Nestled between the Des Moines River and a little park (Loomis Park) sits an old abandoned concrete silo – turned into a rural masterpiece on the outer edges of Fort Dodge, Iowa.
Guido van Helten (Australian Artist)
The Australian artist, Guido van Helten, was commissioned through various donations and grants to transform an old abandoned silo (within the Fort Dodge, Iowa city limits) into a masterpiece.
Guido van Helten was able to take some of the local stories of cultural pride and individual character and display them on a 360 degree concrete canvas on the silo.
Iowa’s Tallest Mural
The 110 foot tall mural boasts the state of Iowa’s tallest mural – and upon finding the mural, it’s breath taking. Who would have thought that something that once was seen as an ugly back drop could possess beauty and character? That’s exactly what van Helten accomplished!
How to find the mural
I am usually one for adventure and my YouTube video below shows the adventure of setting out and trying to find the mural WITHOUT directions. I figured – “Hey – it’s a 110 foot silo on the edge of Fort Dodge – How hard can it be to find?”
Well – I found it! But let me save you the trouble of wandering around the back roads of Fort Dodge!
The Silo Mural can be found at:
727 Hawkeye Avenue, Fort Dodge, Iowa
The mural is breathtaking and it takes you off guard! When you head down Hawkeye avenue and come up on the silo, it overlooks the Des Moines River and calls out to the art admirers, rural wanderers, and tourist alike “I have a story to tell”.
I encourage you to find this mural in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Do yourself a favor and add items like this to your bucket-list. These rural spots in Iowa and the Mid-West are perfect destinations to explore! Often times the Mid-West (especially rural Mid-west) is seen as unimportant “fly-over” spots between destinations. However, scattered along the country side, there are pockets of interests and things to be discovered and explored!
Iowa’s tallest mural is worth a short visit – whether exploring the community of Fort Dodge, or passing through on Highway 20 to the south. Mark it down as a destination of interest – it’s worth the trip!