[ Self-guided / Free / Des Moines, Iowa ]
Where to find murals in Des Moines, neighborhood by neighborhood — plus the best photo spots, the light each wall takes, and which stretches are walkable. Written by the muralists who paint here.
01
E Locust St & E 4th St
The densest cluster of murals downtown. Walk E Locust between E 2nd and E 6th and cut through the side alleys — painted rollup doors, brick side walls, and small hand-lettered pieces stack up within a two-block radius. Best light: late morning, before the buildings shadow the east-facing walls.
02
13th St to 15th St, Grand Ave
Large-format facade work on the buildings ringing the park. Wide sidewalks and open sightlines make this the easiest stretch for full-wall photos without a lens distortion fight.
03
28th St to 42nd St
Neighborhood-scale commercial murals on restaurants, salons, and shopfronts — including our own Ingersoll Ave commission. Park once around 35th and walk the strip; most pieces sit at street level.
04
University Ave & 25th St
Student-district walls with heavier color and lettering. Smaller pieces, tighter alleys, and a lot of turnover — worth re-walking every season because the inventory changes.
05
Court Ave & SW 4th St
Older brick with painted-sign history layered under newer murals. Good afternoon light on the north-side walls, and the flattest walking loop of any stop on this list.
06
6th Ave north of Euclid
Community-commissioned work on corner stores and civic buildings. Spread out enough that you'll want to drive between pieces, but the least crowded stop for photos.
07
5th St, Historic Valley Junction
Small-format murals and painted alley walls across a compact six-block district. Pairs well with a morning walk — the alleys off 5th get direct sun early.
The heaviest concentrations are the East Village, Western Gateway, Ingersoll Avenue, the Historic Court District, the Drake neighborhood, Highland Park, and Valley Junction in West Des Moines. The East Village and Court Avenue loops are walkable in an afternoon; the rest are easier by car.
Western Gateway has the widest sightlines for full-wall shots, the East Village alleys give the best tight, colorful backdrops, and Valley Junction's 5th Street alleys catch clean morning sun. Court Avenue's north-facing brick photographs best in the afternoon.
Plan two to three hours for a walking loop of the East Village and Court Avenue together. Adding Ingersoll, Drake, Highland Park, and Valley Junction by car turns it into a full day.
Yes. Every mural listed here is on a public street or exterior wall visible from the sidewalk, so the whole route is free to walk or drive at any time of day.
Want a wall of your own on this route? See our mural portfolio, read the mural pricing guide, or learn how we work as Des Moines mural artists. For offices and storefronts, see the corporate mural guide.
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