This is the Cherokee County Freedom Rock. Completing the Freedom Rock tour of all 99 Iowa counties…read moreis something my girlfriend and I have been working on for the past few years. We are four rocks away from the end of our journey at this time. Not only do we learn about the military involvement and the contributions of veterans in each county... A lot of times we stumble on other hidden gems, that we had no idea even existed, as we venture further into our own backyard. As happy as I am going to be when hit 99 and finish our Freedom Rock Tour...a little part of me is going to really miss these trips. We'll just have to find another "tour" to pick up! When you are checking out each Freedom Rock make sure you explore the surrounding area for other points of interest. And please remember to support local businesses...! Visit https://www.thefreedomrock.com/ for more information on Iowa's Freedom Rocks and the tour!

Beautiful outdoor park that you spend a good 30+ minutes walking around to admire the art. It was a…read moregreat place to walk through between locations on a hot Saturday.

Whenever I travel I make it a habit to visit sculpture parks and public art installations…read morethroughout the area I'm in. Overall I really enjoy our local parks here in the Des Moines metro including the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park. I think it ranks right up there with parks in some of the major metropolitan areas throughout the United States. That being said... I have to take issue with one piece... Gymnast III. Can we stop pretending that it doesn't look like what it really looks like? Lol It's described as it "captures the basic strength of a bending and stretching athlete..." I was on a school trip with my young daughter when the guide steered our kids away from a nearby nude female bust that used to stand near the Gymnast III statue. We passed by that statue...and headed right over to this one. I whispered to one of the other chaperones... "Really? Away from that one to this one...?" She quietly asked me what I meant. I told her "Just wait... As we walk around it... Let me know when you see it." A few seconds later she grabbed my arm tightly... "Oh my God!" she said in a hushed voice. But with enough emphasis I knew she was seeing it too... We both had a good laugh as the tour guide went on with her explanation of the piece to the children in the group. Both hoping none of the kids would see "it"... I didn't need those questions that day. I'm all about art. And I'm a big fan of the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park. It's a bright spot in the middle of downtown! But I can't help but feel like this piece is part of a HUGE inside joke... I wonder if the sculptor (William Tucker) said... I'm going to create this huge bronze phallic piece! I'm not going to call it what it is though. I'm going to call it Gymnast III and attach a PC interpretation explaining it... And sell it for A LOT of money! Then after the money is in the account...I'm going to sit back and laugh my butt off... Because I know what it really is!" And maybe it's not. Could just be my imagination or my inner 13 year old... BUT from the side it sure looks like one... Tucker also described some of his works as a "prolonged anatomy lesson." Again...really? I think he knew what it looked like too. Lol A popular spot for tourists and photographers. A showpiece many festivals are centered around. Opened in 2009 the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park sits on 4.4 acres. It contains around 30 installations. The parking around it is metered. You will find the Gymnast III statue on the North side of the park. About halfway down right along Grand Ave. Circle around it... Look at it from every angle. Take it all in... And then you tell me what you think...!

Amazing exhibits and the kindest people! I was given a free 76th anniversary book of all their past…read morepieces. What a hidden gem for this town, I cannot wait to go to their 90th anniversary celebration this June! They also offer pottery and painting classes, I will definitely be returning!

Was driving nearby Fort Dodge and looked for things to do. I love art museums, so of course I…read morestopped. Eric, the museum director, was very personable and informative. It is a very small museum, but nicely done. I really enjoyed the special exhibits.

Nice, intimate space. Good lighting, focused on the pieces. I enjoyed the variety of art…read moreavailable. Appreciated the game provided to highlight the artist's home state, allowed me and my friend to spend more time talking about different artists and the pieces. During events, it would be nice to have small high top ables for drinks, snacks and papers. Liz and her assistant were attentive and engaging while we browsed.

what a fun little art gallery. lots of great art from great artists. it's a small venue, but plenty…read moreof beauty to look at. my mom and I went and throughly enjoyed it. many different mediums were used.

This place is extremely beautiful. The biggest downside to here is the hours on their website are…read morenot accurate. I came here to visit the inside and the arrive to a locked door. On the door was a note saying they are only open 1 day a week. I was able to peak in the window and see all the beautiful architecture. I was also able to explore the outside grounds too. However it can be slightly frustrating if your website says it will be open but you're not actually open. Overall this place is not huge and is a walkable distance to several other things. So I recommend walk past it to see if it's open. If it's closed, visit somewhere else.

This place is absolutely stunning inside. So clean, well kept. It was our first time & we attended…read moreCandlelight The Beatles. The staff were so pleasant, & helpful. I got a small sprite for $1. They had cocktails available. The bathroom immaculate. I would definitely recommend checking this beautiful building out given the chance! The symphony played for an hour & did an amazing job. I heard there is a beautiful garden outside however we rushed to our cars because of the cold temps.

Having spent quite a lot of time cruising along narrow two lane country highways, enjoying the…read morebucolic fields of green crops, counting "Red Barn, White House" and "Red House, White Barn" and "White Barn, White House" to myself... I have to say that I found such travels much improved when I got to Hamilton and Sac County Iowa - I was not prepared for the gorgeous artwork applied to the barns in conspicuous locations, highly visible from the road. You see - I love quilts. I like making them but I find other people always do it so much better than I - and I was sorely disappointed to realize that I missed out on shopping in "quilt country' because it was a SUNDAY and all the quilt shops advertised on big billboards were CLOSED! Foiled! I also like big old barns. They are cool. Barn Quilts - combines both of these interesting things to enhance the scenery on my drive through Iowa. Most Barn Quilts are about 8' x 8' - and easily visible from the road, with signs indicating the name of the quilt block pattern near the end of the driveway. I saw so many gorgeous works of art on barns here and stupidly failed to photograph every single one of them! Fortunately - the Barn Quilts of Sac County website has a fantastic catalog of all the murals - and it's very easy to access by location or to just do a slide show. There's even an excellent Google map and a downloadable PDF for ease of use for the casual day tripper. Great way to spend a summer afternoon - this was my favorite part of the Midwest "flyover" states - and I might even consider going back to see more barn quilts sometime!

An interesting landmark on Meredith Drive. My company is looking at relocating to the Crescent…read morebuilding, from our current location, and last week was the first time I really got a close look at the tower. The information provided on the bronze plaques on the concrete blocks surrounding the tower talks about the R&R Realty family and the tower itself. If you want to check out the tower there really isn't any parking directly adjacent to it. You can park up by the Crescent building or across the street at the Pinnacle building. It's a short walk.

The Tower is an interesting, novel, and unexpected, landmark on Des Moines' (Clive's, technically)…read morenorthwest corner. A few blocks west of 80/35, this tile-covered structure offers a cool visual in an otherwise open and unremarkable part of town. Worth getting out and getting a closer look, be prepared to park a couple minute walk away as the nearest parking is adjacent to where the Tower stands. There is a man-made pond with a fountain nearby, but no shade beyond what the Tower casts to provide any cool during a hot summer visit. There is bench seating available. You can read more about it here: https://dsmpublicartfoundation.org/public-artwork/paragon-prairie/

WOW! The Law Library looks straight out of a fairytale. I swear it looks like the inspiration for…read moreBelle's library in Beauty and the Beast. The gorgeous murals and senate chambers were also impressive. We stopped here on a whim during a recent road trip and were pleasantly surprised by its grandeur and beauty. They offered a free tour, but we opted for a self guided tour instead so we could go on our own pace. We came on a Friday afternoon and someone who worked there told us it's the best day to visit since the place is so busy Mon-Thurs when legislators are in session, that it's often difficult to find a parking spot. But on this quiet Friday morning, we parked in the front row and had no line in front of us as we went through the security metal detector.

My visits to state capitols are few and far between, but after visiting the Iowa State Capitol, I…read morewant to make a point of visiting more whenever I travel to other states. My son started attending law school in Des Moines and so I was trying to see what the city has to offer. Visiting the capitol building was one of the things that kept popping up on things to do. We decided to check it out on a Saturday and luckily they do guided tours which I highly recommend. Completed in 1886, they have done a remarkable job preserving this place and showcasing it's beauty. It sits on top of a hill and offers great views of the city from every side. One of the first things you notice from the outside is the gold dome. The ornate outside facade carries inside where it is just as beautiful. You'll notice intricate wood decor as well as marble, gold and other beautiful materials. You can visit the historic supreme court chambers and see all the offices of state officials. The law library is by far my favorite part of the building. I felt like I was in some movie like Harry Potter or something. You have to see it in person to really comprehend the beauty. The wood and gold along with the spiraling staircases and law books stacked to the high ceiling was cool to see. If you aren't afraid of heights, you can take a long winding staircase at the top of the dome. We were one of the last tours so we didn't really get to really take our time and soak in all this place has to offer. I will most definitely come back next time I am in town visiting the kiddo. It was absolutely something I did not expect to see deep in the Midwest.

What a fun bit of Des Moines history that I've never heard of before! We had just finished up at…read morethe Art Center and my Mom mentioned the Salisbury House. I had no idea! We got to see it all gussied up for the holidays since we stopped in the week after Christmas. All of the different designers did a fabulous job of decorating each room differently. Plus what an amazing house to begin with. A touch of Art Deco because of the time frame it was built plus Tudor and Gothic inspo from Europe. Just amazing! The history of the family was interesting as well. What an interesting venue to rent for a party!

I had no idea the Salisbury House was even a thing until a little over a month ago. Although not…read morethe "ideal" time of year to check it out, I was very pleasantly surprised. After making an unintentionally dramatic entrance, I was greeted by two smiling ladies and a beautiful painting. After an informative session and pamphlet push, got the blessing to proceed with the self-guided, bottom-floor-only tour. This place is really cool, and structurally somewhat reminiscent of the missions of California, minus the religious element. Lots of old heavy wood, stone, ornate masonry, narrow hallways, cornices, etc. As steadfast as I am with respect for the rules of historic property, I had a reaaaaaaaally hard time keeping my hands to myself. I could feel that itch to touch everything I passed, so I mostly just had to keep my hands firmly clasped behind my back. A crackling oil painting is a very hard thing to not touch, as is a massive piano, as is a giant...hmm...what are those rotating cylinders with the tics on them that you wind up and they play a plinky music-box type song? Whatever those are, Salisbury has a big one, and you can hear it yelling play me play me play me! I really really wanted to see inside the library, because the collection sounds truly impressive. Worth a visit for sure. I'll definitely be back to get the full tour so that I can see the rest!

This nice piece of public art is located in Cowles Commons. It is directly across the street from…read morethe Des Monies Civic Center and was commissioned by the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, with a matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and donations from local sources. It costed $125,000 (in 1979) and is the work of Swedish born artists Claes and Coosje Oldenburg who created this piece in 1979. Contrary to popular belief at the time, the city's iconic red neon Travelers' umbrella sign did not play a part in the artists' decision to build the giant umbrella. The umbrella's concept is based off of Robinson Crusoe, the title character and famous castaway character from the novel by Daniel Defoe. Crusoe makes an umbrella from sticks and plants that he finds on the island where he is stranded. The umbrella does not function, but he still carries it with him everywhere. The piece was fabricated by Lippincott, Inc. and is constructed of weathering steel and painted with a green polyurethane enamel to help it endure the extreme Midwest climate. The sculpture weighs 20,000 pounds, and is 53-foot-long It is a nice piece that you have to view from a distance to really see what it is and get the artists' vision. The piece is in very good shape especially considering its age. There is metered street parking and a commercial garage within a reasonable walking distance from this piece. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. There is a ton of public art in the area to see and a nice plaza area across the street.