10 Outdoor Sculpture Parks to Add to Your Bucket List
ByAena NabongCrouching Spider by Louise Bourgeois, 2003. Image Courtesy of Château La Coste
Almost nothing is better than getting some fresh air and experiencing monumental outdoor artwork. Over the last few decades, there has been an increase in the development of outdoor sculpture parks, featuring artworks by both emerging and established artists. These spaces offer a unique opportunity to harmoniously blend art and nature, with site-specific installations and sculptures that simply would not fit in an indoor setting.
We have put together our top recommendations of Outdoor Sculpture Parks to add to your bucket list! Keep reading for more.
Benesse Art Site Naoshima
Naoshima, Japan
Cultural Melting Bath: Project for Naoshima, 1998. Image Courtesy by Benesse Art Site Naoshima
Porte vers l'lifini by Lee Ufan, 2019. Image Courtesy of Benesse Art Site Naoshima
Naoshima island is home to Fukutake Foundation’s Benesse Art Site Naoshima. The site features an art space with numerous site-specific installations, including a massive Yayoi Kusama pumpkin sculpture that has since become the icon that most people associate with Naoshima island. On the island, visitors can expect to see architectural wonders weaved into the natural landscape such as the Lee Ufan Museum and the Chichu Art Museum.
For more sculpture parks to check out in Japan, click here.
Storm King Art Center
New Windsor, New York, United States
Suspended by Menashe Kadishmanar. Image Courtesy of Storm King Art Center
Five Swords by Alexander Calder, 1976. Image Courtesy of Storm King Art Center.
Storm King Art Center is a 500-acre outdoor museum located in New York’s Hudson Valley, where visitors experiences large-scale sculpture and site-specific works under open sky. Storm King has been devoted to stewarding the hills, meadows, and forests of its site and surrounding landscape. The center supports artists and their ambitious works. Changing exhibitions, programming, and seasons offer new discoveries with every visit.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
West Bretton, United Kingdom
Molecule Man 1+1+1 by Jonathan Borofsky, 1977-78. Image Courtesy of Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Hazmat Love by Tom Friedman, 2016. Image Courtesy of Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) is an international centre for modern and contemporary sculpture. YSP is a 500-acre estate situated in a 18th-century Bretton Hall estate in West Yorkshire. YSP was awarded the Culture Award and Visitor Attraction of the Year at the 2023 Yorkshire Post Tourism Awards.
Gardens by the Bay
Singapore
Planet by Marc Quinn. Image Courtesy of Gardens by the Bay
Fiore by Manolo Valdés. Image Courtesy of Gardens by the Bay
Located in the heart of Singapore, Gardens by the Bay is situated in Marina Bay Waterfront. Gardens by the Bay is a sanctuary for nature enthusiasts and budding horticulturalists alike. The oasis of lush greenery won multiple accolades since it opened in 2012.
Awards include the ‘Landscape Award’ from World Architecture News in 2013, the ‘Best Attraction in Asia Pacific’ from Travel Weekly in 2015 and the ‘Best Attraction Experience’ at the 2019 Singapore Tourism Awards.
Château La Coste
Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, France
Mathematical Model 012 Surface of Revolution with Constant Negative Curvature by Hiroshi Sugimoto, 2010. Image Courtesy of Château La Coste.
Drop by Tom Shannon, 2009. Image Courtesy of Château La Coste.
Château La Coste embodies the philosophy of a unique vineyard and shows a remarkable natural setting which combines olive trees, scrubland, its landscape and works of art. Art plays a key role in both the estate’s wines and aesthetic design.
The 200-hectare estate comprises 130 hectares of vineyards and an art centre. It feature artworks by one of the greatest contemporary artists to date. This shows a cohesive and rhythmic combination of aesthetic beauty and excellent quality which borders on perfection, combining art, architecture and wine.
Glenstone
Washington DC, United States
As Long as the Sun Lasts by Alex Da Corte, 2021. Image Courtesy of Glenstone
Image Courtesy of Glenstone.
Glenstone opened in 2006 as a single gallery building. Since then, the museum has expanded signficantly and it now features 9,000 square feet of exhibition space that overlooks a 3-acre pond, with various outdoor sculptures by world-renowned artists. The grounds are meticulously landscaped to encourage visitors to explore the natural beauty of the site, along with the sculptures that are dotted across the property.
MONA
Tasmania, Australia
Unseen Seen by James Turrell. Image Courtesy of MONA.
Image Courtesy of MONA.
Described by its owner David Walsh as a “subversive adult Disneyland”, MONA is Australia's largest private museum and is one of the most controversial private collections of modern art and antiquities in the world. This unique and provocative art collection will leave a lasting impression with visitors as they explore 3 floors of subterranean architecture, art pieces, and exhibits.
It is a 3.5-hectare site that also hosts two major annual festivals, the outdoor MOFO festival in the summer, and Dark MOFO Festival during winter. Both festivals feature opportunities to see large-scale public art, live performances, and grab excellent food and drink.
Pt Leo Estate
Melbourne, Australia
Share by KAWS, 2020. Image Courtesy of Pt Leo Estate.
Pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama, 2019. Image Courtesy of Pt Leo Estate.
Pt. Leo Estate is a visual feast for all enthusiasts that wants to visit for art, rolling vineyards and ocean views. When visiting the estate, they are shown the breathtaking views that emerge in front of Phillip Island, across the 50-acre vineyard are the exemplary landscapes and pasture and an expansive 16-acre Sculpture Park.
The Sculpture Park is a 330-acre outdoor gallery within the landscaped grounds that offer a gentle promenade around the network of paths that lead visitors to view some of the works mostly large and medium-scaled sculptures.
Donum Estate
California, United States
King and Queen by Keith Harring, 1987; Background: Love Me by Richard Hudson, 2016. Image Courtesy of Donum.
Maze by Gao Weigang, 2017. Image Courtesy of Donum.
Founded in 2011, Donum is composed of a single-vineyard, located in the acclaimed wine region that nestles between Napa and Sonoma Counties. It also contains one of the world's largest accessible private sculpture collections. At least 50 monumental works, including open-air sculptures, are placed throughout the Estate. Across the 200-acre estate, each piece plays with the scale, nature and imagination of the visitors. More than 40 large-scale, open-air sculptures harmoniously live among the landscape and vineyards of the Donum estate. The commitment to create a harmonious balance between wine, land and art, has created an interactive experience for all visitors.
Louisiana Museum of Art
Humlebæk, Denmark
Image Courtesy by Louisiana Museum of Art.
Image Courtesy by Louisiana Museum of Art.
Louisiana is one of the most exemplary work of Danish modernist architecture. Built in the late 1950's, the museum presents itself as a horizontal and understated building complex that intimately blends into the landscape.
At least 45 sculptures in the park are the most important part of the museum’s collection. Some are remarkable and easily seen, while others are almost hidden or blended into the environment. The special interplay of nature, the view and the changing of the seasons creates different experiences when visiting the place. Thus, the Sculpture Park is well worth a visit in itself at any time of the year. The sculptures in the park are well-positioned to interact with the architecture and natural surrounding.
These extraordinary sculpture parks go beyond just simply displaying sculptures from renowned artists in an outdoor setting. They are examples of seamlessly integrating sculptures amongst greenery and the landscape. These spaces help us rethink how we experience and interact with artworks.
Browse sculptures available on our website here.
Any views or opinions in the post are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the company or contributors.
