Ankeny Campus Driving Tour

Explore the DMACC Ankeny Campus from the comfort of your car. Use the maps below to drive through campus and learn more about DMACC at each stop. The tour starts on the southside of campus and will take you past most buildings on campus.

Safety Reminders:

While driving campus, please follow all traffic and parking signs, and be alert for pedestrians.
DMACC Security is on duty 24/7, call 515-964-6500. In case of emergency, please call 9-1-1 before contacting DMACC Security.

Driving Tour Route

Start Here

Enter DMACC Ankeny Campus from the south off Oralabor Road and take the second right turn to go to Lot L to start your tour at Stop 1.

Stop 1 - Lot L

You're currently looking at a cluster of 4 buildings, one of DMACC's hubs of learning and possibilities.

Facing the buildings, you'll see (from left) Building 4, the home of math, science, and horticulture programs. Classes like biotechnology, physics, chemistry, and engineering are offered here. In 2019, students in this building conducted algae experiments on the International Space Station. A recent horticulture program grad who studied here landed a great gig as grounds employee at Augusta National Golf Club, home to the Masters Tournament.

Next is Building 3W ….which houses architectural technologies, robotics, criminal justice, and cybersecurity/IT.

Building 3E is the center for CAD Tech 3-D modeling classes and labs, tool & diemaking, applied engineering tech, and wind tech. Notice the wind turbine to your far right? It's used in classroom training—and generates power for the college.

Not visible is Building 2, the Liberal Arts building, connected via covered walkway to 3W. Here classes like English, psychology, history, philosophy, religion, foreign language…to name a few… are taught.

Regardless of where or how you take classes, DMACC's student-teacher ratio is 18 to 1. This means more individual attention and more chances to get to know your instructors.

Directions to Stop 2: Take a left and vere right slightly around the buildings. Take the first right into Lot M, and drive straight until you come to the Student Center.

Stop 2 - Lot M

Straight ahead is our Student Center – Building 5, a place of life and energy for students. Remodeled in 2017, you'll find our wellness facility, food court, bookstore, entertainment, career center, cozy study spaces, and more.

Student Center – Building 5 is also a selfie spot. Feel free to step out of your car, snap a selfie in front of this building, email it to admissions@dmacc.edu, (need more directions) and earn a free DMACC T-shirt.

Your selfie will remind you of all the exciting amenities DMACC offers, including the Trail Point Aquatics & Wellness Center… 97,000 square feet on two floors of the Student Center. It features three pools, two basketball courts, cardio/gym equipment, cycling studio, fitness studios, walking/jogging track, racquetball courts, and a variety of intramurals. Students taking at least six credits in the fall and spring and three or more in the summer can use the facility for free!

No shortage of good things to eat, our food court options inside include Subway, Leaning Tower of Pizza, Lucky Bamboo, and Cafe X coffee house.

Our full-service bookstore offers various textbook buying/rental options as well as DMACC merchandise, apparel, and snacks. The performance stage and black box theatre offer entertainment sponsored by our Student Activities Council…. comedians, bands, karaoke, hypnotists, contests, and games, including our popular Grocery Bingo.

Our career center helps students land the best possible job and with interviewing, resume building, and job hunting.

We could go on and on about the exciting things happening in the Student Center!

Before moving to the next stop, take note of Building 24, down in the parking lot to your left. This three story building houses our health services, which includes nursing, CNA, paramedic and EMT, respiratory therapy, medical lab tech, and more. Look for the UnityPoint sign on the side. They are a DMACC partner.

Directions to Stop 3: Now drive past Building 24 and exit the parking lot at the stop sign by taking a right on to DMACC Blvd. Then take the next right into Lot N.

Stop 3 - Lot N

Here you'll see the twin buildings, 8 & 9. Although they look identical, the classrooms within tell a different story.

Building 8 to your right is all business -- accounting, business administration, entrepreneurship, IT, marketing/management, and fashion. You can gear up to go into business when you're finished at DMACC or transfer to four-year college or university.

Building 9 provides pathways into dental hygiene and early childhood education. Our dental cleaning office is open the public, and a childcare facility for DMACC faculty/staff and students is located here.

If you look to your left across the street, you'll see our newest building for our automotive program…. Building 13. It includes Chrysler, GM, and Honda automotive programs as well as a spectacular showroom.

Do you love racing? Want to work on a professional racing team? DMACC partnered with the Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) and Iowa Speedway on an exclusive internship program to give DMACC students a chance to work on Indy cars and Ford GT racecars at CRG headquarters in Indianapolis.

Just to the east of Building 13 is Building 10 which houses our automotive collision, auto mechanics, and welding programs. Behind Building 13 is the FFA building for classes in agriculture, water environmental technology and veterinary tech.

Directions to Stop 4: Exit the parking lot, and at the Stop sign, take a right onto DMACC Blvd. Take a right at the next Stop sign into Lot K.

Stop 4 - Lot K

Building 6, directly in front, is the place for success. Here you'll find the library, Academic Achievement Center, assessment center, computer lab, coffee shop, and more.

In addition to books and periodicals, DMACC's library gives you access to lots of online resources, links to other libraries, and the internet. Study carrels, study rooms, and lounge seating offer a comfortable study environment.

The Academic Achievement Center helps students masters their courses on any subject -- from math to writing to science to sociology and more. Best of all, AAC services are free for DMACC students!

You'll also find our music classroom and music studios for private lessons in Building 6. Our 250- seat auditorium provides the setting for campus plays, choir concerts, guest speakers, and more.

If it's a nice day and you want to stretch your legs, follow the sidewalk between Buildings 6 and 5 to explore our central campus. (See the black walking route in the map above.) This hidden gem has two joined fountains and beautiful greenspace. Keep an eye out for the DMACC mascot, also located in central campus.

Directions to Stop 5: Exit the parking lot the way you came in. At the stop sign, turn right onto DMACC Blvd. Turn left at the next stop sign and proceed into Lot D.

Stop 5 - Lot D

Did you know DMACC offers more than 200 degree, diploma, and certificate options? At this stop, you're looking at our lower campus, Buildings 14-20, home to some of DMACC's more specialized programs.

To your left as you face the buildings is Building 14, home to our Diesel Technology Program.

Next to it is Building 15, Graphic Design. Building 16 is Building Trades. Building 17 is Mortuary Science. Building 18, which you can see further down, is our photography and video production programs/labs. Building 19 is Fine Art, Building 20, to your right is Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration and Fire Science.

Keep an eye out. You just might see the DMACC fire truck. That's right! Behind the overhead door is DMACC's own operating engine used to train our fire science students.

Directions to Stop 6: Exit the parking lot, and at the stop sign, turn left onto DMACC Blvd. At the next stop sign, turn left, and then make an immediate left onto a divided entry road. Follow this around by the lake, and take the third right into Lot E.

Stop 6 - Lot E

The Iowa Culinary Institute^® (ici^®) in Building 7 serves up an unforgettable experience in culinary arts, hospitality and hotel & restaurant management. This building includes a demo lab, three industrial-size working kitchens, classrooms, and a bistro that serves lunch to the public. Students gain experience working in a restaurant setting here. As part of our exchange with Des Moines' French sister city, St. Etienne, two French chefs spend two weeks at the ici each January as guest lecturers teaching classical French cuisine. Students also prepare and serve our popular themed five-course gourmet dinners from September through May. DMACC recently partnered with the Des Moines Metro Opera to present a live broadcast of Bon Appétit!, a cooking opera based on Julia Child's cooking show which recently won a regional Emmy.

Directions to Stop 7: Exit the parking lot and take a right. Follow the road by the lake and take the second right into Lot P.

Stop 7 - Lot P

You're looking at Student Services, Building 1. While this is the last stop on the tour, this is the place you go first when making plans to attend DMACC and taking care of business while you're a student. Admissions, registration, advising, counseling, bill payment, and financial aid all happen here.

Did you know that under a special agreement, students may enroll in one class at Drake, Grand View, or Iowa State, providing they are taking at least 12 semester credits at DMACC? And did you know DMACC gives offers scholarships, grants, loans and/or work study opportunities to help pay your college bill? DMACC has the most affordable tuition in the state.

So, congratulations! You've reached the end of the tour. As we say here, “Life's Calling." Isn't it time to become a DMACC bear? Reach out to any member of the Admissions Team for more information or questions about DMACC.