There is a moment, somewhere between the gleaming stainless steel curves of a Louise Bourgeois spider and the sprawling green lawn that rolls toward the Des Moines skyline, when you realize you are standing inside one of the finest outdoor sculpture parks in the entire country. Not in New York. Not in Chicago. Right here in Des Moines, Iowa, on a gorgeous free-admission stretch of the Western Gateway neighborhood that locals have quietly claimed as one of their favorite places on earth.
The John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park sits on four and a half acres at the corner of Grand Avenue and 15th Street, just a short walk west of downtown’s core. It opened in 2009 as a gift to the city from philanthropists John and Mary Pappajohn, and in partnership with the Des Moines Art Center, it has grown into a collection of 26 significant works by some of the most celebrated artists of the modern era. We are talking Jaume Plensa, whose haunting white resin figure seems to emerge directly from the earth. We are talking Mark di Suvero’s bold geometric steel towers. We are talking Keith Haring, Ellsworth Kelly, and a Typewriter Eraser by Claes Oldenburg that will make you smile no matter how many times you have seen it.
What makes this park so genuinely special, beyond the caliber of the art, is how entirely accessible it feels. There are no velvet ropes. No hushed gallery voices. Children run between the sculptures, dogs trot along the walking paths, and couples spread out blankets on the grass on warm afternoons. The park is open every single day of the year, free of charge, from sunrise to eleven at night. That kind of generosity from a city to its residents — and to its visitors — says something real about Des Moines.
Come in the morning when the light is soft and the sculptures cast long shadows across the lawn. Come in the evening when the park is lit and the downtown skyline glows behind you. Come in January when a fresh coat of snow wraps the whole scene in something that feels almost theatrical. Every season transforms the experience in ways that make repeat visits feel completely fresh.
The Western Gateway neighborhood surrounding the park has grown up beautifully around it, with coffee shops, restaurants, and a farmers market nearby on weekends. Plan to spend at least an hour wandering, but do not be surprised if you find yourself still there two hours later, circling back for one more look at a piece that keeps pulling you in.
If you have ever assumed that world-class art requires a world-class flight, the Pappajohn Sculpture Park is a very convincing counterargument. It is the kind of place that makes you proud to tell people where you spent your afternoon.
