GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It's official, West Michigan. Our local sculpture garden is the best in the country.
Though some already knew it, USA Today put it in ink: Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park claimed the top spot on a list of the 10 best sculpture parks in the nation.
Since it opened its doors almost 30 years ago, Meijer Gardens has welcomed more than 15 million guests. Today, it has nearly 1,000 staff and volunteers operating the 158-acre park.
While the outdoor gardens are sprawling, including a five-floor, 15,000-square-foot Tropical Conservatory, the sculpture park is
Created by West Michigan household names Lena and Fred Meijer, the late owners of the Meijer grocery store chain, the sculpture park is beloved by locals and visitors alike.
The list of park nominees were selected by a panel of experts, USA Today says. From that list, the public was allowed one vote per day to select a winner.
Meijer Gardens was not the only park in the state to make the list, either. Michigan Legacy Art Park in Thompsonville, Michigan claimed number five.
The 30-acre wooded park in Northern Michigan has more than 50 sculptures, rotating exhibits and programs for adults and kids.
Here is a full list of the winners, according to USA Today readers:
- Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park - Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park - University Park, Illinois
- Grounds For Sculpture - Hamilton, New Jersey
- Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Michigan Legacy Art Park - Thompsonville, Michigan
- Brookgreen Gardens - Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
- Olympic Sculpture Park - Seattle, Washington
- Laumeier Sculpture Park - St. Louis, Missouri
- Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park - Kansas City, Missouri
- Minneapolis Sculpture Garden - Minneapolis, Minnesota
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