Reviews of Gilgal Sculpture Garden (Gardener)

Robyn Ivins

Such cool sculptures. Love this place!

Scott Dowdle

Great except for the homeless camped out there

Jo Boyce

Quaint little private park tucked away in Salt Lake City. Statues...and creativity abounds. Strange stuff too.

Brandon Jensen

Great little sculpture garden dedicated to Jesus

Riah Loveless

I've wanted to visit this place for a while, and I am glad I finally made it. I thought all of the sculptures were really interesting, and I found all of the scriptures and quotes interesting as well. I definitely plan on going back when I have more time to explore.

David Cruz

My nephew love this place ,

TJ Strong

Beautiful and peaceful, the garden is cared for by volunteers, but beloved by all who are privileged to find it. It is barely noticeable from the street, looking more like a alleyway or gated house, the rose lined sidewalk is the only thing standing out from the quaint houses and lush yards that occupy the neighborhood. It's worth it to find such an oasis on a hot day in a busy city, because the traffic jams, deadlines and chaos will fade the deeper into the garden you venture. While admittedly, the less fortunate have discovered this gem, they are amazingly respectful and content to enjoy the garden just like you.

Ada Mae Johnson

So so cool

pallavi jain

Good to see the architect. It's very very small. One can just cover it in 5 min and move ahead.

Jake

I like taking friends who are visiting SLC here to help them explore what brand of weird but interesting is in the populace here. Garden itself is well maintained and a lovely visit.

Karime Bernal

Interesting and a cute garden. It has many scriptures and the sculptures are amazing.

Matthew Lloyd

Unique sculptures. Lots of scriptures and hymns carved into stone.

Terri Drashner

It was AWESOME. Check of one more on my bucket list

Brian Haskell

On the list of 100 places to visit in Salt Lake City. Enter from 500 South. Interesting memorial to a family. Its worth a walk through.

Mark Gonzalez

It was my first time going to this garden I tonight it was very interesting, I liked it.

Tawni Benson

Haha I’m dying. Surprised people take this place seriously. I enjoyed it and would recommend. However I would warn them it’s weird and almost creepy. The guy I went with and I thought Joseph Smith as a Sphinx was particularly silly. It is quiet and pretty there as well. You have to go through an open gate between two houses, so it’s hard to see from the road. Very small place, so it will be a quick stop.

Dmitriy B

Beautiful and unique little garden, have never seen anything like it.

Yamino Bunny

Very nice sculptural work

Jitendra Bhatt

A very unique Garden. Can take time if you read through all of the sculpture descriptions. Can take just a few minutes if you are only interested in looking at the art

Noah Powell

A wonderful collection of strange sculpture. Too interesting to miss

Lucas Opens Packs

It was a very interesting place. However, it gets a 4 star for me. It is very interesting because you can tell how passionate he was about this. However, I didn't understand the meaning of it because I'm not mormon. Someone who is will probably understand more. It has around 12 sculptures.

Elle Sharp

Epic, legendary, unique, quintessentially Salt Lake City, Utah, hidden gem of weird wonder. A. Eccentrics labor of love and lasting legacy . The Joseph smith Sphinx is a must for your Instagram pic feed. I was almost reluctant to review as I think I’m the 667th review.

Brenda Thibault

Nothing to see but two homeless people eating spaghettios out of a can..

Rosie Jones

This is a fun little gem smack dab in the middle of busy downtown SLC. It offers a peaceful place for quiet contemplation in the middle of chaos. The sculptures are interesting and unlike anything anywhere else. There are fun pathways to walk on and everything about it was free. Free entry and a free guide to explain the significance of the sculptures.

James David Van Leeuwen

Very interesting sculptures. Worth contemplating

Vivian Bentley

A great place to spend a half an hour. Unique art, very mysterious. You can find out the meaning behind the sculptures on the website which is very useful.

Chad Rees

Very little to see here, more substantial for those who are apart of the culture of the creator.

Nicolas Van Tomme

5 minutes and you saw everything. Nothing really that special. An easy skip.

Dorsie D

It's small, well kept lawns and flowers, sculptures are interesting, world's largest bird house too. Some homeless folks sleeping on the lawns was a little off-putting.

cole dayton

Amazingly well kept gardens with unique sculptures. Certainly a great addition to the culture here in SLC

Jaren Corral

Unique historical info lies here. A look into the past. Late 1800 early 1900s Utah.. an interesting way to spend and hour or two admiring the many sculptures and scripters carved I to stone. Truly a work of art made by one man. A stone Mason as he would like to be referred.

Luis Sosa

Hidden gem in the middle of the busy Salt Lake City. The place also have a wall with pictures from the moment this park was created. A very quiet place that take all the stress away from this loud City

Trenton Hills

Tjis little hidden place is very interesting and id somewhere that you would mot expect something like this to be and would suggest checking out because it's very interesting and strange and makes you wonder why it's there at what were the motives of something like this but whatever the reason it's definitely very cool and think anybody would at least find it intriguing.

Emily

It’s a peaceful little garden with lots of places to sit and admire the art. I would say it’s worth the stop if you’re in the area. Some of the sculptures and paths are in poor repair but the landscaping and flowers are stunning.

D Hadley

Quiet place in a lovely setting.

Rachel P

Really awesome hidden treasure! I've lived in amd around SLC for 30 years and never been here. The masonry is very neat and the etching is amazing! It is very quiet and peaceful. Such a surprise in the middle od downtown. You have to enter from 5th south.

Lewis Strasburg

What an amazing little garden! I loved the rock sculptures!

dorie Reid

Very awesome place.. so amazing !! I recommend this place to everyone.. so so beautiful ❤️

Benjamin Miller

Interesting, quirky place to visit in Salt Lake to experience some eccentric Mormon folk art. It's a garden containing a variety of Mormon-themed sculptures and structures, the most distinctive being a rough-hewn Sphinx with Joseph Smith's head on a lion's body. The park was originally the artist's back yard, so it is small and you can see everything in a few minutes. It's fairly well maintained, but unfortunately you can see the effects of time and vandalism on the pieces.

Brian Lauer

Neat little free sculpture garden, it goes by pretty quick but it’s definitely a unique addition to the downtown area. We visited Trolley Square afterwards without having to move our car. Not sure we’ll be back anytime soon but I’d definitely say it’s worth 30 minutes to check out what this guy created.

Elizabeth R

Quirky place! We were surprised to see, what appeared to be, transient individuals camped out here. Kinda strange considering the garden is supposed to be locked up at night. The individuals we had contact with were polite and talkative and the flowers were gorgeous

Shaunna M

Such a nice hidden spot.

Jacqueline Ohayon

Tiny. And creepy. Very creepy. The artwork is mostly of body parts doing strange things. I love art, it's truly amazing for the human mind, but this is not art. It wasnt worth the drive as it was quite small and the walkways very muddy.

Hannah Priggemeier

Fun, odd, little out-of-the way park in downtown SLC. Take a peek and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Melissa Prince

If you're near downtown this is a crazy, interesting little detour hidden in the middle of everything. Fun, funky little park.

Shah Pez

Unusual stop which shows a bit of local mormon culture via the vision of an artist! 20 years ago kids would have to sneak in the middle of the night under the fence to see the surprise carved stone treasures in an overgrown garden, but now they've made an official park out of the area with regular morning hours and it is open to the public for free.

Yunjun Jung

Great sculptures!! However, there were some homeless people.

Dan Fonnesbeck

Good, hidden art garden. The art is a little weird, but that's what makes this fun.

Roland Oaks

Enchanting collection of sculptures in a hidden part of SLC. Plenty of shade to sit in to enjoy the ambiance. The volunteers take really great care of this little gem.

Dorothy Milewski

Such a neat little hidden treasure. Well maintained and peaceful.

Sid Unrau

This place is a fascinating matchup between a man's faith and his talent for sculpting. He has expressed his faith through his sculpture and his sculptures are interesting, sometimes disturbing, and very well done.

Megan Parker

Really unique and interesting place! Maps took us to the wrong side of the garden. But once we found the actual entrance it was a really cool experience. So many cool statues and a cool pamphlet to tell you all about it and guide you through!

Joshua Day

The best part of this place is that it is free. They do well keeping the place looking nice. It is close to a strip mall where you can park your car for free. There are all sorts of hidden inspirational quotes. There was a few homeless people there smoking.

Adam Griffee

Cool place to spend an afternoon

Quinn and Laura Crawford

Went during the early summer. Lovely Flowers and interesting sculptures. It's about 15/30 minute walk thru. Off the beaten path & worth the stop

Holly Ginet

It was very cool!

Scorpion Moon

This place is a real hidden gem, I never would have known about it without someone "in the know" to take me there. The sculptors are just stunning, it's a great blessing that it was made into a public park. Hard to believe it was the work of one man.

Robert Fletcher

If you want to check out a legitimately weird but fascinating little art park, Gilgal is a great choice. The sculptures are well crafted, if bizarre, interpretations of somewhat obscure scriptures and prophecies. I really like the dismembered pieces of a stone giant from Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and one of the most memorable pieces is a sphinx with the face of Joseph Smith. A real Salt Lake gem, for tourists and residents alike.

Jacob Child

Be sure to visit their website for the full run of facts and background behind each sculpture!

Lindsay Dawson

Well, it's worth a visit.

Seany G.

Google sculpture garden is an unquic place with some nice and sometimes interesting sculptures. Its in the heart of the south salt lake/salt lake area near trolley Square and if you didnt know it was there you could easily miss it. Once you get there you walk the whole thing in 5 minutes, longer if you stopped at everylittle thing and read every sign. It is nice the layout and everything but if just know it's fairly small

Chad Fisher

Nice garden with some benches but more unique than functional. Interesting place to visit if you have time to kill. Artist may appreciate it more than the average Joe.

Dean Gilmore

Very unique sculptures, but not many floral arrangements.

Justine Symons

We were traveling through and decided to take a stop here. It is smaller than I thought, but would be great for a picnic or a quick stop to walk through like we did. The GPS led us on the other side where there was no entrance and we had to drive around the block a couple times to spot the sign and find parking. It's definitely an interesting place to walk through, it's pretty and I got some nice pictures. I would recommend making this quick stop.

Aliah Brown

Not as many statues as I would have liked, what art they do have is VERY religious, still it was a fun place to go

Kelly Hanna

Would totally recommend stopping here. Absolutely beautiful and peaceful. If ever in salt lake city plan a stop I could of stayed there all day

Mateo Coletti

Always a super weird place to visit.

Kye Lippold

Very quirky and fascinating sculptures. Free admission.

Douglas Romero

Peaceful and beautiful park! I loved it! Dogs everywhere, running free with their human! Our dog didn't want to leave. We walked the whole entire place, got a workout out in! Parking sucks but it's not a dealbreaker.

Venis Weaver

Small and a good place to reflect. Well taken care of.

clarke opolis

A unique to Utah gem, worth a visit

Aculous Superior

Very cool thing to see.. and it's free!! I'd give it 5 stars, but having to walk around the homeless sleeping guy really creeped me out.

Bric Anderson

This is a Utah hidden gem! If you haven’t go and explored this park then you need to get on it! This place is full of art and sculptures. A ton of history about Utah and Mormons. It is very interesting to get a view of all this art and history that you might not be aware of. If you are just visiting Salt Lake City you should defiantly come check out this park. They have a lot of stuff in here that will help you get a feel for why Utah is the way it is. If you live here and you haven’t check this park out then get on it.

Luke Nicholls

A cool place to visit with some interesting sculptures. Consider it a detour rather than a main event.

Cambria Goodwin

Really interesting and pretty place to visit. The doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Daints are heavily referenced, but the guidebook makes it easy to understand. Would definitely recommend, as it is free and you can make it a quick trip or a more in-depth look.

Kathy McMullen

Beautiful sculptures!!! Nice Lil stop on our way back to our Airbnb for the nite!!!

attaya joseph

No sure what to say. It interesting place to visit but kinda weird.

Michael S

Nice quiet area with great statues and greenery , enjoyed the roses walking in and the art inside, the late hours open helped me as well , thank you!

thecrazycolt1

Very interesting place. Quite a part of history.

Aditya Chauhan

A hidden gem if you ask me.

Lawrence M Law

I searched for a surprise experience for my girlfriend and I to visit in the Salt Lake area. This was very eclectic and different to the point that we spent a couple hours just walking and visiting the gardens, sculptures in a very quiet, peaceful place in downtown area of Salt Lake. We were delighted with something different and cool. I suggest taking an hour or so to visit and see the strange and delightful sculptures that are now preserved by the Gilgal Preservation Society for all of us to enjoy. Thanks friends for your preservation efforts.

Ross Nagornyi

Weird or too artsy for me

Christina Shelby

Really, really interesting, free place to visit. Won't take you long; it's kind of small. We do wish there were descriptions or history or background or something; we had no idea what anything was depicting or what anything meant. Like the Sphinx--we wouldn't have known it had the face of Joseph Smith had we not read it beforehand. Overall, though, pretty cool spot to visit.

Sean Sturges

Such a great place with such rich artwork and history. Very tucked away, makes you feel as if you're walking into a secret.

Donner Schweitzer

Unique and strange. Perfect representation of how unusual salt lake is.

Suzanne Graun

Very quaint, wonderful back story, glad to have the port o potty

Maureen Flanagan

Calm place to visit

Josh Frost

This is an abstract place in the city and you'd think it could only be appreciated by true artists but I always see families walking through here, definitely a cool place to have a small picnic or to inspire young minds. It is suprisingly very tranquil for it's location in downtown. A great place to think or find inspiration.

Taft Harris

Very cool if you're looking for something to do in Salt Lake!

Katy Savage

Strange remains of salt lake history. Good landscaping, good place for a picnic, a stroll, or for Pokemon go. Nice little park in the city.

Matthew Larson

This is a very unique park to Salt Lake! The park features several paths and has a lot of history and symbols of the Bible and LDS church. It’s deep behind some houses and apartments so you feel so distant from all that city stuff.

Stephan Rahlmeyer

Only worth a visit when you are nearby.

Bryce Goose

Very cool detour, if only to experience weirdness.

Carlos Velasquez

Scriptures & stuff nothing really inspiring or worth my time sadly

Marissa

Very interesting and unique place to visit! Beautiful flowers and cool sculptures!

Cade Anderson

Not sure what others in the reviews mean by “stunning” or “beautiful.” It’s definitely an interesting place worth checking out (as long as you don’t mind feeling like you’re being inducted into a Mormon cult of dark magic). Come here if you want to see some bizarre objects, not if you want a cute date or cool picnic spot or “fun” per se experience.

Alex C

Slightly lame. Definitely underwhelming. Why does this place pop up for attractions in Salt Lake City? Is there really a scarcity of worthwhile places? This garden has a handful of sculptures, hardly interesting, slightly disappointing. No information regarding the makers of the sculptures. On the plus side, it is free.

Asher Wry

This place is freaky baby; a place I've never been until recently, after spending decades living in the valley. It's not well known and probably for good reason. It is very interesting in a weird way because from the casual observer, it doesn't make a lot of sense, but it is a shrine to Mormon scripture and culture to an extent. There are several statues, but the main ones are a very tall warrior with a normal rock for a head, the sphinx with what looks like Joseph Smith's head/face instead and Gilgal's statue as a centerpiece in the garden with brick pants. There are many types of rocks and carvings of rocks here. Some huge pieces of rose quartz, the biggest I've ever seen. 4 eagle statues along the side wall, intentionally broken statue of the giant from king Nebuchadnezzar's dream which was made of 4 metals, heads and other body parts in seemingly random places and scripture quotes literally everywhere, engraved in stones on the ground and elsewhere. It's very strange and eclectic visually and might have extra meaning for those with a lot of time and who are interested in reading them all. There is also a big covered work area in the back and envelopes in the front if you wish to make a tax-deductible contribution to the garden.

Edward Munoz

Small place but beatiful...every statue has a history and story to tell.

Michael Hughes

Weird and interesting. The creator must have been insane.

Jared Croft

A quaint little park that's great for walking around on a date.

Ian Sawatzki

I've always enjoyed this weird eclectic sculpture garden

Adam Olney

This was a weird place to viait but in a fun way. It only took about ten minutes to see all the sculptures but because it's free it was perfect. We have told all of our families about how fun and weird this place is.

Jeff Stoker

I’ve stopped by here a couple times. This is one of those little gems of a place. If you blink, you’ll drive right by! The sculptures are unique and abstract. There are many carved stones with scripture and bible verse. There are benches and places to sit. Your visit time may vary but you can take most of it in under an hour. Street parking is limited but there are typically only 2-4 others there at a time. I recommend taking it in while on a visit to Trolley Square since it’s very close, park at Trolley and walk over.

Mary Ferguson

Awesome place to visit. Nice and peaceful. Very well maintained and lots of beautiful flowers. Great work by an extraordinary artist. Free to the public.

Shailesh Shrivastava

Difficult to locate. Few drug addicts have made this resting place

Jordan Welch

You know I'm not going to give this place 5 stars because It isnt something to do back flips over but every Salt Lake resident needs to come visit atleast once. It will for sure make you go "whaaa?"

Kit kitty

Weird, religious, and a great place for homeless men

Mary LaCombe

It was nice to see what people used to do with their hands and minimal tools.

Shawn Arbon

My favorite sculpture garden ever! It doesn't matter it's the only one I've been to

Becky Buddenbohm

What a fun little place!! I can't wait to go back when everything is in bloom.

Leo Ohayon

What a terrifying disappointment. People kept telling me to visit this park. Looking up things to do in Salt Lake City also recommended this park. My wife and I finally decided to go check it out... It's just really creepy religious statues in a very tiny and very bland park. I'm never going here again. Complete waste of time.

Frank C.

Interesting an odd. A folk art sculpture garden made by a devout Mormon as an act of faith.

Capri Bailey

You are in for an ecclectic treat when you visit Gilgal. I've known about this place for over 40 years. It's definitely gone through some renovation since the first time I went. Being right in the middle of the city, it's an oddity in and of itself, the tranquility and quiet there. Plan to take some time to read through the offered plaques and structures ... You'll walk away thinking you've either been on a religious trek or returned from some crazy persons tribute.

SUE FISH

Interesting and free. Cute little garden.

McKenzie Hosenfeld

Such a random and peculiar place. It is a perfect place to spend 20 minutes on a warm day.

Mark Murtha

Beautiful, peaceful garden with many Mormon texts engraved in stone.

Mark Weinberg

Interesting sculptures, a bit weird.

Meg R

Free, so that's nice. Smaller than expected.

Khyati Mehta

Some sculptures are really unique. But it is small

TE L

This is a really cool out of the way place that is great to visit. Really interesting awesome art structures.

Kathryn Hansen

Nice stroll in the gardens. Interesting sculptures.

HKins76

Such an interesting and unique place right in the heart of down town. You would never know it's there unless you're told about it. It's small so its perfect for those that can't do a lot of walking but still want to get out and enjoy some culture and art.

Wendy Park

I have been here before, but it is now a little fenced in public park. It is stunning with its beautiful flower gardens with the sculptures and stone pathways. It is surprising how many people who have lived in SLC all their lives and have never even heard of this place. A cute little hidden gem right in downtown Salt Lake. It will take less than an hour, even if you take pictures and read all of the inscriptions.

Christian Lassen

Cool place! Lots to look at and think about. Very thought provoking art. Quiet and relaxing, went when all the flowers and trees were in springtime Bloom and it was really neat. Definitely worth checking out!

Patryk Glosowitz

While this is a small park and easy to look over, it's worth taking a stroll through on a nice day. With several larger than life sized pieces of art, this is a cool stop on your way across town. Several areas do tend to be smelly and ridden with fecal matter, but besides that it's well worth the visit!

Ezekiel Boarman

This along with others was a sight to see...definitely recommend taking some time to check it out.

Rizzo Johnson

It's really small and has a bunch of religious text written on everything. I was expecting it to be much bigger.

Melissa Stankovich

This park could have been cool to walk around, but it seems to be a place for the homeless now so we left.

Bruce Boyes

When I'm here it feels like I'm in an altered reality. This is a truly eclectic place. I can't really describe it. You have to see it for yourself.

Doug Archibald

It's just as quirky and interesting as I would've hoped! I felt like I was in a National Treasure movie for Mormons staring at these bizarre sculptures and trying to interpret the symbolism. Among the sculptures are a Joseph Smith Sphinx, a giant stone warrior, and a very ugly little man. There are also scriptures carved on stones everywhere. And there's a stone listing all of the places in scriptures where altars/memorials were built. It's a fusion experience: seeing 19th century semi-modern motifs collide 4000 year old imagery and stories. The park is also beautiful, and well-maintained. It is full of flowers, blossoming trees, birds, and bumblebees. Not much seating though.

Stephanie Riches

Gilgal is a good place to just chill and walk around. It has really cool art and scriptures carved into rocks. A little oasis in the middle of the city.

Maggie Momeyer

Such a cool and hidden gem around downtown Salt Lake City. The sculptures are amazing and park is very well cared for. Only issue is that two gentleman were sitting in the park drinking beer. I believe they were drunk based on movements. Just be careful.

Michelle Johnson

Very neat place! Loved finding this hidden gem and learning its history.

Philip McMullen

Pretty cool for a free place to wander around. The statues are weird but that's what makes it neat

Ryan Ellis

Cool salt lake oddity. Unfortunately it has become a homeless camp.

patdrick .x

This place is so cool. I love what they have done to make it a park. 40 years ago, as a kid, I used to sneak through grandma's back gate and curiously inspect he handi-work of this master crafstman. My sibs and cousins and I spent hours here. I love the connection with the past AND the eternities here.

Seth G

Such a fun and unique place to stop off you have a few minutes in Salt Lake. A little hard to find as it is between two residential homes but just look for the black fence with the opening between them.

Amanda Dutson

This is quite an eclectic collection of sculptures, but I found it fascinating and strangely weird at the same time. Definitely a must see!!

Jessica _

Beautiful and free, but I suggest don't go alone. A few shady characters like to hang out there.

Nicole Smith

Great weird interesting place.

Rebecca Novy

Awesome place - you need to see it! There are times it is closed, but when the gates are open you can just walk in like a regular park. No admission fee, but donations are accepted for the group that keeps it maintained. Unique sculptures.

Jon Sears

Funky and quirky place! Take the whole family if you want to be mildly confused!

Jaime-Colleen Richards

This weird and unique place is such a strangely perfect place to sit and ponder.

Leyland Wilson

I didn't at all enjoy this experience because I found the art quite strange

Trish DiCarlo

Weird and freaky place. A local recommended it and I say not worth the time it takes to visit. Good for you for creating these rock creations but WHY is this recommended as a cool place for tourists?!

S K

Awkward uninspiring sculptures in an otherwise pleasant wedge of a space. Gilgal is not Bruncusi. The park would been nice if not for all the over head verbiage engraved into the stones. Let people define their own place of quiet repose, should one wants to be indoctrinated there is a place on Sunday for that. Hard earned tax dollars at work here. With eyes closed it is rather pleasant place to meditate.

Andrew Fox

One of the most bizarre places I’ve ever been to in a good way!

Heather Oxborrow

Pretty little garden in the city! It is religiously based with many hymns scripted on rocks.

caleb Galloway

Some dead rich guys weird park but it makes for some aight photos

Critical Essentials

Small quirky sculpture garden in midtown Salt Lake City. A fun quick visit.

Jason Christensen

Eerie and interesting. Great place for a date.

Robert Booth

Enjoyed quite well, so did my kids and grandkids(they were asleep).

Angela Stubbs

Great little free distraction in the city. If you need to kill a little time while waiting this is a great place to visit. Lots of flowers and interesting sculptures and rocks. We visited while waiting for my father to be discharged from the hospital. It was a bright spot in a not so terrific day.

Shawn Tanner

Very unique and interesting. I have been several times. I enjoy seeing artists interpretation of things.

Jason Mitchell

One of SLC's gems for art and local flavor.

Veronique Vanhooren

Weird little garden

matt duven

Really cool place to not only play a little walking dead or ingress on my phone but awesome to just explore and see some really cool things and art. I gotta take my kids here at some points as well. Love the face that it's a dated off park and it's really well taken care of no trash and stuff either.