If you’re a fan of art then you’ll love these modern and contemporary sculpture parks and gardens. Visiting these outdoor art installations is a great way to enjoy fresh air and culture at the same time.
Best Sculpture Parks in the World
From modern art sculpture gardens to a unique underwater art installation, here are some of the best cultural attractions in the world for your bucket list. These green spaces showcase outdoor sculptures by international artists to create a unique experience for art lovers.
1. Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Grand Rapids, United States
Spread over 158 acres in Grand Rapids Township, Michigan, this botanical garden and sculpture park features over 200 works. The permanent collection boasts one of the most extensive collections of outdoor sculpture in the world.
Admire artworks by Ai Wei Wei, Louise Bourgeois, Auguste Rodin and Henry Moore. The backdrop of plants and flowers from around the world is stunning in every season.
Don’t miss Plantoir by Claes Oldenburg – a giant trowel sculpture designed to be exhibited in a garden. He and his wife Coosje van Bruggen are known for their transformation of everyday objects into extraordinary artworks.
There are also frequent temporary exhibitions showcasing artists such as Pablo Picasso, Mark di Suvero and George Segal. At the James & Shirley Balk Café, you can see a striking glass chandelier by Dale Chihuly.
Address: 1000 E Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525, United States
2. Hakone Open Air Museum
Hakone, Japan
The first open-air museum in Japan, Hakone opened in 1969. Today, it’s home to more than 1,000 art works and sculptures.
The magical setting has Lake Ashinoko and the mountains as the backdrop. Covering 70,000 square meters, Hakone Open-Air Museum has one of the largest collections of Henry Moore sculptures in the world.
From Calder to Picasso and Rodin, the great sculptural artists are well represented at this outdoor museum. There are many child-friendly art installations and a giant kid’s hammock, Woods of Net.
The artwork Symphonic Sculpture, a tower of stained glass is one of the highlights, as is La Pleureuse, the sculpture below.
Address: 1121 Ninotaira, Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa 250-0407, Japan
3. Storm King Art Center
New Windsor, United States
Taking its name from nearby Storm King Mountain, this open-air museum has a beautiful setting in the Hudson Valley. With over 100 scupltures set over 500 acres, Storm King is one of the largest collections of outdoor artworks in the United States.
Allow 2 to 3 hours to walk around the grounds. Some of the highlights include Storm King Wavefield, an earthwork by Maya Lin, Three Legged Buddha by Zhang Huan and Storm King Wall by Andy Goldsworthy. Kids (and big kids!) will love the interactive exhibit, Momo Taro by Isamo Naguchi. You can sing inside the granite structure, which has a special aural resonance.
Storm King has one of the largest collections of David Smith sculptures in the world. This American Abstract Expressionist sculptor was the first to weld metal. He created gigantic geometric sculptures.
There’s an open-air café and also the Storm King Museum Building which has 9 indoor galleries houses inside a French inspired chateau.
Address: 1 Museum Rd, New Windsor, NY 12553, United States
4. Vigeland Park
Oslo, Norway
Officially known as the Vigeland Installation within Frogner Park, this Oslo green space has become known as Vigeland Park. There are 212 sculptures by Norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland, made from bronze, iron and granite.
Vigeland created artworks from 1924 to 1943 and donated them to the city of Oslo. The art park is free to enter and open 24 hours a day.
Among the highlights are the Angry Baby figurative sculpture, whose left hand is rubbed by visitors for good luck, and The Monolith, a contemporary sculpture featuring 121 intertwined human figures.
Address: Nobels gate 32, 0268 Oslo, Norway
5. Olympic Sculpture Park
Seattle, USA
Since opening in 2007, the Olympic Sculpture Park next to Seattle Art Museum has been visited by hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. This 9 acre former industrial site is located on the waterfront, close to Puget Sound.
Among the sculpture park’s artworks, you’ll find The Eagle by Alexander Calder, which is pictured below, and the Eye Benches by Louise Bourgeois. Echo by Jaume Plensa is another impressive sculpture, depicting the head of a nine year old girl.
The first piece to be installed in this outdoor sculpture garden was Wake, a 300 ton steel Richard Serra artwork.
Address: 2901 Western Ave, Seattle, WA 98121, United States
6. Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Wakefield, UK
With one of the largest collections of Henry Moore bronzes in Europe, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park is set in 500 acres of greenery. As well as the permanent contemporary and figurative art displays, there are some fantastic special exhibitions with around 80 artworks on show at any time.
Two Barbara Hepworth sculptures are currently on display: The Family of Man and Square with Two Circles.
Seated Figure by Sean Henry is an ultra-lifelike sculpture that can be mistaken for a real person from a distance. Litter by Leo Fitzmaurice looks like bunny rabbits from a distance, and is a comment on consumerism.
There are currently four Damien Hirst sculptures on display, including The Virgin Mother, pictured below. This ten meter tall statue can be found next to the Lower Lake.
Address: West Bretton, Wakefield WF43 4LG, United Kingdom
7. Kröller-Müller Museum
Otterlo, Netherlands
As well as the second largest Van Gogh collection in the world, Kroller-Muller boasts one of the largest sculpture parks in Europe. There are over 160 sculptures dotted around the gardens, including works by Marta Pan, Aristide Maillol and Pierre Huyghe.
Spread over 25 hectares, this outdoor sculpture park is open throughout the year. In the grounds, you’ll discover two pavilions from the 1960s by Aldo van Eyck and by Gerrit Rietveld.
Recently restored, Jardin d’Email is a monumental sculpture by Jean Dubuffet. Visitors can walk on it from 1 April to 1 November, as long as it’s not raining, when the artwork can be slippy.
Address: Houtkampweg 6, 6731 AW Otterlo, Netherlands
8. Ayia Napa Sculpture Park
Ayia Napa, Cyprus
Opened in 2014, Ayia Napa Sculpture Park is spread over 20,000 square meters. With stunning views of Famagusta Bay, the park features artists from over 50 different countries.
They have all participated in the annual Sculpture Symposium organized by Agia Napa Municipality. The Park of Mediterranean Plants, Cacti and Succulents is also part of the sculpture gardens. It showcases the different cacti and succulents of the island.
The artists create their sculptures on site, so during Autumn and Winter you are likely to see some of them at work. Admire artworks such as Exiles by Beata Rostas and Last Human by Michael Levchenko.
Address: Kavo Gkreko, Ayia Napa, Cyprus
9. Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden
New Orleans, United States
Featuring more than 90 artworks, the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is located in City Park next to the New Orleans Museum of Art. What makes this garden special is the mature landscape of oak and pine trees, set around two lagoons.
Cross over the water via Mississippi Meanders, the Elyn Zimmerman designed glass bridge. The colorful lines represent the changing course of the Mississippi River over the years.
Address: 1 Collins Diboll Cir, New Orleans, LA 70124, United States
10. The Tarot Garden
Capalbio, Italy
If you’re a fan of the French American sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle, you’ll love The Tarot Garden. This fourteen acre sculpture park is inspired by tarot cards, as well as the Gardens of Bomarzo and Parc Guell.
Located in the picturesque town of Capalbio in Tuscany, the garden opened to the public in 1998. The first major sculpture garden to be created by a woman, it contains 22 sculptures.
Decorated with mirrors and ceramics, the site-specific works of art are made from reinforced concrete. Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely, Niki’s husband, collaborated on some of the fountains.
Address: Str. Garavicchio, 2, 58011 Pescia Fiorentina GR, Italy
11. Inhotim Museum
Brumadinho, Brazil
Inhotim, or the Instituto De Arte Contemporânea E Jardim Botânico to give its full name, is one of the best sculpture parks in Latin America. There are more than 700 artworks by 200 contemporary artists inside the museum and in the grounds outside.
Inhotim is also an important botanical garden with around 5,000 plant species. Inside the geodesic dome pictured below by Paula Zasnicoff Cardoso, there’s an installation by Matthew Barney, De Lama Lamina.
Magic Square #5 is another highlight of the collection. This series of six brightly colored panels has the feeling of a public plaza.
Address: Rua B, 20 Fazenda Inhotim, Brumadinho – MG, 35460-000, Brazil
12. Sculpture by the Lakes
Dorchester, UK
Blessed with a tranquil location in 26 acres of Dorset parkland, Sculpture by the Lakes is one of the most beautiful outdoor art installations. The brainchild of sculptor Simon Gudgeon and his wife Monique, this enchanting place features over 30 large scale artworks.
Search for Enlightenment, captured below, is a set of two bronze sculptures symbolizing the vastness of time. Smaller sculptures by Simon and other artists are available to purchase from the Gallery by the Lakes.
There’s a pleasant gallery cafe, currently operating as takeaway only and a spacious outdoor seating area.
Address: Pallington Lakes, Dorchester DT2 8QU, United Kingdom
13. Laumeier Sculpture Park
Sappington, United States
This 105 acre sculpture park and open-air museum in Sunset Hills, Missouri has over 60 artworks on display. Eye by Tony Tasset is a huge fiberglass and resin eyeball that stares back at the visitor.
Another interesting artwork at Laumeier Sculpture Park is Untitled by Robert Morris. A set of stacking aluminium beams, it has a sense of control and precision. Intricate Wall by Sol Lewitt is a series of cinder blocks arranged in a repetitive fashion that resembles a maze or a prison wall.
Address: 12580 Rott Rd, Sappington, MO 63127, United States
Eye by Tony Tasset, JTClarkDesign, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia
14. Naoshima Island
Naoshima Island, Japan
Famous for its iconic Yayoi Kusama pumpkin sculptures, Naoshima Island also has many other notable artworks on display. Benesse Art Site is located on the picturesque South coast of the island. There are several interesting sculptures here including 5 works by Nikki de Saint Phalle and George Rickey’s artworks which move in the wind.
Around Miyanoura Port, you’ll see a large red pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama, as well as Naoshima Pavilion by Sou Fujimoto. Made from 250 pieces of stainless steel, it symbolizes the island itself and is lit up at night.
Address: Naoshima, Naoshima-cho, Japan
15. Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park
Grenada
For something completely different, here is an underwater art installation. There are now a few underwater sculpture parks in the world including Museo Atlantico in Lanzarote, Spain and Museo Subacuatico de Arte in Mexico but this is the original and one of the best.
The first of sculptor and photographer Jason deCaires Taylor’s underwater projects, Molinere Bay Underwater Sculpture Park is in a marine protected area of Grenada.
There are 75 underwater artworks spread over 800 square meters. The good news for those who aren’t great scuba divers is that you can see them by snorkelling or from glass bottom boats too. Viccisitudes features children holding hands, as a symbol of fortitude and unity.
Address: The Lime, Grenada
16. The Donum Estate
Sonoma, United States
Founded in 2001, the Donum Estate is an award-winning winery in Sonoma, California. Known for their single vineyard, single appellation Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from small lots, their winemaking focuses on sustainability.
Donum means gift of the land in Latin, and the balance between the land, wine and art is what makes the estate so unique. Over 40 large-scale artworks are dotted around the estate.
Many have been created specifically to fit the landscape. Visitors to the estate can admire sculptures by Ai Weiwei, Doug Aitken Keith Haring, Subodh Gupta and many more.
Address: 24500 Ramal Rd, Sonoma, CA 95476, United States
17. deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum
Lincoln, United States
DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is a contemporary art museum and outdoor sculpture park located in Lincoln, Massachusetts. It features a diverse collection of modern and contemporary art, including large-scale outdoor artworks set within a beautifully landscaped 30-acre sculpture park.
Visitors can admire sculptures by Antony Gormley, Dorothy Dehner, Jaume Pensa and many more. The park hosts temporary exhibitions, educational programs, and special events, making it a dynamic and engaging destination for art enthusiasts of all ages.
Final Thoughts on the Best Sculpture Parks in the World
There’s no better way to appreciate the scale and form of monumental sculpture than by visiting one of these renowned outdoor parks. From North America to Europe to Asia, these are some of the best sculpture parks in the world that combine art and nature into a single experience.
And if you can’t make it to any of these sculpture garden locations, don’t worry – there are plenty of other ways to enjoy great art. Check out our other articles for more inspirations!
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Glad to see that the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Leeds is included! Great to see these places listed. They are all fascinating and beautiful spaces that house the most wonderful of pieces. I would love to visit all of them before I kick the bucket!
Same for us, Bethan – let’s hope that travel becomes easier soon! In the meantime we’re resigning ourselves to local and virtual travel.
Brookgreen Gardens at 1931 Brookgreen Garden Drive
Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Beautiful sculptures. Beautiful garden.
Thanks for the tip Sheri, we will check it out! Virtually for now of course
You missed out the Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden. Beats all of these.
Many thanks for the suggestion, Daniel – we’ll check it out!
We will check it out, thanks Daniel!
Gaudí park in Barcelona?
Great suggestion, Rohan – we will look at adding it
An amazing place, we agree!
Surprised that Inhotim is included as not many people outside Brazil seem to know about it – despite its collection of renown artists. We loved the tropical garden setting!
Yorkshire isn’t bad, but somehow it lacks the quirkiness of Inhotim and other collections.
Another interesting park, slowly expanding, is the collection of Pablo Atchugarry in Uruguay, which surrounds his work studio.
Shame, for me less than half the photos loaded. But I found some new places I didn’t know about.
That’s interesting to know about the Pablo Atchugarry collection, we will look it up. And good to know that the photos aren’t loading, we’ll definitely look into that!
Have you looked at The Sculpture Park in Surrey, UK. It is amazing!
Check out www.thesculpturepark.com
Thank you for including Sculpture by the Lakes amongst such amazing parks!
You’re very welcome Simon! We love what you have achieved there.
Queen Califia’s Magical Circle is a sculpture garden located in Kit Carson Park, Escondido, California. Opened posthumously, it is one of the last works of Franco-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle. Sure saves on airfare.
Good to know about this, Arnesto – thank you!
The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.
I am very partial to this one which is an adjunct of the Walker Art Museum.
Thanks for the tip, Barry
I suggest the sculpture garden of PepsiCo in Purchase, NY. I used to work there and this sculpture garden was created for the pleasure of its employees. When you looked out your window, there was at least one world class sculpture to be enjoyed.
Storm King Art Center in Cornwall, NY definitely should have been on this list. Fabulous mostly outdoor sculpture museum worth a trip, only 90 minutes north of NYC.
It is now!
Grounds for sculpture in new jersey
Oops, you left out perhaps the most important one! The sculpture garden at The Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul de Vence, France.