Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey, is a wonderfully unique outdoor park which features hundreds of large sculptures and a museum that's open year-round. While the park is stunning with it's greenery and elaborate gardens, trees and flowers, I've instead chosen to visit in January the past two years, as it's one of the few things open on New Year's Day. Grounds for Sculpture is only a short drive from lower Bucks County.
A majority of the artwork such as the photos above and below is by New Jersey's Seward Johnson,
and other sculptures are from his personal collection as well as emerging contemporary artists.
Here are a few of the things you can enjoy during your wintertime visit:
Dress warm and explore the sculpture park.
The park is home to over 270 sculptures from renowned artists around the world.
In the winter, the sculptures might be dusted with snow, creating a magical scene.
The Grounds are such a treasure, even when nothing is in bloom!
You are encouraged to get close and interact with them.
We did!
Take a guided tour.
If you want to learn more about the park and its sculptures, consider taking a guided tour.
Tours are offered throughout the day and are included with your admission ticket.
Seward Johnson often said, "I want my work to disappear into the landscape
and then take the viewer by surprise."
All of these sculptures along the lake and trails seemed so real!
Warm up with a cocktail and some food!
There are quite a few cafes and restaurants where you can warm up with a hot beverage or meal.
I've read that in the summer months, they even have "pop up" food and ice cream trucks along the trails! After our walk seeing sculptures, we sat at the bar at the upscale
Rats Restaurant and enjoyed some Stella Artois, a cheese plate, and shared a delicious
chicken salad sandwich. The photo below was our view from Rats, a classic French restaurant
with excellent service and delicious food.
Rats is a beautiful restaurant that serves country French cuisine
and it has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating:
Visit the indoor galleries.
Grounds for Sculpture also has a number of indoor galleries that feature rotating exhibitions of contemporary art that are interactive.
We were able to step inside a giant Faberge egg,
and we took pictures in a room that was replicated to look just like
Van Gogh's swirly bedroom in Arles!
Look for the RATS and just have fun!
The exact address for Grounds For Sculpture is 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton Township NJ 08619
More information about the 4 acre park can be found here.
