Writing travel guides for our readers is one of our favorite things to do! We love sharing inspiring places for your road trip itineraries. (And, of course, we also have plenty of guides on our blog for how best to prep your car and pack for the drive!) Today, we’re sharing our picks for must-see midwest sculpture parks for an unforgettable road trip experience. What better way could there be to celebrate the growth and beauty of Springtime than taking gorgeous nature walks through sprawling grounds dotted with larger than life artwork against a scenic backdrop? Exactly.
We love that many of these parks are also free and open to the public year round, making them a wonderful option for a budget-friendly road trip stop. Who says you can’t have fun while watching your wallet? Not us, that’s for sure.
(Image from Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park Website)
Here are some of our picks for incredible Midwest Sculpture Parks to visit this Spring and Summer!
Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park at University Park in Illinois - Situated in the tallgrass prairie and sprawling across more than 100 acres, 30+ sculptures stand tall and impressive on the grounds of Governors State University. It’s open 365 days a year with free admission, making it a fantastic destination for families without breaking the bank. The park also runs a schedule of selected programs, lectures, and workshops for both adults and children focusing on the integration and relationship of art and nature. The enormous sculptures feature everything from carved stone, sculpted metal, to a 30-foot tall larger than life Paul Bunyan! It’s absolutely beautiful to behold during the Spring and Autumn seasons especially. 29 of the sculptures are permanent collection pieces, and a variety of limited-viewing and rotating temporary pieces are available to view each year.
Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park in Skokie, Illinois - Located just north of Chicago, this park especially highlights local Chicago artists and other creators through four different sections of park area. Artworks here are created from a variety of media including resin, metal, wood, clay, wire, and more. It’s worth a visit during each season, as the dynamic and aesthetic of the sculptures in its natural environment changes with each season and type of weather! Hop on a free tour with a volunteer docent, or walk the grounds on your own accord. Got a pet in tow? Well-mannered and leashed pets are allowed on the property, just remember to clean up after your dog and be respectful of the landscaping, sculptures, and other guests. It’s a great space as well for picnic lunch, a leisurely bike ride, or a change of pace for your usual running routine! Be sure to check the calendar of events to find out if there are any hands-on workshops, artistic activities, or guest lectures during your visit. There are more than 60 large-scale installations and sculptures on display, and the park is divided up into four sections, each about a half-mile long, with different creations in each sector. Be sure to check out the venue’s “Art in the Park” event if you can!
Goldman-Kuenz Sculpture Park in Mount Vernon, Illinois - This sculpture park is one of the largest in the Midwest, with more than 70 sculptures, each lovingly crafted by a variety of both local and regional artists, and placed across the park’s 80 acre grounds. It provides an immersive experience seamlessly blending nature with art created from bronze, steel, stone, wood, concrete, and mixed media materials. You can walk through the grounds’ three trail options, or enjoy the unique “Art After Dark” driving tour experience. The sculpture park is open all year round, and offers an interesting experience with a “Seek and Find” directory of different sculptures to find and identify in Spring/Summer or Fall/Winter through their downloadable materials. It’s a wonderful option to engage with the artwork in a new way! The garden is open on from 10AM to 5PM Tuesday through Saturday, and Sundays from 1PM to 5PM; it is closed on Mondays and on National Holidays, so be sure to factor that in to your schedule. Check out their recent calendar of events and you may be able to catch a special guest lecture, hands-on activity, or the Art and Craft fair event.
For some smaller-scale but equally beautiful entries into the sculpture parks of Illinois, you may also want to check out The Sculpture Park of Schaumburg, West Street Sculpture Park in Galena, and Scovill Sculpture Park in Decatur, Enos Park Sculpture Garden in Springfield.
Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park in Indianapolis, Indiana - This is one of the largest art parks in the US, with 100 acres of wetlands, forests, and beautiful interactive sculptures and public art installations dotting the land around a 35-acre lake, and it’s completely free to visit! It’s also home to the largest native pollinator meadow in Indianapolis, an impressive sight to see. The intent of the park is to inspire visitors to explore the relationship between humans, art, and nature. If you’re looking for an accessible destination, a large portion of the park contains accessible pathways for mobility access, and there is a designated ADA and stroller friendly lot on grounds as well. Visitors will delight in the fact that they’re encouraged to interact and play with many of the features, including relaxing or sitting on the “Bench Around the Lake” exhibit, or enjoy a game of basketball or free-throws at the incredible “Free Basket” sculpture court. This summer, three new sculptures will be added as part of the Home Again Exhibit featuring work by Heather Hart, Mark Dion and Dana Sherwood, and local Indianapolis-based artist Anila Quayyum Agha! It’s the first major activation at the park since 2010, and the first installation of The Hawryluk Sculpture Green outdoor public art installation. Make sure you add this stop to your next Indiana trip so you can witness this historic art event in person!
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden at Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota - This incredible 11-acre garden is filled to the brim with native plants and blossoms, as well as an outstanding amount of stunning sculptures and art installations, and is free to explore and visit from 6AM to midnight! It’s open 365 days a year, offering visitors a chance to explore more than 40 outdoor sculptures in different weather and seasons. There’s even a miniature golf course on site featuring yearly updates with artist-designed holes ($10 to play for guests 7 and up, but 6 and under are free with paid adults) It’s a fantastic place to take the family for an outing, especially during the Springtime and prime picnic weather! Enjoy a stroll around the grounds and observe how art and nature blend together to create a unique viewing experience for each peace. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn how art is in the eye of the beholder, as you find new ways to check out the larger than life 3D sculptures from different angles, distances, times of day, and even repeat visits during different seasons! Plus, with free admission it makes a great family friendly excursion if you’re vacationing on a budget.
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