Historical Markers
Men in historical uniforms with a cannon - ap us history field trips

By bus · principal city, Iowa

AP US History Field Trips in West Des Moines, IA

Field trips that match the AP US History periods to real places nearby, so each unit has a site students have stood on.

Open the Iowa map · All states

Photo: Eric R. on Unsplash

A field trip that costs a bus and a morning has to be worth it. West Des Moines is one of the cities the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA metro area is officially named after. The listed sites near your school are the cheapest primary sources you will ever use.

Bronze statue and uniformed group viewing art in a gallery - ap us history field trips
Photo: Andrei Zhaboklitskii on Unsplash
Young students gathered outdoors, one checking a phone - ap us history field trips
Photo: Kristijan Arsov on Unsplash
Students attentively listening in a lecture hall - ap us history field trips
Photo: Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

On the record near West Des Moines, IA

The 12 nearest

241 listed historic sites on the record within 30 miles of West Des Moines, IA.

  1. Valley Auto Co.-Morgan Auto Co. Garageunder a mile from the center of West Des Moines · Building · West Des Moines · listed 2021National Register of Historic Places
  2. I.O.O.F. (International Order of Odd Fellows) Valley Junction Lodge Hall No. 604under a mile from the center of West Des Moines · Building · West Des Moines · listed 2017National Register of Historic Places
  3. U.S. Post Officeunder a mile from the center of West Des Moines · Building · Des Noines · listed 1974National Register of Historic Places
  4. Valley Junction-West Des Moines City Hall and Engine Houseunder a mile from the center of West Des Moines · Building · West Des Moines · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places
  5. Val-Air Ballroomunder a mile from the center of West Des Moines · Building · West Des Moines · listed 2022National Register of Historic Places
  6. Stoner, Thomas I., House1.6 miles from the center of West Des Moines · Building · Des Moines · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
  7. Des Moines Art Center1.6 miles from the center of West Des Moines · Building · Des Moines · listed 2004National Register of Historic Places
  8. Sylvan Theater Historic District1.6 miles from the center of West Des Moines · District · Des Moines · listed 1995National Register of Historic Places
  9. Boyd, Byron and Ivan, House1.7 miles from the center of West Des Moines · Building · Des Moines · listed 2004National Register of Historic Places
  10. Jordan House1.7 miles from the center of West Des Moines · Building · West Des Moines · listed 1973National Register of Historic Places
  11. Theodore Roosevelt High School2.0 miles from the center of West Des Moines · Building · Des Moines · listed 2002National Register of Historic Places
  12. Lustron House #024372.0 miles from the center of West Des Moines · Building · Windsor Heights · listed 2020National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of West Des Moines, IA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

APUSH Field Trips in West Des Moines, step by step

  1. 1

    Choose stops within the time and distance the day allows

  2. 2

    Send families the route and the stories ahead of time

  3. 3

    At each stop, read the record aloud and ask one question

  4. 4

    Students photograph or sketch one detail at every site

  5. 5

    Back in class, each student explains one stop to the room

What people in West Des Moines, IA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in West Des Moines, IA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Is this suitable for students in West Des Moines, IA?

Yes. Every stop is a published historic site with its record attached, so the content is factual and sourced. Teachers choose the stops, and the route can be kept to sidewalks and public ground.

Does this line up with state standards?

State history standards in most grades ask students to connect events to local places. The listed sites near your school are those local places, with the primary record already attached.

How a visit works in West Des Moines

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In West Des Moines, IA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in West Des Moines, IA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

More ways in around West Des Moines, IA

A group of students stands outside a classical building - history field tripsHistory Field TripsWoman standing in front of children - local history lesson plansLesson PlansChild looks at dinosaur skull in museum display - elementary school history tripsElementary History TripsDiverse group of students collaborating around a laptop - middle school local history projectsMiddle School ProjectsChildren sitting at desks in a classroom decorated with balloons - state history unitsState History UnitsTwo children walk down a cobblestone street between old buildings - homeschool history field tripsHomeschool TripsA group of people walking down a dirt road - scout history badges and hikesScout HistoryGroup of people inside the library - history day project sitesHistory Day Projects

APUSH Field Trips near West Des Moines

APUSH Field Trips everywhere in the US · Every way in