Every year since 2000, Sioux Falls has installed a new set of sculptures along Phillips Avenue and the surrounding downtown streets, replacing the previous year's collection. The result is a constantly refreshing outdoor gallery of contemporary American sculpture. Plaques identify each work and its artist, and visitors vote for their favourite — the winning sculptor receives a purchase prize and the work becomes a permanent city acquisition.
The walk covers about a kilometre of downtown streets and is entirely free. It is best done in a loop from Falls Park down to the Arc of Dreams bridge, taking about an hour at a leisurely pace. The quality varies — some years produce exceptional pieces, others less so — but it is consistently the most interesting free public art programme in the northern plains.