West Des Moines to Host Historic Crime Walking Tours
The Historic Valley Junction Foundation will lead walking tours exploring local crimes on October 17 and October 24, 2026.
Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Violence
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The Historic Valley Junction Foundation is organizing historical tours of local crime sites in West Des Moines on October 17 and October 24, 2026. These walking tours will visit actual locations of past illegal activities like bootlegging and election fraud.
Why it matters
The tours focus on documented historical facts rather than ghost stories to provide residents with an accurate look at the area's criminal past. Organizers verified these accounts through extensive research in local newspaper archives.
The walking tours are restricted to participants aged 21 and older, with both scheduled sessions beginning at 6pm. The foundation confirmed these historical accounts involve various offenses including gambling and kidnapping.
The players
Historic Valley Junction Foundation
This organization manages local historical preservation and educational outreach efforts in West Des Moines.
The details
The route features stops at sites of past crimes, including a building near 7th and Maple streets that remains standing today. Historically described as a resort for gambling and bootlegging, this location was once the site of a fatal shotgun shooting reported as a 'Valley Junction Booze Orgy.'
Timeline
October 17, 2026, at 6pm.
October 24, 2026, at 6pm.
Legal Context
The tours examine how Prohibition-era bootlegging and gambling influenced the development of West Des Moines law enforcement. These historical accounts place the area's past crimes within the context of early 20th-century American legislative struggles.
Residents planning to attend these tours must be at least 21 years old and should prepare for an evening of walking through the Valley Junction area. The foundation requires registration for the events taking place at 6pm.
The takeaway
These walking tours offer a factual approach to local history by connecting remaining physical structures to documented newspaper reports. Attendees can gain insight into the city's past by visiting the actual sites where these historical incidents occurred.
Further reading
Learn more about local historical investigations in the Violence section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Axios.
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