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!
Go out and visit these places! Follow along on either my vlog or blog here at http://www.countrypilgrim.com and see what places exist in rural America! Come along as I vlog and blog real life in America’s Heartland!
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!
Country Pilgrim 
Stunning work! Quite a breath-taking concept. We have silo art throughout Australia, and locals are so proud of their artists.
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It’s blew me away! I love creative energy and how it can make this earth more beautiful. I really need to get down to Australia! I love your homeland!
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🙂
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The artist did a gorgeous job on doing this mural. My fiancé has not been to Iowa, and this would make a great thing to see.
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Your fiance would LOVE it! It’s worth the trip! Thanks for following my blog! –
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This is really fascinating. Thanks for the details! Going to have to add it to our Iowa Bucket list.
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You’ll love it Jennifer! Iowa has a ton of bucket list items! It’s a gem of a state. 😉 Little secrets here and there – especially in the corners of the state! =) Which I know you already knew!! Thanks for following along.
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