Grounds for Sculpture New Jersey
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We were in New Jersey for the weekend after surprising my sister for her 60th birthday by showing up unexpectedly.
After spending hours getting over the “I can’t believe it” surprise, we actually got to planning what to do with our time.
Since she had never driven around the state before, we commandeered her son-in-law’s car and headed south from Summit, N.J. to do some exploring. We had seen a list of choices on the internet, and decided that “Grounds for Sculpture” was a must see for us.
Grounds for Sculpture had been the former fairgrounds in Hamilton, N.J. and so there were 35 acres of lovely landscaped areas interspersed with large sculptures by various artists in nice settings outdoors. There were walking paths between the sculptures and most areas were accessible to the handicapped.
There is a museum for various displays, which change from time to time, and is open from Tuesday through Sunday year-round, plus holiday Mondays. Admission is $10.00 for the whole park, and well worth it for an afternoon of leisurely strolling. Around every corner there is another surprise.
There is a Gazebo as a two-story building somewhere in the middle of the park, and it serves ice cream, snacks and beverages. It has a beautiful pond in front which moves towards a waterfall, so you have that soothing sound of water splashing over rocks to accompany your snacks.
Two 10,000 square foot gallery spaces are available and over 250 sculptures can be found on the grounds, with more added all the time.
You can find Artist Lecture Series and hands-on workshops for both adults and children, as well as music, dance, poetry and theater performed at the facility.
We grabbed a self-guided tour map and led ourselves around, trying to figure out where we were and what we were seeing.
Some people were there for the express purpose of taking photographs, me included. Several sculptures were copies of famous paintings made into life-sized people and in settings mimicking the famous painting it represented.
At the entrance by the parking lot, we saw a sculpture dressed in real clothes and coated with something, of a student lying on the ground studying, and with her bookbag next to her. At first we thought it was a real girl enjoying a spot in the sun. But on closer examination, we realized she just looked alive, but really wasn’t.
All three of us were awed by the displays, and even by the strutting peacocks running loose on the grounds, and displaying their full tail feathers. They were so beautiful, and let us get close for photos too!
Inside, we ordered lunch at the CAFE, where they had a great assortment of food, from quiches, soups, salads, to gourmet sandwiches and wraps, gourmet salads and a nice children’s menu………all under $10.00, and very tasty. From what we observed, everyone around us was gobbling his or her chosen fare with gusto.
All in all, it was a day well-spent with lots of surprises and pleasurable viewing!
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Tags: , Destinations, Hotels & Travel, New Jersey
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