Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park
| Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Sculpture park and botanic garden |
| Location | Grand Rapids Township, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 42°58′52″N 85°35′28″W / 42.981°N 85.591°WCoordinates: 42°58′52″N 85°35′28″W / 42.981°N 85.591°W |
| Area | 132 acres (53 ha) |
| Created | 1995 |
| Operated by | West Michigan Horticultural Society |
| Open | All year |
| Website | http://www.meijergardens.org |
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a 158-acre (64 ha) botanical garden and outdoor sculpture park located in Grand Rapids Township, Michigan in Kent County. Commonly referred to as Meijer Gardens, it has quickly become one of the most significant sculpture experiences in the Midwest and an emerging worldwide cultural destination. In April 2005, The Wall Street Journal wrote that "There's nothing quite like Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park this side of the Kroller-Muller Museum and Sculpture Park in The Netherlands".
In May 2009, it was named one of the top "30 Must-See Museums" in the world. It is Michigan's second-largest tourist attraction and is a feature venue in ArtPrize, the largest art competition decided by public vote. In 2014 it acquired Iron Tree by Ai Weiwei and opened an 8-acre, $22 million Japanese Garden.
Meijer Gardens opened to the public on April 20, 1995 through the generosity of Frederik and Lena Meijer, the family behind the Meijer Corporation, who donated financial support, land and their entire sculpture collection to the organization.
In 1990, the West Michigan Horticultural Society approached Frederik Meijer about donating a parcel of land owned by Meijer, Inc, as a potential home for a botanic garden and conservatory.
Meijer, Inc donated 70.7 acres (28.6 ha) of land in Grand Rapids Township, Michigan for the Gardens site in January 1991. At the same time, Fred and Lena Meijer donated their entire sculpture collection to the project. The Michigan Botanic Garden, as the project was called, was renamed Frederik Meijer Gardens after its major benefactor.
The distinctive signature of the park and gardens, which emphasizes the equally important entities of sculpture and horticulture, satisfies Meijer's goal to unite the visual art of humankind and the visual art of nature.
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Wikipedia