State Law Library

This is legitimately the most gorgeous library that I've ever seen in the US. This was a very brief stop on our tour of the capitol and it legitimately stopped my breath in person. While I can't speak to its usefulness as a law library as I'm not an attorney or politician, as a visitor, this is a must see spot in Des Moines. Visited November 2025

Incredible! A sanctuary for the written word. I drove 3 hrs from Kansas City to see it and it was worth it. The entire Capitol building is a piece of art.

Absolutely fabulous! Don’t miss seeing this gorgeous library located inside the Iowa State Capitol and free to visit

Located on the second floor of the Iowa State Capitol building. Anyone can access this library without the guidance of a capitol tour guide. There aren't usually a lot of library patrons, so this space is pretty much exclusively used for photos taken by visiting tourists. As such, most of the library collection is off limits to the general public, but if you really need something found in the library index cards (yes, this library still uses index cards), a friendly librarian will be more than happy to retrieve the particular item(s) for you.

If you are in this city and you are unable to the time to do the guided tour of the State Capital, find some time to visit the State Law Library and you will be amazed. It is what Harry Potter would have approved or more like Hermione,. It is simply out of this world.