Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park

Went here for a Whiskey Meyers concert. The venue is nicely laid out and manicured. Nice that there are water fountains to fill bottles. My only suggestion would be to reconfigure the amount of port o pots to facilitate spectators. It's disheartening to pay good money to see an artist, only to spend a decent portion of the experience waiting for an empty toilet. Also, I would suggest that there be a few more alcohol vendors to support crowds as well.

We attended the Beck and Des Moines Symphony Orchestra concert on 07/24/2025. Positives: All the staff were helpful and very nice. The campus is beautiful. Parking was easy and close. The vendor choices for drinks and food were very good. All the vendors we interacted with were friendly and super nice as well as a really good choice of foods and beverages. The sound was okay ( we were in the 4 th row). Negatives: The orchestra pit chair rows were extremely close together and without sounding dramatic, nearly dangerous for people to navigate due to how close the rows were. (Difficult navigation to get up and out and back to use the bathroom, people using canes, etc.). Also, at the center of the campus in front of the amphitheater, the grass was too long and should have been cut shorter for people to foot travel to and from. Also, picnic tables or tables and chairs for people to sit and eat or have a refreshment between the food trucks and amphitheater would have provided some comfort to attendees. When we left the concert, we think the vendors threw their ice and water out on the lawn, so walking around to the porta potties or back and forth, I was literally walking on some muddy water. (it had not rained.).

I really, really enjoyed this facility. Beautiful crafted architecture! I recommend hosting events here! Respectfully, Madam Ambassador Dr. Nealy H.E. United Nations Peace Ambassador NGO ECOSOC Dr. Angela J. Nealy

ADA experience... Whiskey Myers' performance was a 5/5. It was a beautiful night, and the outdoor feel was fantastic. Most of the event staff was great as well, until it came to the security/Bully-ish seating staff that had No clue as to professionalism nor how to read a seating chart. :( I recently had a knee replacement. So, I try to purchase ADA seating whenever possible. It gives me more leg room and helps me to avoid uncomfortable seating situations or being crammed into the standard seats and then having knee problems for days after a show. We provided our ADA seating info. And... they (staff) had no clue where we were to be seated. One of the gate attendants assigned to our area of assigned seating instructs us to put our chairs in the grass to the left of the stage. (Glad we brought our own chairs, we paid for ADA seating, and it states chairs are provided but none where provided or available) My wife and I sat off to the side and couldn't have been happier! And then all a sudden, Ms. Suzy Security comes over and tells my wife and I we have to move off to the side of the assigned seating area and in an area where we no longer can see the stage! She even made a big scene in front of everyone, acting like we were the ones being unruly. By then, my wife just wanted to avoid conflict and would have sat anywhere, and I had become extremely annoyed and upset and may have been slightly unruly:) So I asked Suzi-security to show us Exactly where our assigned ADA seating was? And again, she had no clue and couldn't provide our assigned seats! She then informed me to either sit off to the side or "she could make us sit all the way in the back behind everyone else." I decided to drop it, and we went about our night. It was a great show, but this whole ADA seating experience just doesn't sit well with me. My bottom line is that I paid extra for these seats and feel like we were punished because they were unorganized. Last time I checked, if I pay for assigned seating, it should be provided, and if you can't provide it, a reasonable accommodation should be met. Otherwise, do not sell tickets for seats you are not able to provide... Just my opinion. Again, it was a great show. But the experience was less than enjoyable!

I have attended 3 major concerts here over the past 2 years. I purchased reserved seating for 2. This last one, Beck, I decided to save $ and buy lawn tickets for my family & me. We got there early to be as far front in the lawn as allowed--security informed us that was as far front as we were permitted. Spectators/audience were not allowed to be on the wide concrete walkway between the lawn and the reserved seating to watch the concert. (Made sense) However, not long after Beck started, people from back on the lawn began congregating on the concrete. This continued through the concert creating a wall several feet deep of people standing in front of the people on the lawn. The security people who told us in the beginning no spectators on the walkway, did nothing. It greatly diminished the enjoyment of the event. I have since learned this has happened before. Overall, this is not a good venue for large shows. Having an "amphitheater" on flatland doesn't work. The traffic before & after shows is a nightmare, and the parking situation is not good.

We live downtown so we usually take the greenways and walk here or we'll Über. There's plenty of parking on the grounds though I hear they charge sometimes for the bigger ticket events. The area in front of the stage is pretty open and spacious. I recommend bringing lawn chairs or a blanket. We usually just stand because we like to dance. The acoustics are surprisingly good even though we're outside. And then there's the food trucks that come for the concerts. I love that you can grab a bite and still enjoy the show!

The Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park is incredible—a beautiful outdoor venue with amazing acoustics, spacious seating areas, and stunning views of nature all around. Whether you're catching a concert, festival, or community event, the vibe is always top-tier. Easy parking, clean grounds, and a layout that makes every spot feel close to the action. This is what outdoor entertainment should feel like!

Terrible venue. I have been to many concerts and venues and this was by far the worst experience. Traffic was a nightmare. Paid $20 for “reserved premium parking” that was supposed to guarantee a parking spot. But they closed it right as we got there because it was full LOL. Many others had the same experience so it sounds like they oversell parking spots to make money and don’t care that they screw people over. So we drove around/waited in traffic for 2 hours trying to get to other parking. We barely made it to the main act before it started. And don’t waste money on reserved seating, you can’t see anything at all unless you’re the first row.