The Directory
Kid friendly businesses, organizations and services in the Des Moines area.
Whether you live in Ankeny, Altoona, Clive, Des Moines, Grimes, Indianola, Johnston, Urbandale, Waukee, Windsor Heights, West Des Moines or beyond, find the local resources your family needs in in the dsm4kids Directory!
While all submissions are considered, inclusion in the Directory is based on relevance. Businesses or organizations outside of Central Iowa or primarily geared toward adults may not be listed.
If you are a business or organization and would like to submit a directory listing, please click on Submit Business Listing.
dsm4kids wants to help you find the best activities for your family. Sign up for our Weekend Fun Guide to be sure you don’t miss a thing!
The Ashton Observatory building was a collaborative effort between Jasper County and The Des Moines Astronomical Society, Inc.
The Observatory is about a 20 minute drive northeast of Des Moines, near the intersection of Iowa highway 330 and county road F17. The site is nestled within the beauty of Ashton-Wildwood County Park and has superior viewing avenues in all directions. The observatory has two domes, one housing a 16 inch f/4.5 Newtonian style telescope, and the other has a research-grade 16 inch Meade LX200 GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.