Clare and Miles Mills Rose Garden
4800 Grand Ave, Des Moines IA 50312
✦ Historic rose garden in Greenwood Park dating back to the 1930s
✦ Over 2,000 rose bushes and 100 varieties across 4.5 acres
✦ Limestone architecture, flagstone paths, and endless ways to lay out a ceremony
The Clare and Miles Mills Rose Garden is one of Des Moines’ most romantic and historic outdoor venues. I’ve photographed several weddings and elopements here, and each one has felt completely different—the layout of the gardens gives couples endless options for how to use the space. Whether you’re planning an intimate ceremony surrounded by blooms or a larger gathering with guests wandering the flagstone paths, the possibilities really are limitless.
The garden is tucked behind the Des Moines Art Center in Greenwood Park, spanning over four acres with more than 2,000 rose bushes and 100 different varieties. It’s a nationally recognized All-American Rose Selection Display Garden, which makes it not only beautiful but one of only a few like it in the country. The space is full of stonework, limestone pillars, benches, and winding walkways, all designed in the 1930s by some of Iowa’s most notable landscape architects. Between the architecture and the plant life, it has a timeless charm that changes with every season.
What I love most about this garden is how creative couples can get with it. The light moves beautifully through the space at different times of day, and there’s so much variation—roses climbing trellises, open lawns, shaded alcoves, and stone terraces that make incredible portrait backdrops. It’s quiet, elegant, and right in the heart of Des Moines. I’d love to keep photographing weddings, elopements, and even proposals here—it’s one of the most naturally romantic places in the city.
One of my favorite ways to see this venue used is paired with the Des Moines Art Center just steps away. Couples can host their ceremony in the Rose Garden, then move guests across the lawn for a cocktail hour and dinner in the Art Center courtyard beside the reflecting pool. It’s such a beautiful flow for the day—guests experience both the gardens and the galleries, surrounded by incredible art and architecture without ever needing to drive. The two venues together create a seamless and unforgettable celebration space right in the heart of Des Moines.