Grounds for Sculpture

Description

Checklist

Attraction Type:  museums
Number of accessible spaces:  *
Location of accessible spaces:  **
Surface of lot:  paved
Distance to venue:  depends on where you park
Transportation to venue offered:  tram available from farthest lot
Terrain:  flat
Places to rest:  benches outside Welcome Center and throughout the grounds
Paths and walkways:  main pathways either paved or packed gravel, secondary may be gravel, grass or dirt
Location of accessible entrance:  all building have street-level, accessible entrances
Doors:  street-level with push-button assist
Number of floors:  one floor in visitors' center
Elevators:  no
Ramps:  no
Steps and staircases:  no
Width of aisles:  main pathways are wide
Places to sit:  benches throughout the grounds, but not necessarily on the paths
Location of restrooms:  in all buildings and at the Gazebo
Type of restroom:  all are multi-stall, accessible - there are also two single-occupancy, all gender, accessible restrooms in the Welcome Center
Ease of entry and exit:  OK
Baby changing station:  in all restrooms
Available food services:  Rat's Restaurant, Peacock Cafe, Van Gogh Cafe, Gazebo Cafe
Friendliness of staff:  everyone was exceedingly pleasant, well-informed, and helpful
Notes:  * at least 4 accessible spaces in each parking area ** some areas are closer than others

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This is our first visit to Grounds to Sculpture since before Covid. It is just as beautiful and interesting as we remembered.  A wonderful day!

Located in Hamilton Township, NJ it is about 100 miles from our home. It is a long day trip but so worth it. It is truly a unique experience.

Grounds for Sculpture is a different kind of museum. It is a “…museum, sculpture garden and arboretum, where art and nature are always at play.” (website) It is a 42 acre wonderland or sculpture and nature. Everywhere you walk you find delightful works to view. There is diversity of objects and subjects. Most are in full view, but some are off the beaten path, within a group of trees, up inclines, along the water. Some are breathtaking, some whimsical, some make you question if they are “real” people or not. A table set for wine and a snack along the shore looked quite real to me. Closer inspection proved it to be one of the art works that invited me to sit down and enjoy the experience. A statue in the mist beckons one to come closer. In a 2014 interview that Seward Johnson gave to The Times of Trenton, he said. “We have all these paths in the park that go different ways and we want people to use their intuition about which path to take, which has nothing to do with what anyone would teach about it..We encourage people to go their own way when interpreting the art itself.” 

There are more than 270 sculptures on view. There are also six indoor exhibition spaces that offer temporary exhibits. 

Free parking is available in three parking areas, each with at least four accessible spaces. If you have to park in the “overflow lot,” there is a tram to get you to the Welcome Center. Passengers can be dropped off at the Center, where there are benches both inside and out. 

The large, Welcome Center has street-level, push button assist doors, leading to the ticket counter and information desk. Timed entry tickets need to be reserved in advance. Tours begin here. Free, 45 minute walking tours, as wall as accessibility cart tours for people with limited mobility are available. Wheelchairs and electric scooters are available for rental.

We were able to join a walking tour. We were told that on busier days, they tend to fill up quickly, so you should sign up after getting your admission bracelet. Accessibility tours must be reserved in advance, (609) 586-0616.  A wheelchair accessible tram is available for those who must remain in their chair. We were told that, at this moment, it is out for repair, So, best to call and check. There are also ASL touch tours for those with low-vision or blind, which must be reserved at least two weeks in advance.

We took a docent led, walking tour, which we had done before. Since each docent creates their own tour, you get a different tour each time you take one. The docents are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about this place!

“Grounds” is quite accessible, considering the type of venue it is. Accessible pathways are marked. Something we found unfortunate, is the lack of paper maps. Unless you are smart enough to download it at home, you are forced to use their “interactive map” on your phone, which we found very difficult. We hope that they will consider returning to paper maps in the future. 

The main pathways are either paved or packed gravel and easy to navigate. We encountered more than a few wheelchair and walker users, as well as stroller pushers. Conversation with them made it clear that they did not have any difficulty getting around. The less accessible spots are often up an incline, on the grass, or in tighter spaces. Even if you are unable to navigate these less accessible spots, you are still in for a treat! The one thing that could be improved would be to have more benches along the main paths. There are benches placed in strategic locations for art appreciation but they could use more benches for people who just need a place to sit and rest. Also, make sure to look out for the beautiful peacocks that stroll the Grounds.

There are several food choices, from the Gazebo (in summer months) for outdoor snacks; The Peacock Cafe (in the Domestic Arts Building) serving sandwiches, etc; The Van Gogh Cafe’ (in the Welcome Center) featuring French-inspired street food; and the incredible, Rat’s Restaurant (reminiscent of Claude Monet’s Giverny). Please see our separate listing for Rat’s Restaurant. Even if you do not choose to each at Rat’s make sure to visit the area! You will think you are in a Monet painting!

Grounds for Sculpture is a fascinating venue for all, including children. It is an interactive way to introduce kids to art.

Accessible restrooms are available throughout the venue. Multi-stall restrooms with large, accessible stalls are available in the Welcome Center, Domestic Arts Building, Museum Building, Rat’s Restaurant and The Gazebo. Two private, single-occupancy, all gender restrooms are available in the Seward Johnson Center for the Arts (Welcome Center).

We have only been here during the day, but we understand that it is quite beautiful at night. We hope to make it here for one of their evening events.

We hope that this will encourage you to make a trip to this amazing venue.

As always, we at Destination Accessible, advise you to check a venue’s website, www.groundsforsculpture.org, when planning a visit, to “know more before you go.”

Location

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