Welcome to Iowa State Fair Campgrounds, a unique destination within the Campgrounds & RV Parks category, providing camping facilities specifically during the Iowa State Fair. Located at 341 E 35th St, Des Moines, IA 50317, and reachable at (515) 262-3111 ext. 284 or +1 515-262-3111 ext. 284, this campground offers convenient access to the fair's diverse attractions.
Iowa State Fair Campgrounds primarily caters to visitors attending the Iowa State Fair, offering a place to stay close to the event's activities. Reviews highlight the fair's wide range of attractions, including educational and entertaining exhibits, agricultural displays, and various food options.
Visitors enjoy the diverse exhibits, such as the horticultural displays and 4-H exhibits, which offer insights into agriculture and craftsmanship. The horse pull event is a popular attraction, showcasing the strength and skill of the horses. Additionally, the fair provides opportunities to sample unique and traditional fair foods, with options like shrimp bowls, shrimp tacos, and meals from the Pork Producers.
While the fair offers a plethora of activities and exhibits, some visitors have noted that transportation within the fairgrounds can be challenging. The available trolley system primarily loops through the campground, and scooter rentals are more prevalent than general trolley services. This may pose a challenge for those who require assistance with mobility but do not need a full wheelchair or scooter.
Key aspects of Iowa State Fair Campgrounds:
Iowa State Fair Campgrounds provides a convenient and immersive experience for fair attendees. It allows visitors to stay close to the action and enjoy the fair's diverse offerings. Visitors should be aware of the transportation options within the fairgrounds to plan their visit accordingly.
Picnics
Wheelchair accessible entrance
Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Wheelchair accessible restroom
RV camping
Public restroom
Public shower
Restroom
Tent sites
Camping fee
Credit cards
Debit cards
Good for kids
On-site parking
Paid parking lot
Dogs allowed
Always fun and educational. Lovwd the horse pull. It was a new to me experience. Those horses are amazing! The horticultural exhibits were fun to see with common and exotic entries. Having been a 4 H member in my youth we had to go through those exhibits and were impressed with the broad selection of entries. One disappointment is that it seems they prefer to rent scooters rather than providing trolleys. The trolley available seems to loop through the campground only. I am not so infirm as to need a wheel chair or power scooter, but could use an assist now and then. We had no need for the rides or junk food, finding enough to do without them. We did love the shrimp bowl and shrimp tacos! And of course, we stopped by the Pork Producers for a reasonably priced and nutritional meal. It was a great day!
Haven't been to the Iowa State in decades. It was awesome. Was able to see a family member quilts she made. I ate some weird foods and got a honker big souvenir cup.
We camped the past few days and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The campground hosts were friendly and there were plenty of sites from which to choose. The campground is very convenient...it takes just 10-12 minutes to reach downtown. You also have nice views and easy access to the State Fair property. We love walking and walked the periphery for a nice 2.75 miles.
First time coming to the Iowa State fair. It reminded me of the Indiana State fair. It's was fun. The cookies and corn dogs were my favorite treat so far.
For 2 weeks every August, We get the pleasure of spending time with our Iowa State fair friends and family. It’s a great feeling, being surrounded by people who love the fair as much as you do.
The woman running it was one of the rudest people I have met in my entire life. For an incredibly small misunderstanding (and during a storm), she berated my family to the point that when we left I had actual tears. Genuinely, this was one of the most condescending, rude, judgmental, disrespectful, and to be honest just plain mean, women I have ever met. When we left we went to a hotel 20 minutes away instead, and without us saying anything about our experience with the fairgrounds/that woman, he told us about how he sees people come in all the time who are treated badly by her. We ended up speaking to more people who did actually end up camping, Also, the last time we stayed there (summer 2024), every single bathroom/portapotty was locked after 9. So that was incredibly frustrating considering we we not warned about that AT ALL (and in the morning there was feces all over the inside of a stall, unfortunate I never got a picture because I was so disgusted I immediately walked out).