Des Moines has a legitimate baseball scene. AAA ball at Principal Park, a growing travel ball market across the suburbs, and enough youth programs to keep cage demand high all year. What it doesn't have is an obvious answer when you search for a private cage to book for an hour after school.
This guide covers your real options in the Des Moines metro, what private cage rentals actually cost, which suburbs have the most hosts, and how to handle Iowa's winter months when outdoor cage work simply isn't happening.
Batting Cage Access in Des Moines: What You're Actually Working With
The commercial options in Des Moines are fine but limited. A handful of indoor training facilities operate across the metro (a few concentrated in Ankeny and West Des Moines) and most are primarily built for lesson clients or members, not walk-in hourly rentals. Token-operated cages do exist but are inconsistent on maintenance and machine quality. During the spring and summer, some parks and rec facilities open outdoor cage areas, but availability is unpredictable.
The gap that private rentals fill is real: you need a cage at 6pm on a Tuesday, dialed to the right speed for a 13-year-old working on opposite-field hitting. Commercial options either aren't available or require you to share the space. Private hosts on CageList give you the whole setup for the hour, machine, turf, and no one else's team in your lane.
What to Expect: Prices, Session Lengths, and Setup Types
Pricing in the Des Moines metro
Private cage rentals through CageList in Des Moines and surrounding suburbs typically run $25–$60 per hour. A basic setup (backyard net, single-wheel machine, no frills) lands at $25–$35. Fully equipped cages with dual-wheel pitching machines, turf, lighting for evening sessions, and a covered structure run $45–$60. Commercial reserved bays at area academies, when available, are usually $50–$80 per hour.
Session lengths
Most players and families book 60–90 minutes. That's the sweet spot for a productive individual session, enough rounds to work on something specific without the session losing focus. Teams or families with multiple players typically book 2 hours to give everyone full reps. Most hosts allow you to extend if their calendar is open.
Outdoor vs. covered setups
Iowa has four distinct seasons, and that matters a lot for cage access. Outdoor backyard cages in Des Moines are realistically usable from late April through October. November through March, temperatures routinely drop below freezing and outdoor sessions aren't practical. When searching during winter months, filter for covered or garage-enclosed setups, those are the listings you can actually use. Many Des Moines hosts with outdoor cages also offer a covered option or have enclosed their setup precisely because Iowa winters make year-round availability more valuable.
Where to Find Private Cages in the Des Moines Area
Private cage hosts tend to cluster in suburbs with strong youth baseball cultures and enough lot space to build serious setups. In the Des Moines metro, that means:
- Ankeny, the fastest-growing suburb in Iowa, with a dense travel ball population and a high school program that regularly competes at state level; strong host concentration here
- West Des Moines, established youth baseball culture, good mix of backyard and covered cage setups
- Johnston, newer development, larger lots, hosts who've built quality setups with room to spare
- Urbandale, central location makes it convenient for players coming from multiple directions
- Clive, smaller suburb but solid options for families on the west side of the metro
If you're in the core Des Moines zip codes, the map view on CageList will show you the nearest hosts regardless of suburb boundaries, worth using instead of searching by city name alone.
Des Moines Baseball Culture
Des Moines punches above its weight for a mid-sized Midwest city. Principal Park (one of the better AAA ballparks in the country) hosts the Iowa Cubs, the Chicago Cubs' top affiliate. Watching pro ball played well is good for young players; being in a city that takes it seriously has a cultural effect on how youth programs operate.
Drake Bulldogs baseball competes in the Missouri Valley Conference and draws local recruits. The travel ball market across Ankeny, Johnston, and West Des Moines is competitive by Iowa standards, multiple organizations fielding 9U through 18U teams year-round. That demand is part of why private cage hosts in the Des Moines area have invested in quality setups: there's consistent local demand for reps beyond what commercial facilities can absorb.
Making It Through November to March
Iowa winters are not a suggestion. From November through March, Des Moines sees regular sub-freezing temperatures, snow accumulation, and wind chills that make outdoor athletic activity impractical. For baseball families, this is the season that separates players who maintain their mechanics from those who show up to spring tryouts starting from scratch.
Commercial indoor facilities get crowded during winter, everyone's chasing the same limited indoor time. Private cage hosts with covered or garage-enclosed setups offer a real alternative. The booking process is the same year-round, but availability on CageList in winter often looks better than you'd expect, because some hosts' setups sit underused and they're motivated to fill the calendar.
A practical approach: book a recurring weekly slot with a host whose setup you like. Many hosts are happy to arrange that directly once you've done a first session. It gives you consistency through the off-season without competing for last-minute slots.
How CageList Works
Search Des Moines or a specific suburb, filter by what matters to you (pitching machine included, covered setup, specific dates) and browse listings with real photos and host reviews. Book and pay through the platform. Show up, run your session, leave a review. No figuring out who to Venmo or whether the machine was actually going to work.
The best hosts are baseball families themselves. Their setups reflect that.
Find Private Batting Cages Near You
CageList connects you with private backyard batting cage owners in your area who rent by the hour. No waiting. No crowds. Just you, your machine settings, and focused reps.
Search Batting Cages Near You →Frequently Asked Questions
Are there batting cages available in Des Moines during winter?
Yes, but you need to book covered or indoor setups. Outdoor backyard cages are usable roughly April through October. From November through March, filter for "covered" on CageList to find garage-enclosed or sheltered setups that are actually usable when Iowa winters hit. Commercial indoor facilities are an option too, though they fill up fast during the off-season.
How much does it cost to rent a batting cage in Des Moines?
Private rentals on CageList run $25–$60 per hour in the Des Moines metro. Basic setups with a single-wheel machine are on the lower end; fully equipped cages with a dual-wheel machine, turf, and lighting are toward $55–$60. Commercial facilities typically charge $50–$80 for a reserved bay when one is available.
Can I find batting cages in Ankeny or West Des Moines?
Ankeny in particular has strong private cage coverage on CageList, it's the largest and fastest-growing suburb with one of the most active travel ball communities in the state. West Des Moines and Johnston also have solid options. Use the map view when searching to see all nearby listings regardless of which suburb they're technically in.
Do private cage hosts in Des Moines include a pitching machine?
Most listings include a pitching machine, but confirm before you book. Check the listing description and photos, hosts who have quality machines tend to feature them prominently. Use the "pitching machine included" filter to narrow results to setups that are ready to go when you arrive, with no need to bring your own equipment.
