6 Reasons to Love the Harbach Community Center in Clive

by Whitney Alaniz, MOT OTR/L

Published on April 6th, 2026

6 Reasons to Love the Harbach Community Center in Clive, Iowa

The Harbach Center, formerly known as the Dymond Public Safety Building, opened in 2022 as part of Clive Leisure Services. Each year, the programs and services have expanded to include the Harbach Public Library, Harbach Center Recreation Bay, Gaming Lounge, Harbach Arcade, and many special events and programs.

It’s a great place for families to enjoy time together and help kids burn off energy! Discover why we love the Harbach Community Center and why your family will, too.

Harbach Public Library

The Harbach Public Library is an extension of the Clive Public Library, serving the east side of Clive. This space provides a cozy, smaller-home-library atmosphere. It includes a room with adult fiction, non-fiction, and multimedia materials, as well as a computer room and a youth room. Children can enjoy cozy seating, toys, puzzles, and a small puppet show stage. My son loved putting on a puppet show and using the floor seats to look at books.

Harbach Public Library Community Room

Programs are held weekly in the Harbach Public Library Community Room. Check the Clive Public Library Calendar for the current schedule. Typically, they offer a variety of story times, art, and music in the Little Learners class, as well as building toys in the Little Builders class.

This space is also available for rent for meetings, birthday parties, and other events, seven days a week. The cost is $25 per hour with a two-hour minimum, plus a $50 refundable damage deposit. Bonus: it includes a refrigerator and microwave!

Harbach Center Recreation Bay

The Harbach Center Recreation Bay is a large gym that includes basketball hoops, pickleball, volleyball, a ping-pong table, soccer nets, and various balls and games. It’s an excellent space for kids of all ages to run and play. On weekdays, it opens after school for kids to burn off energy.

During the winter months, they host Play in the Bay for children aged 0-6 with a caregiver. This is a popular library program that provides a variety of toys for kids to enjoy. They also offer Saturday Specials, which include arts and crafts and bounce houses.

This space can be rented for birthday parties and other events seven days a week. The cost is $50 per hour with a minimum of 2 hours and a $100 refundable damage deposit. Chairs and tables are also available to rent.

Harbach Center Gaming Lounge

Enjoy a variety of games on PlayStation 5 (like NBA 2K24), Xbox Series X (like Fortnite and Roblox), and Nintendo Switch (like Mario Kart, The Legend of Zelda, and Minecraft). All games are posted on their website. There is a maximum of 6 people per room, and only City of Clive logins and games are permitted. If users are waiting, the time will be limited to 30 minutes. When you arrive, let a staff member know which game you would like to play, and they will set it up for you. My boys had a blast competing against each other in Mario Kart and loved the big screen and comfortable chairs.

Harbach Center Arcade

The Harbach Center Arcade is located in a corner of the Recreation Bay. The arcade features a 90” TV and gaming pedestal with over 3,000 games, dozens of board games, and numerous arcade games like Pac-Man, Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, and Big Buck Hunter. They have tall stools in front of the games so that all kids can reach the controls.

Free Membership

In order to enjoy the bay, gaming lounge, and arcade, a free membership must be completed with a paper form at the center or online. Create an account through Clive Parks and Recreation, then choose “Membership” and “Membership Type” for the Harbach Center. Each person attending must be listed on the form along with an emergency contact. This is needed for both Clive residents and non-residents. During your first visit, they will print out your membership card while you play. It needs to be scanned before each visit.