Beauty of Des Moines

SITE MAP

HOMEPAGE

CHINESE PAGODA

HISTORICAL MUSEUM

SCULPTURE PARK

LIBRARY SCIENCE CENTER

AMPITHEATER BOTANICAL CENTER

ART CENTER

PHOTO & BIO

PHOTO & BIO

PHOTO & BIO

PHOTO & BIO

PHOTO & BIO

PHOTO & BIO

PHOTO & BIO

PHOTO & BIO

DES MOINESthe beauty of

art center simon estes amphitheater

science center

chinese pagoda

downtown library

botanical center

pappajohn sculpture park

HOMEPAGE

historicalmuseum

Des Moines is the thriving cultural metropolis of the Midwest. The capital of Iowa, it boasts a plethora of cultural attractions and social hubs. With a population of 208,000, Des Moines is the largest clustering of civilization in an otherwise bleak sea of prairie and corn.

CONTENT

Chinese Pagoda: In honor of Des Moines’ considerable population of Chinese citizens and practicing Buddhists, or perhaps to provide a unique backdrop for high school students’ senior photos, the city of Des Moines commissioned a Chinese pagoda, complete with koi ponds, Chinese Zodiac pedestals, oriental lion statues, and what locals describe as ‘Asian Gardens.’ Accessible by the Principal Riverwalk downtown, it provides a panoramic view of the Des Moines River and pedes-trian bridge.

State Historical Museum: This hulking monolith of red granite encloses the state of Iowa’s most trea-sured historical artifacts. Documenting Iowa’s natural and societal history, the exhibits display vari-ous historic artifacts and documents. Exhibits include Hollywood in the Heartland (featuring the few Iowans who got out of the state to find fame and fortune), Wings Over Iowa (vintage aircrafts built by adventurous Iowans in the early days of aviation), Nothing but Victory (a curiously titled exhibit documenting Iowa’s contribution to the Civil War), and more.

Pappajohn Sculpture Park: If you’ve meandered down Grand Avenue since 2009, you may have encountered a bizarre clustering of postmodern sculptures. This is the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, which features artwork by 22 world famous artists. Perhaps the most eye-catching sculpture, and featured on this page, is the gaint sculpture “Nomade” by Jaume Plensa. It appears to the viewer as a sitting human form, composed entirely of interconnecting letters. The artist envi-sioned the letters as building blocks for words and ideas in the same way human cells form tissues, organs and bodies.

Des Moines Public Library: Located on Grand Avenue downtown, the intimidatingly post-modern building made of reflective copper is the Des Moines Public Library. It is the largest public library system in the state of Iowa, with a collection of 571,476 items. If you thought public libraries were going the way of horse-drawn carriages and public witch trials, then you are sadly mistaken. The Des Moines Public Library offers books, audio books, eBooks, CDs, magazines, newspapers, infor-mation databases, videos and DVDs, reading recommendations, a local history collection, and an inescapable feeling of obsolescence in an increasingly digital world.

Science Center of Iowa: The Science Center of Iowa & Blank IMAX Dome Theater is located on Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, towards the outskirts of downtown Des Moines. It’s a mammoth of a building, with plenty of room for exhibitions and activities. Although previously rather sparse on ex-hibitions, it now boasts 13 dinosaur skeletons from South America, as well as other permanent ex-hibtions like Why the Sky? and Small Discoveries. The Science Center of Iowa also boasts the larg-est IMAX screen in Iowa, and various interactive learning presentations. They’ve also been known to give certain aspiring graphic designers their first internships, so that’s neat.

Simon Estes Amphitheater: Located right on the Principal Riverwalk downtown with the Des Moines River as a stunning natural backdrop, the Simon Estes Amphitheater offers Des Moines residents the perfect platform to see local bands and attend concerts and other performances. During the summer, the amphitheater hosts Nitefall on the River, a weekly line-up of outdoor concerts featur-ing bands current and diverse enough to satisfy any local hipster.

Des Moines Art Center: Tucked away in the historic Sherman Hills neighborhood, the Des Moines Art Center boasts an ironically modern collection of artwork. Established in 1948, it contains an ex-tensive collection of paintings, sculpture, modern art and mixed media. A large main gallery rotates through several exhibitions throughout the year. The rest of the museum space highlights the per-manent collections, which includes a video gallery. Included on the grounds are outdoor sculptures and a rose garden. An external reflecting pool is surrounded on all sides by the museum.

Botanical Center: The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden is located at 909 Robert D. Ray Drive downtown, on the east bank of the Des Moines River. Completed in 1979, the conservatory features over 1,200 different foliage from around the world in a humid dome made up of 665 plexiglass pan-els. The Botanical Center hoasts deceptively exotic weddings, as well as countless school field trips and various gardening shows.

CHINESE PAGODA & RIVERFRONT GARDENS

In honor of Des Moines’ considerable population of Chinese citizens and practicing

Buddhists, or perhaps to provide a unique backdrop for high school students’ senior

photos, the city of Des Moines commissioned a Chinese pagoda, complete with koi ponds,

Chinese Zodiac pedestals, oriental lion statues, and what locals describe as ‘Asian

Gardens.’ Accessible by the Principal Riverwalk downtown, it provides a panoramic view of the

Des Moines River and pedestrian bridge.

The Principal Riverwalk 115 Grand Ave Des Moines, IA

STATE HISTORICAL MUSEUM

This hulking monolith of red granite encloses the state of Iowa’s most treasured historical artifacts. Documenting Iowa’s natural and societal history, the exhibits display various historic artifacts and documents. Exhibits include Hollywood in the Heartland (featuring the few Iowans who got out of the state to find fame and fortune), Wings Over Iowa (vintage aircrafts built by adventurous Iowans in the early days of aviation), Nothing but Victory (a curiously titled exhibit documenting Iowa’s contribution to the Civil War), and more.

600 E Locust StDes Moines, IA

PAPPAJOHN SCULPTURE PARK

4700 Grand Ave Des Moines, IA

If you’ve meandered down Grand Avenue since 2009, you may have encountered a bizarre

clustering of postmodern sculptures. This is the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, which

features artwork by 22 world famous artists. Perhaps the most eye-catching sculpture, and

featured on this page, is the gaint sculpture “Nomade” by Jaume Plensa. It appears to

the viewer as a sitting human form, composed entirely of interconnecting letters. The artist

envisioned the letters as building blocks for words and ideas in the same way human cells form

tissues, organs and bodies.

DES MOINES PUBLIC LIBRARY

Located on Grand Avenue downtown, the intimidatingly post-modern building made of reflective copper is the Des Moines Public Library. It is the largest public library system in the state of Iowa, with a collection of 571,476 items. If you thought public libraries were going the way of horse-drawn carriages and public witch trials, then you are sadly mistaken. The Des Moines Public Library offers books, audio books, eBooks, CDs, magazines, newspapers, information databases, videos and DVDs, reading recommendations, a local history collection, and an inescapable feeling of obsolescence in an increasingly digital world.

1000 Grand Ave Des Moines, IA

SCIENCE CENTER OF IOWA

The Science Center of Iowa & Blank IMAX Dome Theater is located on Martin Luther

King Jr. Parkway, towards the outskirts of downtown Des Moines. It’s a mammoth of a building, with plenty of room for exhibitions

and activities. Although previously rather sparse on exhibitions, it now boasts 13

dinosaur skeletons from South America, as well as other permanent exhibtions like Why the Sky? and Small Discoveries. The

Science Center of Iowa also boasts the largest IMAX screen in Iowa, and various interactive

learning presentations. They’ve also been known to give certain aspiring graphic

designers their first internships, so that’s neat.

401 W Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy Des Moines, IA

SIMON ESTES AMPHITHEATER

Located right on the Principal Riverwalk downtown with the Des Moines River as a stunning natural backdrop, the Simon Estes Amphitheater offers Des Moines residents the perfect platform to see local bands and attend concerts and other performances. During the summer, the amphitheater hosts Nitefall on the River, a weekly line-up of outdoor concerts featuring bands current and diverse enough to satisfy any local hipster.

The Principal Riverwalk 115 Grand Ave Des Moines, IA

DES MOINES ART CENTER

909 Robert D. Ray Dr. Des Moines, IA

Tucked away in the historic Sherman Hills neighborhood, the Des Moines Art Center

boasts an ironically modern collection of artwork. Established in 1948, it contains an extensive

collection of paintings, sculpture, modern art and mixed media. A large main gallery rotates through

several exhibitions throughout the year. The rest of the museum space highlights the permanent

collections, which includes a video gallery. Included on the grounds are outdoor sculptures and a rose garden. An external reflecting pool is

surrounded on all sides by the museum.

BOTANICAL CENTER

The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden is located at 909 Robert D. Ray Drive downtown, on the east bank of the Des Moines River. Completed in 1979, the conservatory features over 1,200 different foliage from around the world in a humid dome made up of 665 plexiglass panels. The Botanical Center hoasts deceptively exotic weddings, as well as countless school field trips and various gardening shows.

909 Robert D. Ray Dr. Des Moines, IA