Located about a 45 minute drive up I-95 from Center City Philadelphia is the gorgeous Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. This 42-acre outdoor museum is part sculpture park and part arboretum, full of not just sculptures but also monuments, water features, and lots of nature. Founded in 1992 on the site of the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds, it later became a nonprofit organization in 2000. While some of the pieces remain on display year-round, other exhibits rotate in and out throughout the year. When I recently checked their interactive map, I saw a number of sculptures that weren’t there during our last visit!

On average, a casual meander through the park will take at least 2 to 3 hours, but you could easily spend an entire day here! While you can buy tickets on site, it’s recommended to buy them online in advance. Admission slots are timed and you might not be able to get in when you’d like to if you buy same-day! Tickets are available online 2 weeks in advance at a cost of $25 for adults and $12 for children over 5 (as of Sept. 2025). The park is open rain or shine (and is mostly outdoors) so keep that in mind for your visit!

Now I’ve always loved taking photos, but lugging around a camera always feels like such a hassle! Which means I usually just end up relying on my phone’s camera. Which sure, takes great pictures, but it’s just not the same you know? So I decided to break out the Nikon DSLR camera that’s been sitting in my office the last couple years collecting dust. I think it was worth it, but you be the judge.

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Grounds for Sculpture Highlights

You may be surprised to learn that there are over 300 sculptures scattered throughout the museum grounds, as well as 6 indoor galleries with rotating temporary exhibits. Below are a few of my personal favorite sculptures!

Dorion

This stainless steel sculpture was created in 1986 by the West Coast abstract sculptor Bruce Beasley as part of his Edge and Plane series. You can find it in the Sculpture Court, which is somewhat in the center of the grounds. It almost looks like it’s floating in the reflecting pool, and in my opinion is the most memorable thing we saw at Grounds for Sculpture.

Portal Rest

Make your way to Rat’s Woodlands to find this sculpture, which was created in 1999 out of white marble by Horace Farlowe, a painter and sculptor out of North Carolina. You may start to notice that I’ve got a soft spot for sculptures involving water features.

The Nine Muses

This particular sculpture actually reminds me of the Caryatids statues at the Acropolis Museum! The muses were carved out of granite by American sculptor Carlos Dorrien over the course of 7 years, from 1990 – 1997. They’re located in the Sculpture Court along with Dorion.

Daydream

Seward Johnson, an artist known for his painted bronze statues, created Daydream in 2014. Recently I learned he is the founder of Grounds for Sculpture as well! You’ll find Daydream in the Meadow Section.

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Food & Drinks

If you’re looking to spend a full day here, you’ll need something to eat or drink at some point. Unfortunately outside food and drinks (besides water) are prohibited, but they do have a few dining options on-site for you to choose from!

Rat’s Restaurant.
This French restaurant is the only spot within Grounds for Sculpture where a museum ticket isn’t required to eat there. They’re open for brunch, lunch, happy hour, and dinner. You can make a reservation on OpenTable! (Just keep in mind, a reservation doesn’t include access to the GFS grounds.)

Van Gogh Café.
Connected to the Welcome Center, the Van Gogh Cafe is a convenient spot for coffee, drinks, breakfast and light snacks.

Peacock Café.
This is a casual lunch spot within the Domestic Arts Building where you might just spot some peacocks wandering around! 

The Gazebo.
Located in the middle of the park, the Gazebo is a place where you can grab snacks or drinks while enjoying views from the patio.

If you’re planning a visit in advance, you can even pre-order a Picnic in the Park! Each bag comes with a starter and salads or sandwiches for two, plus a bottle of wine to split! You can check out a more in-depth rundown of all the dining options here.

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Which part of Grounds for Sculpture is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!