City of Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department

2025 Memorial Day

Love history, working with the public, and are ready to honor a national tradition and those it remembers? Our local cemeteries are alive with memories and volunteers can help preserve those memories and experiences.

Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, originated years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. The day honors men and women who died while serving in the military. Many people observe the day by visiting cemeteries or memorials and decorating graves.