Urbandale: Cultural History, Art, and Parks

Urbandale offers practical starting points for planning a stay focused on cultural history, art, and parks. Its attractions appeal to different interests: a historical timeline, sculptures by selected artists, and a variety of parks and trails.

Cultural History at Living History Farms

Living History Farms is a 500-acre open-air museum in Urbandale, Iowa. Visitors can explore historical periods spanning 300 years at their own pace. This combination of independent exploration and an extensive historical timeline is especially relevant for planning: you can make the museum visit a focus of its own and concentrate on the historical periods.

On-site staff offer seasonal activities and demonstrations at Living History Farms. If these offerings are an important reason for your visit, check their dates against your planned travel period.

Living History Farms is accessible via Interstate 35/80 at Exit 125, Hickman, and is served by DART Express Route 92. When planning your trip, you can consider both the road connection and the express route. If you plan to take the bus, check the schedule for your travel day.

Sculptures at the Art Park Exhibition

The Art Park Exhibition features sculptures by four artists selected each year. It offers a different cultural focus from the open-air museum: here, artistic expression takes center stage, while Living History Farms explores historical periods spanning 300 years. This distinction can help you organize your cultural interests for your stay.

Parks and Trails in Urbandale

Urbandale’s park system encompasses 1,000 acres of parkland. It also includes a trail network spanning more than 54 miles. These figures describe different aspects: the acreage refers to parkland, while the mileage refers to the trail network. If you want to plan your stay around parks and trails, these figures give you an overview of their extent.

One specific route option is at Walker Johnston Park: a mapped 5-kilometer route starts at the Walker Johnston Park Shelter. The stated distance can help with your planning if you’re looking for a route with a specific length. It is one mapped route alongside the overall figure for the trail network.

Individual sites also offer different features. Charles Gabus Memorial Tree Park and Gardens includes a variety of trees, flowers, and shrubs. Jackaline Baldwin Dunlap Park and Arboretum is an arboretum with trails. This lets you distinguish between a garden with a variety of plants and a site with an arboretum and trails when choosing parks that suit your interests.

Recreation for Children and People with Different Abilities

The All-Inclusive Playground is located in Northview Park and is designed for children of all ages and abilities, including children with disabilities. Its fully level surface is intended to avoid barriers for wheelchair users and people with visual impairments. These details describe both the intended audience and the purpose of the surface design.

The Miracle League of Urbandale is located in the Northview Park Little League Complex. Another seasonal offering is the Mobile Recreation program: in summer, it brings free games, activities, crafts, and sports equipment to various parks. If this program is relevant to your travel plans, check the dates for your travel period.

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