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Laumeier Sculpture
Park
In 1968 Mrs. Matilda Laumeier
bequeathed 72 acres of land a large story-and-a-half house of cut stone to
the St. Louis County Department of Parks & Recreation in 1968 in memory of
her husband, Henry H. Laumeier. In 1976 the park was enlarged and became an
outdoor museum for modern sculpture, with more land has been added over the
years. Today the Laumeier Sculpture Park is a 98-acre park with an outdoor
sculpture garden that contains a collection of more than 80 sculptures by
internationally acclaimed artists. The former Laumeier residence has been
remodeled into an art museum exhibiting contemporary sculpture, drawings,
paintings, ceramics and photography related to the outdoor sculpture
program. The former Laumeier residence also houses a craft gallery, a gift
shop, and administrative offices. The park also specializes in interpretive
exhibitions and education programs which it offers on a regular basis. The
Laumeier Sculpture Park is an institution of international significance that
has been accredited by the American Association of Museums.
The Park has 1.5 miles
of accessible paved trails that visit many of the pieces. During regular
Museum Gift Shop hours visitors can rent iPods and take an audio tour
that focuses on the highlights of the collection. A Blind Maquette
Program is available for some of the sculptures. This program features a
sculptor's three-dimensional sketch, a way of viewing the piece and
working out the details before actually making the real thing. Several
maquettes with Braille text plaques are installed near the full-sized
sculptures to allow visitors with visual impairments to enjoy the works.
The Park sponsors a popular art fair in May, a fall festival in October,
and a winter solstice celebration in December.
Visiting the
Laumeier Sculpture Park
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