Photo courtesy of Don Ipok.
No. 10: Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park – Kansas City, Missouri
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park features four iconic feather sculptures, as well as dozens of other modern and contemporary works of art.
Photo courtesy of Lohmeyer Sculpture Park
No. 9: Lohmeyer Sculpture Park – St. Louis, Missouri
Lohmeyer Sculpture Park in St. Louis was established in 1976 as one of the first purpose-built sculpture parks in the United States. The space features more than 70 of his large-scale outdoor sculptures scattered across 105 acres. Admission to the park is free.
Photo courtesy of Michigan Legacy Art Park.
8th Place: Michigan Legacy Art Park – Thompsonville, Michigan
Located in the Michigan Legacy Art Park, this 30-acre woodland preserve features a collection of more than 50 sculptures and regular exhibits. Guided hikes, tours, and special programs encourage connections with art, nature, and history.
Photo courtesy of the Indianapolis Museum of Art and Atelier Van Lieshout in Newfields.
No. 7: Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park in Newfields – Indianapolis, Indiana
The 100-acre Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park features many large-scale sculptures set within the free parkland. While viewing artwork, you can also enjoy 35 acres of lakes, forests, wetlands, and native pollinator meadows in the heart of Indianapolis.
Photo courtesy of Di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, PC: Blake Walker
6th Place: Di Rosa Contemporary Art Center – Napa, California
Di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art features numerous sculptures on 217 acres of sculpture meadows, courtyards, and surrounding a 35-acre lake. A great way to see and explore this place is to join the Artist + Nature Hike held on the second Sunday of each month or the quarterly Milken Peak Hike.
Photo by Randy Krauss Schmidt/New Orleans Museum of Art
No. 5: Sidney and Warda Besthoff Sculpture Garden – New Orleans, Louisiana
The Sidney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) features more than 90 works on display in 11 acres of city parkland. Visitors can enjoy these works of art amidst the landscape of mature pines, magnolias, live oaks, and his two lagoons.
Photo courtesy of David Michael Howarth Photography
No. 4: Sculpture Basis – Hamilton, New Jersey
Located in Hamilton, New Jersey, Grounds for Sculpture is an arboretum, sculpture garden, and museum focused on the intersection of art and nature in playful and cheerful ways. Spread across 42 beautifully designed acres, this art haven features nearly 300 contemporary sculptures.
Photo courtesy of Guy Rose.
No. 3: Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park – University Park, Illinois
Located at Governors State University in Chicago’s Southland neighborhood, this sculpture park features a large collection of 30 sculptures spread across more than 100 acres of prairie. The free outdoor museum also hosts programs to connect visitors with art and nature in more meaningful ways.
Photo courtesy of Brookgreen Gardens
No. 2: Brookgreen Gardens – Murrells Bay, South Carolina
Founded in 1931, the 300-acre Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina occupies the site of four former rice plantations and is part sculpture garden and part wildlife preserve. This National Historic Landmark houses the world’s greatest collection of American figurative sculpture.
Photo by Michael Moran, courtesy of Frederik Meyer Gardens & Sculpture Park
1st Place: Frederick Meyer Gardens & Sculpture Park – Grand Rapids, Michigan
Spread over 158 acres in Grand Rapids, Frederick Meyer Gardens & Sculpture Park includes outdoor gardens and a 15,000-square-foot tropical greenhouse over five stories. The permanent sculpture collection includes more than 200 of his works, many of which are displayed throughout his 30-acre sculpture park.
