Union Park – Des Moines, Iowa

I had been meaning to check out Union Park, home to the Heritage Carousel, all summer but never made it. We will definitely be back to ride the carousel once it opens, but we took some pictures of what else is there and checked out the rocket slide! This park is right across from  Birdland Park, which we also visited the same day.

[You can see more specific details on the Union Park page below or check out its location on the interactive map.]

Union Park – Des Moines, Iowa

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You can just barely see the Capitol through the trees, but there were quite a few little benches and gazebos sprinkled about.

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There was a loop drive around this nice open space – I imagine kids play lots of ball sports in here when the weather is warmer.

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There were a ton of picnic tables!

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I think I saw two shelter houses like this, one close to the carousel and one far away.

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This is the carousel, all closed up. Can’t wait to come back and ride it, it’s only open in the afternoons which has historically been naptime but my 2 year old is done with napping, so coming out to ride the carousel is a silver lining.

rocket slide union park des moines iowa

Other than the carousel, this park is known for the “rocket slide”. I didn’t know quite what to expect and to be honest, we didn’t go down, but it is a beast!

union park rocket slide

I was surprised how steep the ramp was, without any steps, I would not want to be here on a super busy day with bigger kids running up and down. As the only people around, we had fun exploring it.

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Over on the other side of the rocket slide, there is a sheltering overhang, two parks, and a wading pool.

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This is the farther park, closer to a road and with bigger structures.A

We hung on the toddler side, it was little and cute. Nothing notable about either playground but they were in nice shape and had a few options at each. We will definitely come back and share when we visit in summer!

1 thought on “Union Park – Des Moines, Iowa

  1. Elaine Gully says:

    How much does it cost to Rent Union Park for 1 Day on June 17/2023

    Reply

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