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Sight Western Gateway, Des Moines

Pappajohn Sculpture Park

A sight in Western Gateway, Des Moines, free to visit and worth about 45 minutes.

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Pappajohn Sculpture Park in Western Gateway, Des Moines
Photo: Dsmspence · CC BY-SA 3.0 · license

Why go

Free outdoor park with works by Jaume Plensa, Claes Oldenburg and others.

It is one of 9 curated places we feature in Des Moines, alongside 2 places to eat, 2 sights and 2 shops. The closest of our other picks is Court Avenue Brewing Company, 0.7 mi away as the crow flies. At about 45 minutes, it slots neatly between bigger plans.

Type
Sight · Culture
Neighborhood
Western Gateway
Price
Free
Time needed
45 min

Nearby

The 6 closest curated picks in Des Moines, measured as straight-line distance.

  1. 1
    Court Avenue Brewing Company

    Brewpub open since 1996 in a historic downtown warehouse.

    Drinks · 0.7 mi straight-line
  2. 2
    Downtown Farmers' Market

    One of the largest Saturday markets in the Midwest, filling Court Avenue blocks.

    Shopping · 0.8 mi straight-line
  3. 3
    Zombie Burger + Bird

    Horror-themed burger joint in the East Village with over-the-top burgers and thick shakes.

    Food · 1.2 mi straight-line
  4. 4
    Fong's Pizza

    Des Moines cult pizzeria famous for the Crab Rangoon pizza and tiki-bar drinks, now in the old Peace Tree space.

    Food · 1.2 mi straight-line
  5. 5
    Raygun

    Local print shop with screenprinted shirts and wry Midwest humor.

    Shopping · 1.3 mi straight-line
  6. 6
    Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

    Riverside gardens and a domed tropical conservatory.

    Outdoors · 1.4 mi straight-line

On these curated routes

Pappajohn Sculpture Park is a stop on our Iowa Driftless & River Towns route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.

More sights to see in Des Moines

2 more curated sights in Des Moines. See the full Des Moines guide.

When to go

Average daily highs in Des Moines run from 31°F in January to 87°F in July; June is usually the wettest month.

Modelled monthly averages for Des Moines from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Full Des Moines weather by month.

Getting there

Map links open a live search for Pappajohn Sculpture Park, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.

Address
1330 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309, USA
Coordinates
41.58516, -93.63529
Destination
Des Moines, Iowa

Pappajohn Sculpture Park: quick answers

How much time do you need at Pappajohn Sculpture Park?

Plan on about 45 minutes at Pappajohn Sculpture Park. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.

Is Pappajohn Sculpture Park free?

Yes, we list Pappajohn Sculpture Park as free to visit. Check locally before you go, since special exhibits, parking or tours can carry a fee.

Where is Pappajohn Sculpture Park?

Pappajohn Sculpture Park is at 1330 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309, USA, in Western Gateway. The Google Maps and Apple Maps links on this page open it for directions.

Which TripsCircle routes include Pappajohn Sculpture Park?

Pappajohn Sculpture Park appears on Iowa Driftless & River Towns, a curated route you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.

Add Pappajohn Sculpture Park to your crew's plan

Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to Des Moines.

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Lists & regions

Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.