• Home
  • Meet Kelly
  • My House
  • Contact

Kelly Elko

Love where you live - inspired decorating ideas

  • Eclectic Homes
  • Projects
    • My Projects
    • FREE Printables
    • Garden
    • Recipes
    • Tips & Tricks
    • Organization
  • Decorate
    • My House
    • Decorating
    • Outdoors
    • Christmas
    • Fall
    • Summer
    • Spring
    • Tablescapes
  • Life
    • Travel
    • Musings
  • Shop

Grounds for Sculpture – a Must Visit!

November 6, 2018  Travel | Uncategorized

I love discovering unique day trips so on my husband’s birthday on a beautiful fall Sunday, I surprised him with a trip to Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ. Walk amid GIANT recreations of famous paintings and discover something interesting to look at around every bend at this 42 acre park with more than 300 sculptures. Under a two hour drive from NYC and about an hour from Philadelphia, this is a must visit if you’re in the area.

American Gothic on steroids! I had to pop into the picture to show you the scale of this fun sculpture (if only I had remembered to bring my pitchfork). I love how the sculptures and landscape are tied together.

Grounds for Sculpture - how fun is this giant American Gothic sculpture. This park is a must see! kellyelko.com #sculpture #travel #njtravel #nj #art #kitsch #roadtrip #artlovers

Sculptor and philanthropist, J. Seward Johnson, created this sculpture garden and museum where people from all backgrounds would have the opportunity to view contemporary art in an informal setting. Johnson created many of the sculptures within the park that opened in 1992.

The park is divided into different sections including The Meadow, Woodlands, Fairgrounds, Orchard, Lakeside and Great Lawn. It’s a place to wander because around every turn is something new to discover. Get off the beaten path and you’ll discover little clearings with hidden gems.

P.S. You can shop my look below. I wore these boots for the first time and walked around for hours and my feet didn’t hurt! I love that my bag converts from a cross body to a shoulder too.

The grounds are just as stunning as the sculptures.

Grounds for Sculpture marries sculptures with a bucolic setting in NJ. This park is a must see! kellyelko.com #parks #naturephotography #travel #daytrips #fall #fallfoliage

Clothing optional!

Grounds for Sculpture is a must see in NJ kellyelko.com #travel #travelphotography #daytrip #nj #visitnj #sculptures #kitsch #artlovers

Not all sculptures are giants, some are life size like this couple pausing to rest.

Grounds for Sculpture - love this life size couple in this beautiful must see park in NJ kellyelko.com #sculptures #visitnj #njtravel #daytrips #travelblogger #artlovers

It’s fun to see famous paintings brought to life. I offered this poor woman a sweater but she refused.

Grounds for Sculpture - visit this fun park to see art come to life! kellyelko.com #travel #travelblogger #art #artlovers #roadtrip #nj

Modern sculptures blend with the classics too and I love finding all the little details like the book and cell phone laying near this sleeping couple.

Grounds for Sculpture - love the fun art in this 42 acre sculpture park in NJ kellyelko.com #art #sculpture #artlovers #daytrips #travel #njtravel #nj #visitnj

Grounds for Sculpture is a must visit destination for any art lover kellyelko.com #sculpture #art #artlovers #nj #njtravel #visitnj #daytrip #roadtrips

We had brunch at Rat’s Restaurant which is attached to the park. It’s named after Ratty from A Wind in the Willows, Johnson’s favorite childhood book and it’s definitely a storybook setting.

Grounds for Sculpture - Rat's restaurant is a must visit kellyelko.com #windinthewillows #kitsch #artlovers #art #nj #visitnj #travelblogger

On the patio, you’ll feel like you’re part of a Claude Monet painting when you gaze across the lily pond to the green arched bridge.

Grounds for Sculpture - visit to see Monet's lily pond come to life kellyelko.com #sculpture #parks #roadtrips #daytrips #monet #nj #njtravel #visitnj

Behind the bridge, a bathing woman doesn’t realize she’s not alone.

Grounds for Sculpture - a must visit park for art lovers kellyelko.com #art #sculpture #nj #visitnj #njtravel #roadtrip #daytrip

Back in the park, near the entrance to the restaurant, a table set for four awaits anyone wanting a cute photo opp. A fun detail include a bowl filled with curled pats of butter.

Grounds for Sculpture - even the table setting is art! kellyelko.com #art #sculpture #nj #visitnj #travel #travelblog

A hill of poppies shows off another Monet inspired sculpture.

Grounds for Sculpture is a must see destination in NJ - poppy hill is incredible kellyelko.com #sculpture #art #gardens #poppies #monet #kitsch #visitnj #njtravel #travelblog

This takes plein air painting to the next level!

Grounds for Sculpture - a must visit destination for art lovers kellyelko.com #sculpture #pleinair #art #artist #artlovers #nj #travelnj #visitnj

A true work of art!

Grounds for Sculpture - visit the incredible grounds to view stunning fall foliage kellyelko.com #fall #fallfoliage #fallleaves #fallcolor #naturephotography

She’s your Venus nestled in a grove of bamboo and surrounded by mist and smoke.

Grounds for Sculpture is a must see destination for any art lover - Venus is incredible kellyelko.com #art #artlovers #venus #sculpture #nj #njblogger #visitnj #roadtrip #daytrip

Indoor galleries are just as beautiful.

Grounds for Sculpture is a must visit for art lovers and the inside spaces are equally beautiful kellyelko.com #farmhouse #barn #sculpture #daytrip #nj #njblogger #visitnj #architecture

Grounds for Sculpture is a must visit for art lovers and the inside spaces are equally beautiful kellyelko.com #farmhouse #barn #sculpture #daytrip #nj #njblogger #visitnj #architecture

The Awakening is a 70 foot wide sculpture that I would love to view from above.

Grounds for Sculpture is a must see for art lovers - The Awakening is a 70 foot giant buried in the ground kellyelko.com #sculpture #art #artlovers #njtravel #travelblog #visitnj

See the person behind the arm to give you an idea of it’s massive size!

Grounds for Sculpture is a must see for art lovers - The Awakening is a 70 foot giant buried in the ground kellyelko.com #sculpture #art #artlovers #njtravel #travelblog #visitnj

A visit here is Scream worthy!

Grounds for Sculpture is a must visit for art lovers! The Scream is a 3-d version of the painting kellyelko.com #nj #visitnj #thescream #art #artlovers #njblogger #travelblogger #roadtrip

If you’re planning a trip to central NJ, I highly recommend a visit. Plan for a couple of hours at the park and more time if you want to eat.

Princeton NJ is only a 15 minute drive away and it’s definitely also worth a visit if you are in the area. I wrote a post about a day in Princeton NJ here.

See all of my travel posts here

Sign up to get Kelly Elko's latest posts delivered right to your inbox
Your information will never be shared or sold to a 3rd party.

Share this Post!

107 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
« Previous: Eclectic Home Tour – Finding Lovely
Next: My Must Have Christmas Decor »

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

  1. SUSAN

    November 6, 2018 at 6:47 am

    But why all the nudity?

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      November 6, 2018 at 8:41 am

      The sculptures are based on famous paintings which included nudes – it’s art! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Marlene Stephenson

    November 6, 2018 at 10:04 am

    Looks like a nice way to explore and spend a lovely time. The sculptures are remarkable, thanks for the info.

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      November 6, 2018 at 4:03 pm

      If you’re ever in this area, it’s a different way to spend the day!

      Reply
  3. Lisa K.

    November 7, 2018 at 9:43 pm

    Happy Birthday to your husband! Looks like a great time! I love the bridge from the Monet painting.

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      November 13, 2018 at 11:09 am

      It’s such a fun place!

      Reply
  4. b

    November 21, 2018 at 4:15 pm

    i LOVED the grounds for sculpture, but i don’t think i saw all of these things! now i need to go back!
    b

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      November 23, 2018 at 4:06 pm

      I missed a few things too and definitely need to go back!

      Reply

KELLY

About / Contact / Press
facebook twitter instagram google pinterest snapchat

Join me as I decorate my 100 year old home, scour thrift stores, create pretty things, putter in my peony and hydrangea filled garden, and mix up a mean cocktail all with a touch of sarcasm and a side of bacon - Cheers!



More About Kelly

Love where you live by mixing high and low, new and old to create a home that shows off your personality. My mantra ... simple projects equals more time for cocktails!
Subscribe for Email Updates:

Get in Touch

facebook twitter instagram google pinterest snapchat

I'd love to hear from you:
[email protected]

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · KellyElko All rights reserved. Site by WordPress Barista

Copyright © 2023 · KellyElko - 2016 on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Sign up to get Kelly Elko's latest posts delivered right to your inbox
Your information will never be shared or sold to a 3rd party.
107 shares