United States
Iowa (IA)
Des Moines
Things to Do in Des Moines
Principal Park
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Principal Park

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Principal Park
4.5

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
307 within 3 miles
El Bait Shop
303
0.3 mi$ • American • Bar • Pub
High Life Lounge
154
0.2 mi$ • American • Bar • Pub
Mullets
156
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Pub
Hessen Haus
287
0.4 mi$$ - $$$ • German • Bar • European
Tumea & Sons Restaurant
115
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • Vegetarian Friendly • Gluten Free Options
Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Co.
342
0.4 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Brew Pub • Bar
Fong's Pizza
820
0.5 mi$$ - $$$ • Pizza • Asian • Vegetarian Friendly
Blaze Pizza
49
0.2 mi$ • Quick Bites • Pizza • Vegetarian Friendly
St. Kilda
100
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Cafe • Vegetarian Friendly
RoCA
121
0.4 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Vegetarian Friendly
See all
Attractions
80 within 6 miles
Science Center of Iowa
262
0.3 miScience Museums
Downtown Farmers Market
422
0.6 miFlea & Street Markets
Des Moines Civic Center
204
0.6 miCivic Centres
Capitol Building
887
1 miGovernment Buildings
Court Avenue
115
0.4 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks
World Food Prize Hall of Laureates
81
0.5 miSpeciality Museums
Iowa State Fairgrounds
881
1 miArenas & Stadiums
Pappajohn Sculpture Park
738
1 miParks
Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
377
1.2 miGardens
Peace Tree Brewing Company - Des Moines Branch
27
0.5 miBreweries
See all
See what other travelers are saying
  • Jeff A
    Hutchinson, Kansas163 contributions
    Great baseball park
    We loved our experience at the park. Super clean and fun family atmosphere. Prices for tickets and food very affordable. $10 25 oz beers and $5 colossal dogs can't be beat in today's era of high prices at a game. Fans were super friendly, definitely take in a game if you're a fan.
    Visited August 2022
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 27, 2022
  • Keith B
    Wayne, Michigan386 contributions
    Fourteen years later
    I had visited here way back in 2007 and had a decent time. Fourteen years later, I’m actually in Des Moines again instead of merely passing through. The park is still the same, just updated. Newer video board is a plus, but netting around the field is a minus. The rest of the park is unchanged, looking like an 80s-early 90s style minor league park. Size is typical for AAA. The Omaha Royals, err I mean StormChasers were the opponents and were the team to see with some great prospects. I parked in town and walked.
    Visited August 2021
    Written November 18, 2021
  • MichaelKohn1
    Saint Louis, Missouri375 contributions
    Hot fun evening at the ballpark
    Came to Des Moines to see Toledo play the Iowa Cubs. It was a super hot/humid evening but there was a slight breeze so we did fine. Prices are reasonable and they really try hard to entertain. Food is a little pricy but good. Close to downtown (you can walk if you wish). Minor league baseball is FUN!
    Visited August 2022
    Written August 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
240 reviews
Excellent
144
Very good
75
Average
15
Poor
4
Terrible
2
Jim B
Lincoln, NE642 contributions
$12 Parking???
Jun 2021 • Couples
Paying $12 to park at a minor league baseball stadium in Des Moines, Iowa now is simply ridiculous. Highly disappointed to learn that what was free in the past is now a double-digit charge. Certainly takes the 'affordable' out of affordable family entertainment. It's a nice yard with wide open concourses and great sight lines for baseball, but c'mon, man.
Ushers do a poor job, allowing kids to run around the stadium, up and down aisles, constantly getting in the way of people watching the game, chasing foul balls or t-shirts. Also, no attempt to keep people from going down the aisles while the game is in progress. Not sure what's so difficult about waiting until the at-bat ends.
We were section 5 row 2, but this row is tighter than others so we moved to the third row, several more inches clearance. There were also two mini cameras mounted on the rail that obstructed the view. It was also nice that nobody could enter the row from the left.
Written June 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
amycbaldwin
Shenandoah, IA38 contributions
Super fun evening!
Jun 2022
Splurged ($35) for the seats right behind home plate and weren't disappointed. Something fun happening nearly every minute and the seats are pretty comfortable. Food isn't outrageous, and the game was great!
Written June 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Byron P
Des Moines, IA10 contributions
Great in a Pitch
Nov 2019
It was a Sunday morning and we were going somewhere else and it was full. Driving around we decided to see if the ball park was open.
To our surprise it was and it was good. normal breakfast goodies and fabulous omlets.
Written February 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Craig M
2 contributions
Misery
Jul 2023 • Family
If you're a big person like me, DO NOT SIT IN GA SEATS! In 2 minutes, the metal sides were digging into my hips, causing great discomfort. They make airplane seats seem like lounge chairs. The must uncomfortable I have ever been in a stadium. There s/b a disclaimer about this.
Written July 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jerome R
9 contributions
Great evening
Aug 2021
We really didn't have a plan but knew we had to park by Principal Park. We parked by where the Raccoon River and Des Moines River meet. It was a wonderful walk. We walked up to the Iowa Women of Achievement bridge.That is a neat bridge to walk across. Wanted to get something to eat so headed to Iowa Taproom.. Only two blocks away. Great place to eat. Drinks were fabulous and so was the food. Really cool place for a break from walking. Walked back to car and then to hotel... Was a great time.
Written August 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
aatbender
Dandridge, TN492 contributions
Very nice ballpark
Sep 2023 • Friends
A very nice ballpark convenient to downtown, only a short walk from our hotel. We had great seats right behind home plate where they have service from wait staff. Outstanding craft beer selection. Pretty darn good hot dogs. They do a lame virtual race between innings of characters on the scoreboard. Just stop. Really nice Friday night fireworks. Inconsistent game start times was odd.
Written September 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
thomasdcotter
Des Moines, IA39 contributions
Fun night out
Jul 2018 • Family
Seats can be purchased for cheap for a nice evening out. They have an app you can download that delivers concessions (including beer) to your seat.

Best part about this is the location. Many restaurants and bars in walking distance to the stadium.
Written November 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
iowakar
Johnston, IA59 contributions
Great AAA Ballpark
Jun 2019 • Couples
Principal Park used to be known as Sec Taylor Stadium (the name I prefer). It is the home of the AAA Iowa Cubs. It is a wonderful ball park and a great place to watch the upcoming baseball stars of tomorrow. Always a fun atmosphere and you often get pleasant breezes as it sits between the confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers. Concessions could be better but are passable. A nice grilled chicken or grill pork sandwich would be nice. All in all a great place to spend an evening or afternoon.
Written June 30, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kuvasz1988
Saint Paul, MN1,094 contributions
Needs Work
Jun 2019 • Friends
This ball yard is showing it does not belong in the big leagues. Parking is not adequate. The bathrooms are old and dirty and not well maintained. The Cubs Store leaves much to be desired. If attending a night game make sure you get a seat on the 3rd base side to avoid the sun.
Written June 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve R
Fort Dodge, IA211 contributions
Great Park, Way Overpriced Food
Aug 2016 • Couples
A great ballpark to see a game. I honestly don't think there is a bad seat in the house. One of the great things to be able to do is go on line to the Iowa Cubs site, select your seat and print your ticket. Want an aisle seat, get it on line. Want to sit higher, get it on line. Want to bypass the ticket office, do it online. Getting tickets that way is so handy. Parking can be tricky if not familiar with the area and costs $8. If you are even the least bit familiar it is fairly easy to access and exit. If you are coming in from the west the Martin Luther King Dr exit will get you right to the ball park and avoid downtown. Just follow MLK and you end up at the ballpark. Seats are standard, not comfortable and not uncomfortable. Drink holders for all seats, at least the box seats closet to the field. Quite a few food selections but unless you want to take out a loan eat before you come to the park. $5 for a pretzel! Up to $9 for a "premium" draft beer. We had not been to the park for a couple of years. I had a pulled pork sandwich (nothing special), steak fries and a small drink for $16! Just really not worth it on the food side. Overall the park is very clean and kid friendly. There is a huge playground on the first base side and I think there is a splash pad. Nice electronic scoreboard keeps you up to date and displays replays when necessary. A good family outing and a very reasonable priced family evening if you stay away from the food.
Written August 29, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Principal Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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Excellent Reviews

144

Very Good Reviews

75

Principal Park Photos

70