An Outside Museum, You Say?
It’s a museum. It’s a garden. It’s both. And it’s fantastic.
It’s the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
If you’ve been to “normal” museums, you’ve seen sculptures mostly inside the museums. You know, Dégas, Michelangelo, Rodin, Warhol, etc. However, part of the Rodin Museum in Paris is outside, and be assured, some of the sculptures at this park are inside, too!
The Frederik Meijer outdoor sculpture park is best viewed from the docent-led tram ride that orients you to the gardens and the sculptures. (We were glad we did it.) You’ll learn about how Frederik Meijer (billionaire chairman of the Meijer hypermarket chain) donated a large portion of the land for the park, and you’ll hear about the sculptures and artists. You can then visit any area that particularly interests you and explore the inner beauty of each glorious section at your leisure.
Is it really that good?
Well, this park was voted “Best Sculpture Park in the United States by readers of USA Today in 2023 & 2024.” I’d put it in a bucket list category.
One of the highlights is the 24-foot-tall “The American Horse” statue, one of only two in the world.
The place is huge. It’s 158 acres, which doesn’t sound that big until you realize an American football field is about 1.32 acres, so the park’s area is about 120 football fields.
Massive and Small Sculptures in Exquisite Gardens
The gardens elevate the sculptures, and vice versa. Well. Maybe elevate isn’t the right word. :)
I’d love to tell you all the facts and figures about this beautiful, do-not-miss-it Midwest visiting destination, but I think you’ll find more (evergreen) information on the website.
Here’s why. As I try to write about the coolness of this unique spot, I find I’ve missed the fact that there are many smaller gardens within the park. The Children’s Garden invites young people to play, learn, and explore. It was clear the groundskeepers had lots of help! The critters must surely sneak out at night to weed, clean, and clip. The relatively new (2015) Japanese Garden takes tranquility, simplicity, and beauty to an exquisite height. You can check out all the gardens here.
There are five indoor theme gardens, outdoor gardens, nature trails, a boardwalk, sculpture galleries, and a permanent sculpture collection. The website is temptingly lovely, but there’s nothing like visiting in person. It’s definitely one of those United States do-not-miss museums worthy of Going on an Adventure.
If You Go
If you go, try to hit it before a famous midwest winter storm chases the sculptures inside. 🙂
Please Note: I took all the photos in this post.
Click HERE for ticket information.
Originally published at https://kathrynatkins.com on June 29, 2024.
