Downtown DSM Adventure Stories
Dive into worlds of imagination with your little adventurers through Downtown DSM Adventure Stories. Follow each story through a Downtown Des Moines neighborhood and you might just find the city transformed into exciting new places like faraway planets and lush green forests. Each stop will be marked with a QR code to scan with your smartphone to unlock the next chapter. New stories will be released on Wednesdays, Aug. 18 through Sept. 8.
Five unique adventure stories will be spread across more than 20 locations in Downtown Des Moines, with each story broken up into 4 to 6 chapters. The activity is self-guided and ideal for parents and their children ages 3 to 18. The locations within each story are spread in easy-to-walk distances and each story can be completed in 30 minutes to an hour.
The first two stories (both released Aug. 18) are a Nature Adventure and a Travel Adventure:
Nature Adventure Story: Your adventurer will explore a tale of slithering and slippery creatures in the wild, along with new environments and ecosystems across our vast planet. Be ready to tap into imagination and curiosity!
Travel Adventure Story: Your explorers will stumble upon faraway places as they take their voyage into the unknown. Your journey searching for spaceships and sailboats, airplanes and atoms, dinosaurs, and much more starts right here.
HOW DO I COMPLETE A STORY?
- Visit downtownDSMUSA.com/adventurestories.
- Select a story from the icons, which will reveal the starting point.
- Once you are on-site at the starting point, pull out your smartphone and turn on your device’s camera.
- Hold the camera to the QR code located at each stop to scan the code and gain access to the corresponding chapter.
- Read through the story chapter.
- Try out the Adventure Challenges.
- Follow the clues to the next chapter.
- Continue until you complete all chapters.
- Share your experiences and completed Adventure Challenges on social media using #downtownDSM and tagging @downtownDSMUSA on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
- Bonus: Support local businesses while you’re Downtown by stopping into stores, restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops and more!
WHAT SHOULD I BRING?
- Your smartphone
- Comfortable shoes
- A stroller, wagon, bicycle(s) or other kid carrier – just in case your little explorers prefer to ride safari through their adventure
- Water/snacks
- A sketchbook and your favorite drawing tools
- Payment for parking meters or garages
- Cash or credit card – this event is completely free and all chapters are in public spaces, but you may wish to stop into local Downtown shops and eateries while you’re out and about!
Throughout your journey, you’ll find yourself in both well-known spaces and hidden gems in Downtown Des Moines, nearby various shopping and restaurant districts.
Visit downtownDSMUSA.com/adventurestories or follow @downtownDSMUSA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to be the first to know when new stories are released. Share your Adventure Stories experience on social media by using the hashtags #downtownDSM, #DSMlocal, #DSMUSA.
Downtown DSM Adventure Stories is produced by the Greater Des Moines Partnership in collaboration with Group Creative Services. This activity is free to the public thanks to our sponsor MidAmerican Energy Company.
The story series is a part of an ongoing Glad You’re Here | Love Downtown DSM series that creates moments of surprise and delight in Downtown DSM, with the goal of getting more people Downtown and supporting local businesses.
Find your first set of story clues for this exploration and read more FAQ information at downtownDSMUSA.com/adventurestories.
