Top Iowa Kids Birthday Outdoor Spaces

• Spaces for 8-1,000 Guests
• 2 Outdoor Spaces
• 1 Restaurant
• 5 Total Spaces

Located in West Des Moines, Smash Park Des Moines offers an energetic setting for corporate events, team-building outings, birthdays, holiday parties, wedding celebrations, and private gatherings. The venue combines flexible indoor and outdoor event spaces with interactive entertainment including pickleball, axe throwing, duckpin bowling, karaoke, arcade games, cornhole, and other yard games. Private options range from the Paddle Club and Game Zones to outdoor Canopies and The Hideaway, allowing groups to choose a setting that fits their size and style. Scratch-made catering, customizable beverage options, and dedicated event support complete the experience, creating a playful and memorable destination for events in West Des Moines.

• Spaces for 50-140 Guests
• 2 Outdoor Spaces
• 2 Hotels
• 3 Total Spaces

River View Lodge is a private boutique lodge and event venue perched on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in LeClaire, Iowa. Designed for couples who want more than a single wedding day, it offers a serene, all-in-one setting where ceremonies, receptions, and overnight stays flow together beautifully. The lodge sleeps up to 20 guests in luxury suites — each with river views and many featuring ensuite saunas or jetted tubs — and includes an indoor heated pool, spacious patios, and a stunning ballroom. Unlike traditional venues, River View Lodge gives you privacy, flexibility with vendors, and full-weekend access so you can slow down, savor the celebration, and enjoy every moment without rushed timelines or strict rules. Beyond wedding season, the property transforms seamlessly for corporate off-sites, wellness retreats, family holidays, milestone celebrations, showers, and mid-week suite getaways — offering a destination feel close to home, without the stress or high minimums of typical venues or hotels.

• Spaces for 200-475 Guests
• 1 Outdoor
• 2 Hotels
• 2 Total Spaces

• Spaces for 40-600 Guests
• 2 Outdoor Spaces
• 1 Event Space
• 4 Total Spaces

Blank Park Zoo is Des Moines's accredited zoological park, home to over 2,500 animals and dedicated to conservation, education, and recreation. The zoo's private event rental program opens the entire grounds — and its most distinctive indoor and outdoor spaces — to corporate gatherings, weddings, galas, and celebrations of all sizes. The Holmes Foster Event Center, the zoo's largest indoor venue, accommodates up to 450 guests at banquet rounds or 600 for a cocktail-style reception, and comes with tables, chairs, audio/visual equipment, and setup and teardown service included. The Discovery Center seats up to 200 in a theater configuration or 120 at banquet rounds, with views overlooking the bird aviary and botanical gardens and access to year-round indoor animal exhibits. Outdoor options include the Large Pavilion, which handles 150 to 300 guests near the zoo's entrance alongside the Bald Eagle exhibit, and the African Pavilion, an intimate covered space for up to 60 guests with sweeping views of the giraffe and addax exhibits. Two exclusive on-site caterers handle food and beverage service, complimentary parking is available for all guests, and an on-site event supervisor is included with every rental. Animal viewing is available April through October, giving events an element that no ballroom can replicate.

• Spaces for 300-500 Guests
• 1 Outdoor
• 1 Barn
• 2 Total Spaces

Wooden Wheel Vineyards is a family-owned winery and event center set on a Heritage Farm in Keota, Iowa — land that has remained in the same family since 1850, when Isabella Clark Wright and her husband John first settled there by riverboat and wagon. Recognized at the 2022 Iowa State Fair for more than 170 years of continuous family stewardship, the property carries that history into every event it hosts. The event center occupies a renovated barn dating to the 1860s, offering 4,000 square feet of indoor space alongside expansive outdoor grounds. The barn seats up to 300 guests indoors, while the outdoor areas accommodate 500 or more, with an arbor, wedding gazebo, and yard space for ceremonies and guest activities. A bridal suite in the barn loft, a stone fireplace, and a full kitchen for caterers round out the offering. Beyond weddings, Wooden Wheel hosts anniversaries, birthday and graduation parties, fundraisers, work retreats, wine tastings, and seasonal events like sip-and-paint nights and murder mysteries — all set alongside the vineyard in a laid-back, countryside atmosphere.

• Spaces for 450 Guests
• 1 Outdoor
• 1 Ballroom
• 2 Total Spaces

The Fountains Ballroom is a wedding and event venue set in the rolling Loess Hills of western Iowa, approximately 20 minutes from downtown Omaha. Situated on countryside property at 51496 230th Street in Glenwood, the venue pairs a sweeping indoor ballroom with a pergola ceremony site, outdoor patios, fire pits, and a vineyard — offering couples a range of settings within a single property. The main reception space accommodates up to 450 guests and features dimmable crystal chandeliers, ceiling and backdrop drapery, twinkle lights, and a built-in DJ booth, projector, and screen. A ceremonial pergola with a 15-foot waterfall serves as a ceremony backdrop, and the surrounding grounds include multiple outdoor spaces with views of the hills, ponds, and meadows. Rentals include 14 hours of building access, two private dressing suites, a day-of coordinator, and two bartenders. The venue also offers in-house floral design, décor, and DJ services for couples seeking a more inclusive planning experience.

• Spaces for 300-700 Guests
• 1 Outdoor
• 3 Hotels
• 3 Total Spaces

The Hotel at Kirkwood Center is a AAA Four Diamond-rated hotel and event venue in Cedar Rapids, Iowa — and the only luxury teaching hotel of its kind in the nation. Operating as a learning laboratory for Kirkwood Community College's Hospitality Arts program, the property pairs award-winning facilities with a one-to-one employee-to-guest service ratio, a standard that has earned it Four Diamond recognition for 12 consecutive years and the title of Best Banquet/Event Facility from readers of the Corridor Business Journal. With nearly 22,000 square feet of banquet and meeting space, the hotel accommodates gatherings from cocktail receptions for 700 to business meetings for four. The Ballroom — at 7,454 square feet — seats up to 450 for banquets and connects to a 4,100-square-foot Pre-function Area with floor-to-ceiling windows. An indoor Atrium, a formal outdoor garden, and six flexible breakout rooms round out the event offerings. In-house catering is required for all on-site events, and all room setup and teardown is handled by the hotel staff. The property also showcases more than 100 original artworks throughout its public spaces, including hand-blown glass installations and pieces by student, faculty, and local artists — among them "Constellation" by Susan Chrysler White. On-site dining is anchored by The Class Act Restaurant, one of Cedar Rapids' most recognized dining destinations, and the Maikka Lobby Bar.

• Spaces for 75-100 Guests
• 1 Outdoor
• 1 Meeting Space
• 2 Total Spaces

The Brenton Arboretum is a nonprofit arboretum and public garden set on a scenic Iowa landscape in Dallas Center, about 25 miles northwest of Des Moines. Dedicated to trees and shrubs, the grounds feature more than 2,200 specimens representing 486 species, arranged across informal plantings, water features, and walking trails. The arboretum holds Level 2 accreditation from the Morton Register of Arboreta and is recognized for its collections of Kentucky coffeetree, elm, crabapple, and conifers. For private events, the arboretum offers two distinct indoor rental spaces alongside a set of outdoor locations — accommodating gatherings from intimate elopements to celebrations of up to 300 guests. The Pavilion, an open-air timber structure atop a breezy hill, provides panoramic views of the landscape and a limestone fireplace. The Vista Room and Terrace, situated adjacent to the arboretum offices, is a climate-controlled, ADA-accessible space with sweeping views of the grounds, audiovisual equipment, and WiFi. Both spaces can be rented individually or combined. The arboretum hosts weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate meetings, family reunions, and other private celebrations, with a dedicated rental coordinator available to guide event planning.

• Spaces for 80-250 Guests
• 1 Outdoor
• 1 Barn
• 3 Total Spaces

Whitetail Country Estates is a rural event property in Lockridge, Iowa, designed around weddings and private celebrations that call for overnight stays and a sense of place. The estate brings together an outdoor ceremony site, a historic barn reception hall, and on-site lodging — all within one property, so guests can arrive, celebrate, and stay without leaving the grounds. Ceremonies take place at the Pergola by the Pond, an outdoor setting on the banks of a pond with an illuminated fountain, a rustic arbor entry, and premium white chairs for up to 200 guests. Receptions move to the Vintage Horse Barn, a rustic venue with crystal chandeliers, two bars, a raised bridal party platform, and a south terrace with globe string lights — also set up for 200 guests. A Rehearsal Hall accommodates 80 for pre-wedding dinners and intimate gatherings, complete with kitchen access. Lodging on the property includes the Bridal Cottage, which sleeps 12 and includes an on-site salon and full kitchen, and the Whitetail Lodge, which accommodates 15 with living and game rooms, a full kitchen, and catch-and-release fishing access. Six camping sites with water and electric hookups round out the options for larger guest groups.

• Spaces for 230-500 Guests
• 1 Outdoor
• 1 Event Space
• 2 Total Spaces

Rosedale Park Event Center occupies a restored historic brick schoolhouse on two private acres in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The building dates to the early 1900s — American artist Grant Wood taught there from 1911 to 1912 — and its bell tower, arched doorway, and architectural character give events a sense of place that modern venues rarely match. The property accommodates up to 250 guests across indoor and outdoor spaces. The Emerald Room is the indoor reception hall, seating up to 230 guests with round tables, linens, and a full-service bar. Outside, a covered pavilion anchors the private park, which also includes a wedding gazebo, multiple ceremony locations, a playground, an outdoor bar, and native prairie grounds — all exclusive to one event at a time. All-inclusive packages cover tables, chairs, linens, setup and cleanup, a 500-plus piece décor inventory, an on-site coordinator, and in-house catering through Zest Catering Company. The venue holds a Class C liquor license and offers fully customizable bar service. With 160 parking spots and wheelchair-accessible facilities, Rosedale Park Event Center is a few minutes from downtown Cedar Rapids and nearby hotels.

• Spaces for 55-335 Guests
• 4 Outdoor Spaces
• 7 Museums
• 7 Total Spaces

Living History Farms is a 500-acre open-air history museum in Urbandale, Iowa, that chronicles 300 years of Midwestern rural heritage — and one of the most distinctive private event settings in the Des Moines area. The property encompasses a recreated 1876 frontier town, two National Historic Register structures, and a range of indoor and outdoor spaces available for weddings, receptions, corporate gatherings, and celebrations of all kinds. Eight distinct rental venues are spread across the grounds. The Flynn Barn, built in 1871, offers exposed timber beams and an oak floor for receptions of up to 280 guests. The Church of the Land, a nondenominational chapel in the historic Walnut Hill town, seats 130 for weddings and memorials. The Learning Center provides a barn-inspired Great Hall with skylights and exposed beams for up to 330 guests, while the Murray Conference Center features a high domed ceiling and pond views for smaller meetings and gatherings. Outdoor options include the Gazebo, the porch and front lawn of the 1870 Flynn Mansion, the MidAmerican Energy Foundation Pavilion, and a sprawling front lawn suited for festivals and large-scale events. Events are staffed by a dedicated on-site team, and preferred caterers are available. The events team can be reached at rentals@lhf.org or by calling (515) 278-5286.

• Spaces for 50-350 Guests
• 2 Outdoor Spaces
• 1 Event Space
• 3 Gardens

The Iowa Arboretum & Gardens is a community-supported public garden set on landscaped grounds in Madrid, Iowa, offering outdoor and indoor event spaces for weddings, receptions, corporate gatherings, showers, and anniversaries. Surrounded by botanical gardens, tree groves, native prairie trails, and interactive natural spaces, the arboretum provides a distinctive natural backdrop that sets it apart from traditional banquet venues. The Hughes Education Center serves as the primary indoor event space, accommodating up to 175 guests with 22 sixty-inch round tables, large windows overlooking the grounds, and access to a full catering kitchen, wireless internet, and audio equipment. Outdoor ceremony areas seat up to 200 guests, with a sound system available and four hours of pre-ceremony access included. For intimate gatherings, the Treehouse Venue offers a micro-wedding setting for up to 50 guests. Dance floor rental is available as an add-on for receptions.

• Spaces for 200-600 Guests
• 1 Outdoor
• 1 Winery
• 2 Total Spaces

Stone Cliff Winery occupies the historic Star Brewery building at the Port of Dubuque, overlooking the Mississippi River. Founded by Nan and Bob Smith, who planted their first vines in the mid-1990s and produced their debut vintage in 2001, the winery relocated to this landmark riverfront address in 2007 — bringing its award-winning wines and, more recently, the restored Dubuque Star craft beer brand under one roof. The venue's event center draws on the building's industrial-historic character — exposed brick, wine barrel displays, and river-adjacent atmosphere — to host wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, corporate events, private parties, and milestone celebrations. The banquet and barrel room accommodates up to 200 guests indoors, and events can expand to up to 500 guests when the adjacent Alliant Energy Amphitheater is incorporated. In-house food and beverage service and audio-visual equipment are available to support a range of event formats.

• Spaces for 60-300 Guests
• 1 Outdoor
• 3 Museums
• 3 Total Spaces

Salisbury House & Gardens is a historic English Tudor-style estate and museum set on nearly ten acres of private woodland in Des Moines' South of Grand neighborhood. Built between 1923 and 1928 by cosmetics magnate Carl Weeks and his wife Edith, the 42-room, 28,000-square-foot mansion was modeled after the King's House in Salisbury, England, and features authentic 16th-century English oak woodwork, English flintwork, and rafters dating to the time of Shakespeare. Today the estate is owned and operated by the Salisbury House Foundation as a historic house museum and private event venue. The property offers both indoor and outdoor settings for weddings, receptions, social gatherings, business meetings, and photography sessions. Indoor events accommodate up to 100 guests, while the formal gardens and grounds — featuring over 9,000 square feet of English and French landscape design, terraces, Greco-Roman statuary, and rolling lawns — can host up to 250 guests outdoors. The estate also supports micro-wedding packages for groups up to 30 and provides an on-site ordained officiant with advance notice. On-site amenities include WiFi, audio/visual technology (projector, screen, podium, microphones, and speakers), general electricity indoors and out, and designated getting-ready spaces. Catering is arranged through a selection of five preferred caterers, with outside catering permitted for an additional fee. The estate is located approximately ten minutes from downtown Des Moines.

• Spaces for 40-110 Guests
• 1 Outdoor
• 1 Historic Space
• 2 Total Spaces

Duck Creek Park is a 211-acre park and golf course operated by the City of Davenport, Iowa. Set along a wooded greenway on the east side of Davenport, the park offers two reservable event spaces suited to gatherings of different scales — the historic Duck Creek Lodge and the Stampe Lilac Garden & Gazebo. Duck Creek Lodge is a brick building with a character-rich main hall featuring chandelier lighting, exposed wood beams, a fireplace, and large windows overlooking the park. The lodge accommodates up to 110 guests, with seating for approximately 75, and includes a serving kitchen with refrigerator, round and rectangular tables, on-site restrooms, and climate control. It is available for full-day or hourly rental. The Stampe Lilac Garden & Gazebo is an outdoor garden and gazebo space accommodating up to 40 guests, with fixed bench seating arranged in rows. Event reservations are managed through the Davenport Parks and Recreation Department and can be booked up to 365 days in advance.

• Spaces for 200 Guests
• 1 Outdoor
• 2 Event Spaces
• 2 Total Spaces

Pilgrim Heights Camp & Retreat Center is a Christian-based nonprofit set on more than 100 wooded acres in Montour, Iowa, with access to an 80-acre private lake. The property hosts weddings, business retreats, corporate conferences, and group getaways in a natural setting far removed from convention-hall venues. The centerpiece for indoor events is the three-story Four Seasons Conference Center, which accommodates up to 200 guests across two large event floors, an upper chapel, and a main-floor commercial kitchen. Every level offers lake and woodland views. For outdoor ceremonies, Vesper Point provides a handcrafted wooden-pew setting overlooking the lake, with a cross as its focal point and natural shade for guests — also seating up to 200. On-site lodging in the 12-room Oak Lodge and 10 private lakeside cabins allows wedding parties and retreat groups to stay the full weekend. Linen, bedding, and tablecloths are included with rentals, and seasonal lake access — kayaks, canoes, and life jackets — is available from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

• Spaces for 60-600 Guests
• 2 Outdoor Spaces
• 1 Restaurant
• 5 Total Spaces

The State Historical Building, home to the State Historical Society of Iowa, is a landmark event venue in Des Moines' East Village, steps from the Iowa State Capitol. Established in 1857, the institution has long been a civic gathering place — and the building itself carries that tradition into its event programming, hosting everything from wedding receptions and corporate galas to film screenings and nonprofit fundraisers. The sky-lit Atrium, anchored by a grand staircase, is the signature event space, accommodating up to 400 guests at round tables or 600 in theater-style seating. The Grand Terrace opens outdoors with sweeping views of the State Capitol and can welcome up to 500 guests — a backdrop that few venues in Des Moines can match. Smaller gatherings find a home in the Café Barattas and Café Terrace, an intimate indoor-outdoor pairing with Capitol views suited for rehearsal dinners and daytime receptions. The Cowles-Kruidenier Auditorium serves presentations, lectures, and screenings for up to 245 guests. Baratta's Catering serves as the exclusive on-site caterer, with in-house coordination for food, beverage, and table service. Tables and chairs are included in the rental fee, and complimentary parking is available in the adjacent Capitol Complex garage.

• Spaces for 120 Guests
• 1 Outdoor
• 1 Park

Sportsman's Lodge is a county-operated event facility nestled within Sportsman Park, a 40-acre woodland preserve of oak and hickory timber adjacent to the North Raccoon River near Dawson, Iowa. The lodge accommodates up to 120 guests and is suited for wedding receptions, family and class reunions, bridal and baby showers, retreats, and meetings. The facility includes 15 eight-foot tables, air conditioning, heat, electricity, full restrooms with shower facilities, a full-size refrigerator, and built-in serving counters. Guests also have access to nearby playground areas and the Raccoon River Valley Trail. The lodge is available for rent year-round, weather permitting, with reservations managed through the Dallas County Conservation Board.

• Spaces for 51-240 Guests
• 1 Outdoor
• 4 Museums
• 4 Total Spaces

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library (NCSML) stands in the heart of Cedar Village in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as the nation's foremost institution for the collection, interpretation, and preservation of Czech and Slovak history and culture. Founded in 1974 by second and third-generation Czech Americans, the NCSML became a Smithsonian Affiliate in 2018 and holds the American Alliance of Museums accreditation — a distinction it earned in 2008, the same year catastrophic Cedar River flooding tested the institution's resolve. Rather than rebuild in place, the museum physically relocated its original 1,500-ton structure 480 feet to higher ground, reopening in 2012 in an expanded 50,000-square-foot facility. The museum offers four distinct event spaces for private occasions: the art nouveau-inspired WFLA/ZCBJ Heritage Hall for receptions and galas of up to 240 guests; the Rozek Grand Hall, anchored by a crystal chandelier and floor-to-ceiling windows, for ceremonies and seated dinners up to 100; the outdoor Naxera Terrace overlooking the Cedar River, suited for cocktail receptions; and the intimate Hemphill Theater for presentations and screenings. In 2024, the museum dedicated the Buresh Immigration Tower, featuring the only Prague-style astronomical clock in North America.

• Spaces for 70-1,000 Guests
• 1 Outdoor
• 1 Bar
• 3 Event Spaces

Principal Park is a 11,500-seat professional baseball stadium in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, home of the Iowa Cubs — the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Opened in 1992 and renamed Principal Park in 2004 following a naming rights agreement with Principal Financial Group, the ballpark sits at the confluence of the Des Moines River and the Raccoon River, offering views of both the skyline and the surrounding waterways. The park's event programming spans game-day group packages and non-game-day private rentals across several distinct spaces. The climate-controlled Left Field Lounge accommodates groups of up to 70 and includes a full bar, audio and visual capabilities, and views of Sec Taylor Field. The Mezzanine, on the second level behind home plate, hosts groups of up to 1,000 with panoramic views of the city and the field. The CKF Left Field Landing, situated above the home bullpen, serves as an exclusive picnic area for groups of up to 125. The venue's catering team customizes packages for reunions, receptions, graduation parties, holiday events, business meetings, and staff retreats. Ample parking and a convenient downtown location make Principal Park easily accessible for guests arriving from across the Des Moines metro.