Pappajohn Sculpture Park
The John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park is a 4.4-acre (1.8 ha) park within Western Gateway Park in Des Moines, Iowa. Add Casey's Center, 0.9 mi away, to a visit. Pleasant highs of 64–83°F mark the mildest months, May, June, August, September and October.
A museum inside Des Moines
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 13°, with about 37" of snow a year. When to go ↓
You can stay in Des Moines
Pappajohn Sculpture Park is inside Des Moines, which has 64 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Aug, Sep and Oct
May, June, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 64–83°. When to go ↓
An airport 4 miles away
Des Moines (DSM) has airline service, about 4 miles from Pappajohn Sculpture Park.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Use the months below to time a visit to Pappajohn Sculpture Park.
Pappajohn Sculpture Park
The John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park is a 4.4-acre (1.8 ha) park within Western Gateway Park in Des Moines, Iowa. It opened in 2009 with 24 sculptures, with four more acquired later. The sculpture park is administered by the Des Moines Art Center and contains works by artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Jaume Plensa, Ai Weiwei, and Barry Flanagan. It is considered "one of the most significant collections of outdoor sculptures in the United States".
- Type
- Museum
- Wikipedia readers
- 2.9K a year
Staying near Pappajohn Sculpture Park
The first towns with rooms are Des Moines (64) and West Des Moines (32).
- 1Casey's Center
- 2Iowa State Capitol
- 3Adventureland
- 4Des Moines Art Center
- 5Drake Stadium
- 6Blank Park Zoo
- 7Living History Farms
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Pappajohn Sculpture Park | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | in town | — | 64 45 hotels · 9 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds | 212,086 | $195K | D |
| West Des Moines | 8 mi west | 10 min | 32 29 hotels · 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 74,224 | $309K | C+ |
| Ankeny | 10 mi north | 15 min | 30 28 hotels · 1 motel · 1 campground | 77,833 | $331K | B− |
| Urbandale | 8 mi northwest | 10 min | 17 15 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B | 48,570 | $336K | B+ |
| Altoona | 9 mi northeast | 15 min | 13 10 hotels · 1 motel · 2 RV parks | 22,796 | $275K | C+ |
| Clive | 9 mi west | 15 min | 9 7 hotels · 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins | 19,861 | $401K | B− |
| Saylorville | 7 mi north | 10 min | 7 5 hotels · 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins | 3,366 | $314K | — |
| Johnston | 9 mi northwest | 15 min | 6 5 hotels · 1 campground | 25,065 | $369K | B+ |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Pappajohn Sculpture Park
Places worth adding lie within 31 miles.
1in town Stadium & arenaCasey's Center
22 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol38 mi Theme parkAdventureland
42 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
52 mi Stadium & arenaDrake Stadium
65 mi Zoo & aquariumBlank Park Zoo
30 mi Stadium & arenaHilton Coliseum
77 mi MuseumLiving History FarmsPhoto credits
Casey's Center: Iowahwyman at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Iowa State Capitol: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Des Moines Art Center: Nhandler at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Drake Stadium: U.S. Navy photo by James Woods, Public domain · Blank Park Zoo: Lawrence Lansing, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hilton Coliseum: Johannes Cater--Jaretac (talk) 15:14, 17 June 2009 (UTC), Public domain · Living History Farms: Dennis Bratland, CC BY-SA 4.0
Questions before you go
Is Pappajohn Sculpture Park in Des Moines?
Yes. It’s inside Des Moines, IA.
When is the best time to visit Pappajohn Sculpture Park?
May, June, August, September and October, with highs of 64–83°.
What is the closest airport to Pappajohn Sculpture Park?
Des Moines (DSM), about 4 miles away.
Where should I stay near Pappajohn Sculpture Park?
Des Moines (in town, 64 places to stay), West Des Moines (8 mi, 32 places to stay) and Ankeny (10 mi, 30 places to stay).
Questions for Des Moines
Ask a question, or answer one, in Des Moines’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.