The Story Behind the ‘Sitting Man’ Statue in Iowa City

It never ceases to amaze me the kind of weird Iowa landmarks I find on Facebook, be them a Tree in the Middle of the Road, or in this case, the "Sitting Man" statue in Iowa City.

If you're traveling through Iowa City, you might be aware of a large sculpture that sits on a tall hill off of North Scott Boulevard. The sculpture has gained notoriety over the years, and while I can't officially source when it was placed, it seems like it's had a presence in two different locations in Iowa City going back to around 2015.

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About the Sitting Man Statue:

Standing (or, more accurately, sitting) at 20 feet tall and weighing 110 tons, the Sitting Man sculpture is made of limestone. It was designed and carved over the course of a year by Doug Paul and stonemason J.B. Barnhouse, per Atlas Obscura. It was once located at the Harvest Preserve in Iowa City, but has since been moved to a field that sits adjacent from North Scott Boulevard.

The statue was moved by Paul following a land-swap. This proved to be a daunting task for Paul and company, for the statue wasn't erected with the thought of having to move it relatively soon thereafter. Sitting Man is made out of 11 blocks of Indiana limestone, and has steel pins embedded inside of it to keep the stones in place.

How to View the Sitting Man Statue:

If you plan to make a visit to the Sitting Man statue (you can get exact coordinates from Google Maps), be aware that there is no parking in the statue's immediate vicinity. Atlas Obscura notes that, about half a mile from the site, there is a shopping center parking lot, where someone could theoretically park and walk to the statue. Alongside the statue is a biking/walking lane, which does provide easy access.

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You can find out more about the Sitting Man statue located in Iowa City on Atlas Obscura's website.