Beautiful remodeled historic Drake Univ home minutes from downtown and all metro

Des Moines, Iowa
$526 avg/night
Bed 8

Bed

Bath 3

Bath

Home Private Vacation Home

Property Type

Sleep 20

Max Sleeps

Historic 1895 home completely remodeled with all new bathrooms and kitchen and original hardwood oak floors refinished throughout. Brand new kitchen with island seating and large dining table. Original fireplace with infrared insert. Walking distance to Drake stadium and Knapp center and all facilities. Minutes drive or even bike to downtown and all metro area. So central to almost everywhere in the metro and in a great neighborhood.
Just finishing up this remodel now with final touches sobook early to be the first ones to use the beautiful space full of original character and updated features. I plan to continue to add to the property with additional touches as time allows.
This is a great space to entertain large family gatherings or multiple families and more bedrooms than most single family homes. Fun to imagine what life was like in this historic home back in 1895 in its original glory.

Huge dining table sits 8 comfortably and potentially more with provided extra chairs.
Peninsula/island has bar top seating for 3 or 4 more
Brand new appliances
All new paint and flooring throughout
Refinished original oak hardwood floors.
All beds and bedding and bathroom towels etc new.
Main Living room seats 10 comfortably and more room if extra chairs brought into the space.
Upstairs living room seats 4 comfortably and game room with TV and air hockey table and a wall. Mounted infrared fireplace.
Massage/heat powered lift reclining chair upstairs.
3 all updated bathrooms including one tub/shower others are shower only.

Outside enjoy a massive front porch with swing and stone table with chairs around. Also a grill is out front on a brand new patio with furniture.
Small front yard but enough space to play.
Drake University owned open lawn space they use for practice fields etc right across the street for public use to play field games or sports. I also have large portable tailgate tents and some tables and folding chairs that can be rented for $30 if requested before your stay.

Large parking lot in back of house for around 5 cars and another 6 or so can parallel park in the double wide long driveway. Alley access too for convenient entering and exiting or if bringing a trailer.

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  • Feature Features
  • Map Map
  • School District Rates & Availability
  • Review Review

Feature Features

  • PETS

    No Pets Allowed
  • DINING

    Dining Table
  • SAFETY

    Carbon Monoxide Detector Not Reported (host Has Not Indicated Whether There Is A Carbon Monoxide Detector On The Property; Consider Bringing A Portable Detector) Fire Extinguisher First Aid Kit Smoke Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Smoke Detector On The Property)
  • BEDROOM

    8 Bedrooms Bed Sheets Provided Sofa Bed
  • GENERAL

    Unit Size: 3000 Sq Ft (279 Sq M)
  • KITCHEN

    Blender Dishwasher Ice Maker Kitchen Island Microwave Oven Paper Towels Refrigerator Stovetop
  • LAUNDRY

    Laundry Facilities Washing Machine And Dryer
  • PARKING

    Onsite Parking
  • INTERNET

    Free WiFi
  • OUTDOORS

    Barbecue Grill Outdoor Furniture Porch Or Lanai
  • BATHROOMS

    3 Bathrooms Bathtub Or Shower Hair Dryer Shampoo Soap Toilet Paper Towels Provided
  • WORKSPACES

    Desk Desk Chair
  • THINGS TO DO

    Fitness Center
  • ENTERTAINMENT

    Arcade/game Room Books Games Smart TV
  • LIVING SPACES

    Dining Room Fireplace Living Room
  • CLIMATE CONTROL

    Air Conditioning Heating
  • FAMILY FRIENDLY

    Children's Books Children's Dinnerware Children's Games Highchair
  • SUITABILITY/ACCESSIBILITY

    Smoke-free Property

CheckIn Check-in : 04:00 PM CheckOut Check-out : 10:00 AM
No Wheelchair No smoking No pets Children allowed
Occupancy Max occupancy : 20

Map Map

School District Rates & Availability

Review Review

  • Dennis E.

    Submitted Jan 5, 2026

    Stayed Dec 19, 2025

    Beautiful, well maintained home, large enough for our family gathering

  • Dirk C.

    Submitted Oct 26, 2025

    Stayed Oct 24, 2025

    The home is beautiful. Ryan was an awesome host, great communicator. Location is close to everything you need or would want to do. There were 12 of us and all loved that there was enough room to spread out and also be together when we wanted that.

  • Aarika B.

    Submitted Sep 25, 2025

    Stayed Sep 19, 2025

    The house is super nice and all of the beds were very comfortable!

  • J R.

    Submitted Sep 15, 2025

    Stayed Sep 11, 2025

    This was the perfect stay for family traveling in from around the US. Easy location for multiple airport trips, space for everyone to eat together, and large comfortable bedrooms. The play space for the 3 year old was more than perfect, with toys and books! We would stay here again. Thank you!

  • Randy and Nicole G.

    Submitted Sep 1, 2025

    Stayed Aug 29, 2025

    This home and hosts are fantastic! Very detail oriented owners. Good quality furnishings that enhanced the stay (I.e. linens, beds)

  • jeremy g.

    Submitted Aug 25, 2025

    Stayed Aug 12, 2025

    Spacious and very comfortable and convenient for our family. Loved the piano, too! Thank you for a lively stay.

  • Robyn M.

    Submitted Aug 22, 2025

    Stayed Aug 14, 2025

    We stayed here during our annual trip to the Iowa State Fair and Adventureland. We had 5 couples and 2 children. We had plenty of space for all of us, including bedrooms. There were even toys for the kids! We had plenty of seating at meal time and found everything we needed in the kitchen for meal preparation. The beds were so, so, so comfortable! We would definitely stay here again!

  • Jody J.

    Submitted Aug 5, 2025

    Stayed Aug 1, 2025

    Nice house. Very clean and organized

  • Jessica O.

    Submitted Jul 5, 2025

    Stayed Jul 2, 2025

    We had 2 families of young adults and teens. Plenty of space for our needs and well located.

  • Michelle K.

    Submitted Jun 8, 2025

    Stayed Jun 6, 2025

    The BEST VRBO we have ever stayed in!! Absolutely beautiful! So many great little extras and little details. We were in town for our daughter's wedding and it was the perfect home to accommodate us and our extended family. So much space to spread out with places for all ages to enjoy! The beds were wonderful and the decor was gorgeous! Hope to be back again!!

  • Anel P.

    Submitted Apr 17, 2025

    Stayed Apr 11, 2025

    Everything was great. Anything we needed was there only thing we had a problem was there were ants in the kitchen and bathrooms, But other than that the stay was comfortable and great.

  • Mitchel C.

    Submitted Apr 6, 2025

    Stayed Apr 4, 2025

    Good location. Lots of room

  • Jaclyn B.

    Submitted Feb 22, 2025

    Stayed Feb 19, 2025

    We came to Des Moines for state wrestling. The house is big, was very clean and accommodating. I had one question about the internet while we were there and the owner was very responsive. Check in and out were very easy. They have games, exercise equipment and plenty of room for everyone to spread out. We would definitely stay there again!

  • Tammy B.

    Submitted Jan 19, 2025

    Stayed Jan 17, 2025

    We loved this property! It was a lovely, big house for our sports team. The location was great and the neighbors were super friendly.

  • Tami P.

    Submitted Jan 13, 2025

    Stayed Jan 3, 2025

    We had a large group stay in this wonderful home recently for a conference held at the convention center. It was a cozy and welcoming home and it functioned perfectly for all who stayed here. Communication was clear and check-in / check-out was easy. Definitely recommend this home.

  • Melody S.

    Submitted Dec 30, 2024

    Stayed Dec 26, 2024

    Our family loved the thoughtful and fun amenities provided in this large home. The small Christmas tree was especially thoughtful since we were gathering for the holidays! The host had good communication as well when we had questions. One note - the outside stairs and railings leading into the house are run down and not up to code. The risers are different heights, and the treads are uneven (especially the cement stairs). It was particularly hard to see the cement stairs down to the driveway at night (maybe host could add some solar powered lights?). Our family has some older folks and one family member with visual impairment, so the different height risers was hard. Host offered for us to walk up from the neighbor's driveway, but it was a bit too steep and too far for my older parents. (We appreciated the offer though!) We'd love to stay again for another holiday gathering, especially if the outside stairs are brought up to code.

  • Paul K.

    Submitted Dec 10, 2024

    Stayed Nov 22, 2024

    Large house and pictures do justice . A lot of bedrooms and great living room

  • Kurt B.

    Submitted Dec 3, 2024

    Stayed Nov 27, 2024

    Shared this house with my extended family for Thanksgiving - six adults and six kids of all ages. House was spacious enough to spread out in. Decent kitchen and large dining room met our needs. House is older - a lot of interesting nooks and rooms, but heating was inconsistent. Owner noted that heating vents may have been closed to cause that issue. Piano, TVs, air hockey, board games, kids toys were all a hit. Neighborhood is older and fairly quiet, close to Drake University. It met our needs very well.

  • Jody T.

    Submitted Nov 17, 2024

    Stayed Nov 15, 2024

    We stayed for a family wedding and the house was very accommodating for 10 people. Anywhere you want to go in Des Moines is only 15 minutes from this location!

  • Wyatt Y.

    Submitted Oct 13, 2024

    Stayed Oct 11, 2024

    Good location, lots of space.

  • Keith C.

    Submitted Aug 22, 2024

    Stayed Aug 14, 2024

    We had a great stay at this property! It has a great location near Drake with grocery stores and restaurants nearby - some within walking distance. We had a family gathering for the fair (a 15 min drive or 5 min to fair shuttle) and it was great for the kids. We enjoyed having the extra space for family get together. Dinners were easy with the kitchen and large dining table. Highly recommended this place for groups given the size and location!

  • Julie D.

    Submitted Aug 17, 2024

    Stayed Aug 9, 2024

    .

  • charlie n.

    Submitted Aug 14, 2024

    Stayed Jul 29, 2024

    Did you find a jacket in the front downstairs bedroom?

  • kimberly m.

    Submitted Jul 19, 2024

    Stayed Jul 7, 2024

    This is an older home but has been decorated and kept well. The littles loved the bunk beds, game room and many kid friendly extras!! Everyone slept well on comfortable beds and the house was very clean! We loved the amount of space we had and especially loved the large table that allowed us all to sit around it and visit! Our hosts were easy to communicate with and very friendly, I would suggest using the WiFi to communicate from the house if needed as I couldn't count on Verizon from there. Overall, we enjoyed our stay, would recommend it and stay there again!

  • Jody J.

    Submitted Jun 28, 2024

    Stayed Jun 14, 2024

    Ryan was a wonderful host. Very helpful and answered quickly. Hose was very clean and nicely remodeled

Your dates are Available!

Total

Includes taxes and fees
$526+
View details