Downtown Des Moines is small enough to walk, and the highlights cluster around the Western Gateway Park: the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, the Des Moines Art Center a short drive west, and the gold-domed State Capitol rising on the east side of the river. The East Village holds the independent shops and best food, the Court Avenue district handles the late-night drinking, and the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden's geodesic dome is a winter refuge. Out at the edges, the Iowa State Fairgrounds wake up every August, and the John Deere-meets-pioneer-life mix of Living History Farms fills a half-day on the west side.