Come see the newest building on the
state capitol complex, the Iowa Judicial Branch Building, which is the home of
the Iowa Supreme Court, the Iowa Court of Appeals, and state court
administration.
Inside the
five-story limestone building, visitors will find historic allegorical murals
dating back to the 1880s, an inlaid marble floor, a soaring coffered dome, and
two stately courtrooms.
The
building, which sits on a bluff overlooking downtown Des Moines, is located at
1111 East Court Avenue, two blocks south of the Capitol. The building is open Monday through Friday
from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except on state holidays. Map.
Visitors
may use an easy to follow self-guided tour
that contains key information about the building and the murals.
Group Tours
Guided
tours of the public areas of the building are available for groups of 20 or
more. Contact the supreme court offices
at 515.281.6268 at least two weeks in advance to schedule a tour.
Virtual Tour
A pictorial tour of the courtrooms of the Iowa
Supreme Court and the Iowa Court of Appeals
Historic Murals
You may
download a Power Point slide show about
the history and restoration of the murals (approximate download time —two
minutes). Free downloads are available
on our tools page.
