If you are a fan of art and nature, then I have the perfect place for you! Franconia Sculpture Garden is a fifty-acre outdoor museum located in the Saint Croix River Valley. Their main focus of art revolves around unique sculptures and outdoor exhibitions. Their mission is to help people create and contemplate contemporary art inspired by nature and our evolving world. Franconia offers more than the sculpture garden. They also offer spaces to rent for all types of events.
Franconia Commons offers a cafe as well as three rentable locations. Those locations include the Driscoll Education center, the back patio, and upper balcony, and the outdoor garden space.
This robotic/astronaut-looking sculpture is one of my favorites. It was sculpted by Amy Toscani. In the description of this art piece, she describes it as “Dwarfing the viewer while still being approachable.”
This is Parade, made by Mike Rathbun. While it looks simple, it was not as simple to sculpt due to its massive size! With this picture, in particular, the sun really showed off Parade’s beauty.
Jeffery Kalstrom says that this sculpture was his vision of the perfect tiny house for an artist who is obsessed with dogs. He included the tiny house because he believes that people use too much energy and we should resort back to simpler, less energy wasteful living.
This is my all-time favorite sculpture. Two of my biggest passions are music and art. This sculpture merges the two into something beautiful. Art and music go hand in hand.
This sculpture is a replica of the Lorrain Motel sign that was located in Memphis TN. That motel in Memphis was replaced with the National Civil Rights Museum. “The Lorrain Motel sign continues a conversation of growth” -Chris Larson.
This massive sculpture is visible throughout the entire grounds. With its height, it is impossible to miss no matter where you are walking!
Franconia Sculpture Garden is the perfect mix between nature and art! I found myself at peace as I walked through. I was able to simply stroll through while taking everything in, both visibly and audibly. The fact that the museum is outdoors adds an entirely new aspect. Hearing the birds and the trees and grass blowing in the wind was quite magical. I highly recommend making the trip!
If you would like to learn more about the sculptures and the venue in general, follow the link below!
https://www.franconia.org/current-exhibition/
I have been to Franconia Sculpture Garden twice now and I plan on visiting many times again. The first time was right when the COVID-19 pandemic started to really hit the world hard. I went with my family and we enjoyed a beautiful night out. My second trip was a solo trip. I was happy to experience the garden on my own. It was peaceful and felt like the definition of tranquility. The fact that I had decided to go mid-day on a weekday afternoon made it feel special as I was one of the only people throughout the entire fifty acres. There is something eerie yet comforting being alone in such a beautiful place.
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