USA TODAY 10Best
Experience the beauty of the 10 best sculpture parks across the country
Best Sculpture Park (2024)
Discover the allure of open-air artistry at these 10 sculpture parks and gardens, selected by an expert panel and voted by readers as the best across the United States. These captivating spaces blend the beauty of nature with the ingenuity of human creation, offering visitors a unique journey through large-scale masterpieces set against the backdrop of the American landscape.
- Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park - Kansas City, Missouri
- Laumeier Sculpture Park - St. Louis, Missouri
- Michigan Legacy Art Park - Thompsonville, Michigan
- The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park at Newfields - Indianapolis, Indiana
- di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art - Napa, California
- Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Grounds For Sculpture - Hamilton, New Jersey
- Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park - University Park, Illinois
- Brookgreen Gardens - Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
- Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park - Grand Rapids, Michigan
No. 10:
Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is home to four iconic shuttlecock sculptures, as well as dozens of other works of modern and contemporary art.
Photo courtesy of Laumeier Sculpture Park
No. 9:
Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis was founded in 1976 as one of the first dedicated sculpture parks in the United States. The space features more than 70 large-scale works of outdoor sculpture scattered amid the 105-acre area. Entrance to the park is free.
Photo courtesy of Michigan Legacy Art Park
No. 8:
This 30-acre wooded preserve at Michigan Legacy Art Park features a collection of more than 50 sculptures, as well as rotating exhibits. Guided hikes, tours, and special offerings encourage connection with art, nature, and history.
Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields and Atelier van Lieshout
No. 7:
Encompassing 100 acres, The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park features numerous large-scale sculptures throughout this free park. While checking out the art, you also can enjoy the 35-acre lake, woodlands, wetlands, and native pollinator meadow, all in the heart of Indianapolis.
Photo courtesy of di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, PC: Blake Walker
No. 6:
The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art features numerous sculptures in its Sculpture Meadow, Courtyard, and around the 35-acre lake on 217 acres. A great way to see and explore the site is by taking one of the Artist + Nature Hikes on the second Sunday of each month or Millken Peak Hikes held once a quarter.
Photo courtesy of Randy Krause Schmidt/New Orleans Museum of Art
No. 5:
The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) includes more than 90 works displayed on 11 acres of City Park. Visitors can enjoy these works of art amid a landscape of mature pines, magnolias, live oaks, and two lagoons.
Photo courtesy of David Michael Howarth Photography
No. 4:
Located in Hamilton, New Jersey, Grounds For Sculpture is an arboretum, sculpture garden, and museum focusing on the intersection of art and nature in playful, jovial ways. Spanning 42 beautifully designed acres, the art sanctuary has nearly 300 contemporary sculptures on display.
Photo courtesy of Guy Rhodes
No. 3:
This sculpture park at Governors State University in Chicago’s Southland features a collection of 30 large-scale sculptures displayed across more than 100 acres of prairie landscape. The free outdoor museum also hosts programs to help connect visitors with art and nature in a more meaningful way.
Photo courtesy of Brookgreen Gardens
No. 2:
Founded in 1931, the 300-acre Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, is part sculpture garden and part wildlife sanctuary, occupying the site of four former rice plantations. This National Historic Landmark hosts one of the best American figurative sculpture collections in the world.
Photo courtesy of Michael Moran, courtesy of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
No. 1:
Spanning 158 acres in Grand Rapids, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park hosts outdoor gardens and a five-floor, 15,000-square-foot Tropical Conservatory. The permanent sculpture collection features more than 200 works, many of which are displayed across the 30-acre sculpture park.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Allison Tibaldi
Allison Tibaldi is a travel and food writer based... Read More
Allison Tibaldi is a travel and food writer based in New York City. She has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne Australia, Toronto and Los Angeles. She studied early childhood development in graduate school and firmly believes that travel is the best education. She writes for numerous publications including CNN, Travel Channel, HGTV, am New York, Emirates Open Skies, Family Traveller and Travel Weekly.
Allison Tibaldi
Allison Tibaldi is a travel and food writer based in New York City. She has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne Australia, Toronto and Los Angeles. She studied early childhood development in graduate school and firmly believes that travel is the best education. She writes for numerous publications including CNN, Travel Channel, HGTV, am New York, Emirates Open Skies, Family Traveller and Travel Weekly.
Jacky Runice
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Born in Bucktown when bulletproof was a home safety choice and not a coffee order, Jacky Runice has been knocking around Chicago as a professional print, online and broadcast journalist and editor specializing in separating the riff from the raff in culture, entertainment, food, travel and pure unadulterated fun. Jacky is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA). In her best Chicagoese, Jacky asks, "Who has the time or money to blow on hotels, attractions, restaurants, exhibits and activities that blow?"
Jacky Runice
Born in Bucktown when bulletproof was a home safety choice and not a coffee order, Jacky Runice has been knocking around Chicago as a professional print, online and broadcast journalist and editor specializing in separating the riff from the raff in culture, entertainment, food, travel and pure unadulterated fun. Jacky is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA). In her best Chicagoese, Jacky asks, "Who has the time or money to blow on hotels, attractions, restaurants, exhibits and activities that blow?"
Jamie Davis Smith
Jamie is a travel writer who has visited over 50... Read More
Jamie is a travel writer who has visited over 50 countries, many of them with her children in tow. She loves visiting everything from theme parks to ancient ruins and packs strictly carry-on-only. Jamie can be reached at jamiesmithwrites@gmail.com.
Jamie Davis Smith
Jamie is a travel writer who has visited over 50 countries, many of them with her children in tow. She loves visiting everything from theme parks to ancient ruins and packs strictly carry-on-only. Jamie can be reached at jamiesmithwrites@gmail.com.
Meg St-Esprit
Meg St-Esprit is a journalist based in Pittsburgh... Read More
Meg St-Esprit is a journalist based in Pittsburgh who covers family travel, lifestyle, education, and parenting. With their four kids in tow, she and her husband love to travel anywhere and everywhere — but have a soft spot for camping and outdoor adventures. In fact, her kids are well on their way to achieving their goal of visiting all 124 state parks in Pennsylvania. Meg believes travel doesn’t need to be luxurious or costly to be valuable, and aims to share that with her audience. Meg’s work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Thrillist, The Washington Post, Fodor’s, Yahoo, Good Housekeeping, Romper, and more. Follow Meg on Instagram and Twitter at @megstesprit or check out her work on https://megstesprit.com/
Meg St-Esprit
Meg St-Esprit is a journalist based in Pittsburgh who covers family travel, lifestyle, education, and parenting. With their four kids in tow, she and her husband love to travel anywhere and everywhere — but have a soft spot for camping and outdoor adventures. In fact, her kids are well on their way to achieving their goal of visiting all 124 state parks in Pennsylvania. Meg believes travel doesn’t need to be luxurious or costly to be valuable, and aims to share that with her audience. Meg’s work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Thrillist, The Washington Post, Fodor’s, Yahoo, Good Housekeeping, Romper, and more. Follow Meg on Instagram and Twitter at @megstesprit or check out her work on https://megstesprit.com/
Wendy O'Dea
Born and raised in western New York, Wendy O'Dea... Read More
Born and raised in western New York, Wendy O'Dea moved to L.A. to attend the USC graduate School of Journalism and stayed for the innovative and creative lifestyle the city offers. Other than the traffic, there's not much about California she doesn't love. You can track her gallivanting ways on Instagram via @WendyTravels .
Wendy O'Dea
Born and raised in western New York, Wendy O'Dea moved to L.A. to attend the USC graduate School of Journalism and stayed for the innovative and creative lifestyle the city offers. Other than the traffic, there's not much about California she doesn't love. You can track her gallivanting ways on Instagram via @WendyTravels .
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
