a complementary locker. Oversized items, including umbrellas, that can’t fit in a complimentary locker can be stored in another location at the discretion of a Visitor Experience Staff member. All allowable bags should be hand carried at the side, to the front, under a stroller, or on the back of a wheelchair or mobility device. Bags of any size cannot be carried on the back.
Medical exemptions to bag restrictions in the museum will be considered on a case-by-case basis and coordinated with Security and Visitor Experience staff.
The Art Center is an enjoyable and fascinating place for children of all ages. Please make sure that they are always accompanied by an adult. We invite you and your children to talk, laugh, and move around the galleries freely. Running and other physical activities where someone may hurt themselves or damage the works of art are not permitted.
Breastfeeding is welcome anywhere in the museum. Food and bottles are permitted only in the courtyard, lobby, or café spaces where artwork is not on view. Strollers are allowed throughout the Art Center, as are diaper bags, provided they are secured to the stroller, preferably in the undercarriage basket.
Only pencils are permitted in the galleries; pens, markers, crayons, or other writing utensils are not allowed.
Cellular phone conversations should be kept to a minimum and held in non-gallery areas of the museum.
With the exception of service dogs, animals are not allowed in the museum.
Tobacco products of any kind are prohibited.
Weapons of any kind are not permitted on Des Moines Art Center premises.
Visiting the Des Moines Art Center or Pappajohn Sculpture Park, or participating in Art Center programs and events constitutes an agreement by the visitor or participant and/or the parent or guardian to allow the Art Center to take photographs or video for use in Art Center marketing materials including social media, websites, and printed materials.