Located in the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, Paragon Praire Tower rises 120 feet, measures 16 feet in diameter and features a 5,000 square foot glass tiled mural. A colorful shimmering scene of the Iowa prairie complete with wildflowers, coneflowers, black-eyed susans, daisies and clovers amidst bluestem grass - was created on top of panels of pre-cast concrete using millions of individual framents of glass from Ravenna, Italy, the capitol of the Byzantine Empire. It took workers 11 months to complete the tower. The Tower was designed to represent the Midwestern work ethic of saving and harnessing our abundant natural resources.