South Des Moines Sculpture Park
A self-built roadside art environment that locals call 'a poor man's Pappajohn's' — about 18 homemade sculptures including a 30-foot egg-shaped UFO with a smoke machine hidden in an old outhouse, a steel pyramid, and a 300-pound 'world's largest functioning paperclip.' Phil Barber and Chuck Mettler reclaimed a swampy illegal-dumping lot across from Barber's house and turned it into this oddball public park.
The move: Wander the narrow strip at dusk hunting for the weirdest piece (the UFO and giant paperclip are crowd favorites), then come back for the free September art festival when smoke machines fire up the UFO to a 'War of the Worlds' soundtrack.
- 📍 McKinley Park (south side)
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 768-798 McKinley Ave (SW 8th St & McKinley Ave), Des Moines, IA
Hours: Free, outdoor, open public space; the smoke-machine/UFO spectacle runs during the annual September art festival.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Verified 2026-06-06.