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- This page was last modified on 9 June 2025, at 17:09. Suggest an edit.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park facts for kids
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| Established | 1995 |
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| Location | 1000 East Beltline Ave NE Grand Rapids, Michigan United States |
| Type | Art Museum Botanical Garden |
| Key holdings | Iron Tree by Ai Weiwei Galileo's Wedge & archives of Beverly Pepper |
| Collections | Sculpture |
| Collection size | 300 |
| Visitors | 750,000 |
| Architect | Cox, Medendorp & Olson Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects |
| Nearest parking | On site (no charge) |
The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a huge place in Grand Rapids Township, Michigan, United States. It covers about 158-acre (64 ha)! This amazing spot is a mix of a botanical garden (a place with many different plants), an art museum, and an outdoor sculpture park.
It first opened in 1995. Since then, Meijer Gardens has become a very popular place in the Midwest. It is known for its beautiful plants and incredible sculptures.
The park has many cool areas. These include a tropical greenhouse, a large Japanese garden, and many modern sculptures both inside and outside. You can also explore different outdoor gardens and nature trails.
Many people visit Meijer Gardens. Between 2015 and 2017, about 750,000 visitors came each year. The park keeps adding new sculptures and building more gardens. In 2023, USA Today named it the #1 Sculpture Park in the United States!
Contents
History of the Gardens
In the early 1980s, a group called the West Michigan Horticultural Society wanted to build a botanical garden and a conservatory. They were looking for the perfect spot near Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Around 1986, a member of this group asked Frederik Meijer for help. Frederik Meijer was the person who started the Meijer grocery stores. He owned a piece of land with a stream and wet areas. He had planned to build a new store there. But they found another place for the store. This meant the beautiful natural land could be used for a public garden instead.
In January 1991, Meijer, Inc. gave 70.7 acres (28.6 ha) of land to start the new public garden. A big fundraising effort collected $13 million to develop the park. Frederik and Lena Meijer were very important in helping the park grow. They gave land, money, and their own sculpture collection.
In 2002, the museum was renamed the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park to honor them. Lena Meijer loved plants and flowers. That's why there's a tropical conservatory and a children's garden named after her. There's also a replica of the farm where she grew up. Fred Meijer loved large sculptures. The park became a great place to show his collection.
The Gardens first opened to the public on April 20, 1995. Its main goal is to help people learn about plants and sculptures. It wants to encourage everyone to appreciate nature and fine art.
In 2017, the park started big updates and added new spaces. These changes included a new Welcome Center. This allowed for bigger and more varied art shows. In 2023, Meijer Gardens welcomed its 14 millionth visitor!
Exploring the Gardens
Meijer Gardens has many different areas to explore. Each one offers a unique experience with plants and art.
Tropical Conservatory
The Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory is a huge, five-story greenhouse. It's about 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) in size! This amazing space is home to tropical plants from all over the world. You can see tall coconut palms from the Pacific and fig trees from India. There are also colorful orchids from Central and South America. You might even spot Asiatic bamboo and banana trees.
Other indoor gardens include a house for plants that eat insects. There's also a dry house for cacti and desert plants. Another area has a Victorian theme, like gardens from a long time ago.
Children's Garden
The Lena Meijer Children's Garden opened in June 2004. It was also inspired by Lena Meijer. This garden is designed especially for kids and has many sculptures. In the Children's Garden, kids can explore a log cabin or walk through a fun labyrinth. There's even a rock quarry where children can dig for pretend fossils!
Woodland Shade Garden
The Gwen Frostic Woodland Shade Garden opened in June 1998. It honors Gwen Frostic, a Michigan artist and writer. She was known for her beautiful prints of local plants and animals. This garden features plants that grow well in the shade. You can see ferns, hostas, bleeding hearts, rhododendrons, and azaleas here.
Japanese Garden
The Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden opened on June 10, 2015. This 8-acre garden combines plants and sculptures. It was designed by Hoichi Kurisu. The garden has different Japanese styles, like zen-style gardens and tiny bonsai trees. You can also find scenic bridges, waterfalls, and a tea house.
The Japanese Garden also features modern sculptures by famous international artists. One example is a ten-foot granite sculpture by Anish Kapoor.
Nature Trail
The Wege Nature Trail is named after Peter M. Wege. It's a paved path that goes through a forest on the property. Along the trail, you can see different natural areas of West Michigan. It's a great spot for bird watching. You'll pass through natural prairie and wetlands.
The Peter M. Wege Library is also named for Peter Wege. It has many books and magazines about plants and sculptures.
Other Gardens and Features
The outdoor gardens include a "New American Garden." This garden was designed by James van Sweden. He was known for making gardens look like paintings. There's also an English Perennial & Bulb Garden. This garden was redesigned by Julie Moir Messervy.
In 2003, two more parts of the garden opened. The Michigan Farm Garden lets families see what a 1930s farm was like. It has old-fashioned vegetables, fruit trees, and animal sculptures. There's even a 100-year-old barn and a replica of Lena Meijer's childhood farmhouse.
The Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater is an outdoor stage for music and shows. It has seating for 1,900 people on a grassy hill. Famous musicians like Harry Connick Jr. and Sheryl Crow have performed here.
Amazing Sculptures
Meijer Gardens has a 30-acre (12 ha) outdoor sculpture park. It opened on May 16, 2002.
The museum shows art by famous artists from all over the world. Some of these artists include Alexander Calder, Mark di Suvero, Anish Kapoor, and Keith Haring.
Permanent Collection
The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park mainly collects sculptures. It also has drawings made by sculptors. As of May 2015, the park had over 300 artworks in its permanent collection. You can see works by important British and American sculptors like Claes Oldenburg and Henry Moore. There are also major pieces by international artists such as Ai Weiwei and Jaume Plensa.
In 2009, Fred and Lena Meijer bought a large glass artwork by Dale Chihuly. This was added to the permanent collection. In 2016, the museum received over 900 works on paper from sculptor Beverly Pepper. After getting Iron Tree by Ai Weiwei, the Gardens held a big show of his work in 2017.
Many large sculptures are placed all around the park. You can find them outdoors, in the conservatory, and in special gardens. A popular sculpture is The American Horse by Nina Akamu. It's a tribute to a horse sculpture planned by Leonardo da Vinci long ago. You can also see works by Auguste Rodin and Degas in the Victorian Conservatory.
Temporary Exhibitions
The Gardens also has special art shows that change over time. These temporary exhibitions have featured works by artists like Andy Goldsworthy and Magdalena Abakanowicz.
Fun Seasonal Events
Meijer Gardens hosts two big seasonal events each year. Both of these events started in 1995 when the park first opened. They are The Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming and Christmas and Holiday Traditions.
Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming happens every year from March 1 to April 30. It's one of the biggest temporary butterfly exhibits in the country! Thousands of tropical butterflies from Central America, South America, and Asia fly freely in the Lena Meijer Conservatory. This butterfly exhibit is very popular with visitors of all ages.
Christmas and Holiday Traditions takes place from November through the first week of January. During this annual event, the Gardens displays holiday items and symbols from more than 40 different nations and cultures. It's a wonderful way to see how holidays are celebrated around the world.
Gallery
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Arid room cacti 2006
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Michigan's Farm Garden
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Meijer Gardens, 2014
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Gwen Frostic Woodland Shade Garden
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Boardwalk and wetlands
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Children's Garden
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Children's Garden
Architecture of the Buildings
The Lena Meijer Conservatory was designed by Cox, Medendorp and Olson. It uses galvanized steel for its frame.
In May 2019, a New York company called Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects was chosen to redesign and expand the buildings at Meijer Gardens. They worked with local partners. The expanded Welcome Center is 69,000 square feet. It features a large relief sculpture by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa. This sculpture is carved from four white marble slabs, each 19 feet tall.
See also
In Spanish: Parque de esculturas y jardines de Frederik Meijer para niños