Des Moines Performing Arts Promotion Codes May 2026: Up to $150 OFF

In the 1970s, after the closure of the Clontar Theatre in Des Moines, a local bond option was proposed for the construction and financing of an auditorium, but was rejected with a slight advantage. A group of business leaders in the region joined forces without hesitation, raising more than $9 million for the cause in less than 90 days. The rest is history: in June 1979, the Des Moines Civic Centre held its first performance. The Des Moines Civic Centre is the city centre destination with the Black Box Stone Theatre and Noord Square (now Cowles Commons). The Temple Theatre became the organization's fourth operations location in 2002. In 2013, the organization changed its name to Des Moines Performing Arts. Today, Des Moines Performing Arts remains one of Iowa's leading non-profit arts organizations. It is a major economic engine and the Willis Broadway series alone generates about $30 million in economic impact each year.