Zzz Records Des Moines IA | Iowa's Oldest Indie

Q: Where is Zzz Records located?

Zzz Records is at 2200 Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa 50312. Phone: (515) 284-1401. The shop has anchored the Ingersoll Avenue corridor on the west side of downtown Des Moines since fall 2000.

Q: What are Zzz Records hours?

Monday 12pm to 6pm, Tuesday through Friday 11am to 6pm, Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday 12pm to 6pm. Open seven days a week. Call (515) 284-1401 to confirm before a special trip.

Q: When did Zzz Records open?

Zzz Records opened in fall 2000, making it Iowa's longest-running independent record store. Over two decades on Ingersoll Avenue through the vinyl collapse, the CD era, the streaming pivot, and the vinyl resurgence.

Q: Is Zzz Records Iowa's oldest record store?

Yes. Zzz Records is Iowa's longest-running independent record store. Open continuously since fall 2000 at the same Ingersoll Avenue address.

Q: Does Zzz Records participate in Record Store Day?

Yes. Zzz Records is the Des Moines Record Store Day anchor and typically runs the largest RSD event in Iowa's capital with exclusive stock, early-morning lines, and in-store programming. Check the shop's Facebook the week of for open time and stock list.

Q: Can I sell records to Zzz Records?

Yes. Zzz Records buys collections. Call (515) 284-1401 ahead of time for larger collections so staff can schedule appraisal time. Two decades of buying means the shop can accurately value both common and unusual titles.

Q: What neighborhood is Zzz Records in?

Zzz Records is on Ingersoll Avenue, the walkable independent-business corridor on the west side of downtown Des Moines. Ingersoll is home to galleries, restaurants, coffee shops, and specialty retail alongside Zzz.

Q: What other record stores are in Des Moines?

Two additional active independents: Vinyl Cup Records at 2702 Beaver Avenue in Beaverdale, and Jay's CD and Hobby at 3800 Merle Hay Road in Merle Hay Mall. Plus Marv's Music in the East Village. See our Des Moines area guide for the full one-day dig plan.

Q: Is there parking near Zzz Records?

Yes. Ingersoll Avenue has street parking in front of the shop and a dedicated lot nearby. Parking is free and generally easy to find outside of peak weekend hours. The Ingersoll corridor is pedestrian-friendly for walking between neighboring businesses.

Table of Contents

Iowa's Oldest Independent
Inside 2200 Ingersoll
The Des Moines RSD Anchor
The Ingersoll Corridor
Plan a Des Moines Dig
Plan Your Visit
Zzz Records FAQ

Zzz Records is the Des Moines flagship and Iowa's longest-running independent record store. Open on Ingersoll Avenue since fall 2000, the shop has operated continuously for over two decades through the end of the CD era, the vinyl collapse, the streaming pivot, and the vinyl resurgence. That tenure is not a footnote. It is the reason Zzz Records carries the kind of institutional memory newer shops simply cannot replicate, and the reason it is the unquestioned first stop for any vinyl visit to the Iowa capital.

For collectors building a Des Moines shelf, for touring artists passing through Iowa on their way from Chicago to the coasts, for anyone who wants to know what 25 years of independent record retail looks like in a midwestern capital, Zzz is the answer. Pair this spotlight with our Des Moines area guide for the complete city route.

Inside 2200 Ingersoll

The shop occupies a storefront at the intersection of vinyl, cassettes, CDs, and music-adjacent goods that most 2026 record stores have narrowed away from. Zzz carries the full physical-format spread, which means a visit rewards more than just LP diggers. The new release wall tracks current indie and alt releases closely. The used sections run deep across genres with particular staff strength in indie, alternative, and classic rock, reflecting the tastes that defined the shop in its first decade.

Staff tenure is the differentiator. A shop open since 2000 develops relationships with local collectors, knows where the good collections live, and can appraise intake accurately whether the material is common catalog or unusual. That institutional memory shows in the inventory: Zzz consistently has what a shop that opened last year does not.

What to dig for: deep catalog used LPs, new indie and alternative releases on first pressing, vintage cassettes, used CDs, Iowa and Midwest artists on vinyl, and the Record Store Day exclusives on release day.

The Des Moines RSD Anchor

Record Store Day at Zzz

Zzz Records is the largest Record Store Day event in Des Moines and one of the biggest in Iowa. Lines form early, exclusive stock moves fast, and in-store programming runs through the day.

If you are in Des Moines for RSD, start here. Bring coffee and be in line before open.

Every April, the vinyl community in Des Moines converges on Ingersoll Avenue for RSD. Zzz pulls the largest shop-specific RSD allocation in the Iowa market, which means the exclusive pressings most collectors are chasing either land at Zzz or don't land in Iowa at all. Serious diggers plan the day around Zzz's open time.

The Ingersoll Avenue Corridor

Ingersoll Avenue runs east-west along the south edge of the Waterworks Park area, connecting downtown Des Moines to the west side. The corridor is walkable and dense with independent businesses: galleries, coffee shops, restaurants, specialty retail, and the kind of pedestrian-friendly block structure that rewards parking once and walking the length of the street.

For a record-day plan, the Ingersoll approach is simple: park near Zzz, hit the shop, grab lunch or coffee within walking distance, and then drive on to the other Des Moines record stops (Vinyl Cup in Beaverdale, Jay's at Merle Hay Mall). The full one-day dig map is in our Des Moines area guide.

Plan a Des Moines Dig

Zzz is the natural first stop for any Des Moines vinyl weekend. Pair it with the other anchors:

15 minutes northwest to Beaverdale: Vinyl Cup Records at 2702 Beaver Avenue. Curated dig experience with a complimentary brew or coffee.
15 minutes north to Merle Hay Mall: Jay's CD and Hobby at 3800 Merle Hay Road. Multi-format shop with vintage LPs, cassettes, CDs, band tees.
10 minutes east to the East Village: Marv's Music at 506 East 6th Street. Smaller outfit with community events and open mics.
2 hours east: Iowa City for Record Collector and Daydreams.
2 hours west: Iowa directory has the broader state scene.

Plan Your Visit

Zzz Records

Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines. Iowa's longest-running independent record store since fall 2000.

Address: 2200 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312
Phone: (515) 284-1401
Hours: Mon 12pm-6pm, Tue-Fri 11am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12pm-6pm
Web: zzzrecords.com
Online store: zzzrecords.square.site
Facebook: Zzz Records on Facebook

Getting there

Ingersoll Avenue runs parallel to Grand Avenue on Des Moines's west side, easily reached from I-235. From downtown Des Moines, 5 to 10 minutes west. From the Des Moines International Airport, 15 minutes north. From Iowa City, 2 hours west. Free street parking and a dedicated lot outside of peak weekend hours.

Make a day of it

The Ingersoll corridor is walkable and dense with independent restaurants, coffee shops, and specialty retail. Pair a Zzz visit with lunch or coffee within a block or two of the shop. For a full day, combine with Vinyl Cup in Beaverdale (15 minutes northwest) and Jay's at Merle Hay Mall (15 minutes north) for a complete one-day Des Moines record route.

Browse Every Des Moines Record Store

The complete guide to Des Moines's independent record stores, plus the one-day dig plan.

Best Record Stores in Des Moines

Zzz Records FAQ

Where is Zzz Records located?

2200 Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa 50312. Phone (515) 284-1401. Open since fall 2000.

What are Zzz Records hours?

Mon 12pm-6pm, Tue-Fri 11am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12pm-6pm. Seven days a week.

When did Zzz Records open?

Fall 2000. Iowa's longest-running independent record store, over two decades on Ingersoll Avenue.

Is Zzz Records Iowa's oldest record store?

Yes. Iowa's longest-running independent record store, continuously open since fall 2000.

What does Zzz Records carry?

New and used vinyl, cassettes, CDs, and music-related goods. Particularly strong on indie, alternative, and classic rock. Deep catalog turnover from two decades of buying.

Does Zzz Records participate in Record Store Day?

Yes. The Des Moines RSD anchor. Largest event in the Iowa capital. See our RSD 2026 guide.

Can I sell records to Zzz Records?

Yes. Call (515) 284-1401 ahead for larger collections. Two decades of buying experience means accurate valuations on common and unusual titles alike.

What neighborhood is Zzz Records in?

The Ingersoll Avenue corridor, a walkable independent-business district on Des Moines's west side.

What other record stores are in Des Moines?

Vinyl Cup Records (Beaverdale) and Jay's CD and Hobby (Merle Hay Mall) plus Marv's Music in the East Village.

Is there parking near Zzz Records?

Yes. Street parking on Ingersoll and a dedicated lot nearby. Free and generally easy outside of peak weekend hours.

Ingersoll Avenue, two-plus decades, still the first stop. Zzz earns the flagship title.

Photo CreditsHero image: Photo by Shahd Safii on Pexels. Zzz Records logo courtesy of Zzz Records. Profile based on publicly available information from zzzrecords.com, Google Business Profile, and verified public listings as of April 2026.

Zzz Records

Inside 2200 Ingersoll