Reviews of Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden (Museum)

Mike

Probably the best attraction in NOLA in my opinion and it's free! They have a tour at 12PM where you can enjoy very interesting selections of sculpture throughout the beautiful garden where you can walk for good couple of hours. I was impressed by not only the sculptures, but the design of the garden as well. This is a Must go place you can't miss while you're in NOLA. It's the first time I strongly felt I would be glad to pay if they were to charge me. Don't miss it!

Dawn Mitchell

Very pretty gsrden/park with interesting statues.

Roberto Chiong

Very interesting, sometimes whimsical, strong, or brain picking sculptures in a peaceful garden.

Stephen Cassidy

One of the premier sculpture gardens in America. Garden is really a misnomer as it is an extensive, beautifully designed 5 acre park of magnolias and oak trees with lakes, bridges, flower beds and amazing sculptures by artists worldwide. Entering the park you are greeted by bronze Henry Moore sculpture. But there are also stunning works by contemporary artists. The added plus of visiting is that next door is the outstanding New Orleans Museum of Art.

Coco George

Very soothing and calm. Took the family out to the sculpture garden Very nice beautiful art.

jusmrw

Beautiful. Free

Zachary Richheimer

Beautiful park and the sculptures are unique and engaging.

Daniel Roca

Amazing blend of art and nature

Sally Brashears

Amazing. All the great artists are there!

Frank Hager

Outdoors, great, free, Street parking Modern art

Jennifer Nolen

Lovely spot to visit and it's free! The whole family enjoyed this park.

Krystle Housley

Beautiful sculpture and peaceful surroundings. I'd love some interactive stature though - everything was no touch allowed

Daisy Ann Mendoza

Lovely place with different forms of art. Would recommend for a stroll and definitely would revisit.

Ricky Moorehead

Very cool sculpture garden. Would recommend to any one visiting NOLA. Jump on the green 48 street car on canal to the last stop which is city park.

R. Gabrielli De Souza

Beautiful layout and design.. friendly environment with lovely sculptures

Eleni O'Neill

This sculpture garden was fabulous. So many different types of sculptures, so well maintained. Free admission, but bring some cold water. Great photo ops.

Sister Robinson

This was a very nice sculpture garden. Beautiful

Dennis Economos

This place is better than some art Museums and the best part it's 100% Free! The trees covered in Spanish moss add to the ambiance and wonder of the place. Afterwards you can walk right over to a little cafe in the park "Morning Call". They have affordable local favorites and great coffee.

Lynda Long

Cool place. Watch out for fire ants though. They are vicious.

Erika Stuart

Some beautiful sculptures and some quite bizarre. Would definitely recommend. Only down fall was a section under renovation.

sindhuri thota

Very unique collections made in different metals and It’s free to visit.

Nic S

Great park and fun bike riding location.

Judy J

Lovely, peaceful space. Very well maintained. The art is intreguing and diverse.

Robert Gomez

Wonderful added feature to the museum. A must see when in NOLA.

MichiganMeds Medical Cannabis

Beautiful amazing and one of a kind arts

Tone Hernandez

Awesome, inspiring, beautiful art work.

Ashleigh Sosa

FREE!!! You can even rent kayacks and paddle boats right down the road and take them through the sculpture garden and everyone there will wave at you as if you are part of the attraction! Great place to go and get some great pictures! Really cool sculptures everyone will love and appriciate.

Ann Marie Potter

Great place to take a walk and enjoy nature and art at the same time.

Shirell B.

This was a very pleasant walk through a park that not only has sculptures every 50 ft, but also has a lovely little lake. There are a variety of sculptures throughout the park that should satisfy everyone's taste in art. I'm a fan of art so my opinion may be a bit biased. I do think it's a nice experience if you have some extra time to spend while you are in New Orleans.

Melissa Correia

Beautiful park a great change from the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter

Cliff Gunderson

Great place to spend some time enjoying a walk with the sculptures.

Larry Lar

Almost forgot that I went there I was expecting just restaurants LOL so I had to think about it for a moment but yes I went there on a city tour of New Orleans and I must say at this stop it was pretty fascinating the sculptures that they had in that Arboretum at the city park. I took plenty of pictures and walked around and was really interested in what I was seeing. But I did not get to finish the tour it was a lot larger than I expected and we only had a 25-minute stop on a tour which was to go to bathroom and eat and browse around so at the sculptures I probably only spent about 15 minutes looking around.

Roberto David Rodriguez Jerez

Loved this park. Sculptures are beautiful and is so peaceful!

Cheri Blanchard

Such a pleasant surprise! We stumbled upon the sculpture garden after touring City Park's Storyland (with a 1 & 4 yr old), Botanical Gardens & historic oaks. There are sculptures by Rodin (The Thinker) & Renoir.

Liesl Groesbeck

The sculptures here are amazing, even including a Rodin. Also, it is free.

Kishin Wadhwani

Serenely wonderful. Nice stroll in green surroundings to admire art. And for free

Francois Loupart

Nice collection in a great setting. From classic to kinetic art in this nice little park.

Chretien P. Schatorie

Beautiful garden and sculptures from well known artist.

Elliot Ramirez

Excellent place.

Carlos Ferreyra

Beautiful scenery! Calming park!

mysticboy23

Nice sculpture with a full art museum within feet of the sculpture garden

Shena Canty

I so recommended this to set lovers and non art lovers. Amazing is an understatement for these sculptures.

Rowan Austin

Best sculpture garden I have been to. There's a lot (30+) and they are all of very high quality. Great place to stroll about and it's free.

Richard Mekjian

Beautiful unique pieces, could have spent a full day at the park.

Duessa Holscher

Wonderful, extensive collection of sculpture in a lovely garden setting. Even on a hot August day this is a tolerable stroll with shady spots. Definitely worth a visit, it took nearly an hour to wander around the whole park. Its free! Thank you NOLA!

Steve Replogle

This is one of the most fantastic and remarkable sites to visit in New Orleans, a city full of fantastic and remarkable places. Words cannot do it justice, and even the most beautiful photographs must surely fall short. Sculpture, like live performance, must be experienced. You must simply visit it - the sculpture garden is butterfly-shaped property within City Park. You will be impressed, awed, puzzled, entertained, and enlightened. And you'll want to visit again.

Daniel Greer

Very interesting beautiful sculptures very pretty settings, plus it's free

Amir Reich

Very beautiful park with special sculptures

Heston

Beautiful art. It was blazing hot when we went, but the artwork was very creative and thought provoking. I would definitely go here if you like art and want to see an interesting side of New Orleans.

Cassandra Waring

The garden is open to the public and free to enter and enjoy the sculptures, some are really jarring and thought provoking others absolutely beautiful, the park is so beautiful and a pleasure to walk through. Pets aren't allowed inside the sculpture garden. Parking is easy and after you're done with looking at the sculptures you can visit the museum of art or get a coffee at the Morning Call coffee shop opposite the garden in the park (open 24/7).

Tim Hickory

Wonderful free sculpture garden beautifully landscaped

Pavel Hardak

Very nice expo with 60+ sculptures in the open environment. I liked some items more than others, but generally it was totally worth the visit.

Nathan Free

Worth a visit. Try to go when it's not too hot as the tree coverage is only ~40%

Annette Richner

Loved it. Came back for a 2nd day,,!!!

Rahul Suryadevara

mus watch if you are planning to go to City park. I think City Park is much more interesting than lot of hyped up places in NOLA.

Cynthia Cohen

I've been here many times before, always enjoyed the museum and the garden. Unfortunately, this time not only are sections closed off due to renovations, but the museum itself is closed because of a burst pipe! I will try to get back before my flight on Saturday.

Theresa Dowden

Really has grown over the years. Lovely date spot and great for kids, too!

james fagan

This is a great place to reflect, meditate, and take in some amazing sculpture art. Right next to the NOMA building, free of charge, but leave a small donation to help out.

Megan Steele

Fun place to walk around for free. I loved the variety of installations. An afternoon well spent.

JoAnne Worthington

So moving

Shahidah Payton

Must see. I am a NOLA local and every now and then I take a stroll through the sculpture garden and o am never disappointed

TIEACIE PENN

Ok.

Jean Chagas Vaz

Nice to walk around and appreciate the sculptures...

Assaf Levy

Very lovely statue garden Outside, free!, relaxing and next to morning call and city park and the art museum. I am not an art expert but I enjoyed the works in the open air.. some of the are very neat some very pretty.. If you are a tourists for the first time in New Orleans.. I would say you can skip this Only if you want to get away from all the shops fuss and commotion.

J. Dean

One of my favorite places in the city to relax and reflect. The whole family like to walk around and look at the sculptures.

Sandeep Josan

This is a great place to spend some time out on a nice day. The garden is beautiful with free entry and has a lot of artisic display. Even if you are not a huge fan of art, this is just a nice place to walk around and take some pictures. Some of the art work is really interesting with some cute stuff in between. The water pond could have been cleaner but maybe the are undergoing renovations. The overall cleanliness could also be improved in certain sections of the park. Overall it's a good place to visit for free during a visit to NOLA.

J Wall

Beautiful setting with large variety of sculpture. Worth taking your time to stroll through the grounds.

Marybeth Schooley

Free admission to an amazing sculpture garden

Mark LoGiurato

A beautiful sculpture garden!

Jim T

It is a broad base of artwork, but get too close to some pieces and art Nazis come out.

Tyler Anneliese Moselle

Oh baby, I could lose years of my life getting lost in this place. If only it came bigger! Grab a bench or a bridge or a scenic patch of grass and truly imbibe on killer installations of art. Can't believe this is free, so leave a donation so it doesn't go anywhere!

Doug Piper

Truly beautiful with unusual statues. The grounds are really pretty! Go there for the grounds, even if you don't care for the statues.

Patrick Murphy

Amazing, fun and free. Don't miss Karma just past the bridge.

Kerem Tutuncu

What a collection! The garden is gorgeous and the curators did a wonderful job merging the artistic beauty with the natural

Ëmėřgêńčÿ Ęxït Đœ Ñöt Błøćk

Very nice place. Usually goes along with a trip to NOMA, but the free admission makes a difference there. As of when I wrote this, they are undergoing renovations as to add new sculptures, but overall great place.

Erik Engquist

I took my wife here during a two-night trip to New Orleans. We walked an hour from our downtown hotel to get here and she was getting pretty grumpy about that but when we got to the sculpture garden she was immediately in a good mood. Thank you, sculpture garden! This is a free, outdoor museum with lots of excellent sculptures, spaced nicely in an idyllic and peaceful setting. Lots of different styles of sculpture by a diverse group of international artists. Most impressive was a piece by a Korean sculptor, which I won't spoil for you. Just go and check it out. There's an art museum next door, by the way. (New Orleans Museum of Art, which happened to be closed because it was Monday.) The sculpture garden is open 7 days, 10-5. There are rest rooms for men and women at the right side of the entrance.

Cade Roux

A treasure in New Orleans. An unparalleled collection of art in a wonderful setting and completely free.

Chadwick X

Beautiful masterpieces of outdoor sculptures that you must go to if you're in City Park

Alivia

Really great free attraction to check out in city park. The grounds are well maintained and all the artwork is beautiful.

Zakeer M.S

Great Sculptures in a Great Park If you have a couple hours to kill in NOLA and enjoy sculpture, this is your place. It is free to enter, and the well-maintained garden houses a wide variety of sculptures to appeal to art fans of all kinds. The art is very accessible and easy to photograph.

just sayin

Some cool sculptures

Anna Wallace

Beautiful little find in the City Park.

N Hexum

What a gem! This free sculpture garden tops them all.

richard dumas

Great way to relax and spend an afternoon

Carol Hutchison

What a fantastic place! It is so peaceful and wonderful, and it is FREE!!!! One of the best places to spend an afternoon in New Orleans. Beautiful art, lush greenery, and old oak trees. This is a must stop when you visit NOLA. Lots of locals are always visiting.

Atman Dave

This garden is fantastic. We toured the garden soon after it was fully opened and I can definitely say I was impressed. The cleanliness of the grounds, the technical skills that went into the sculptures, and the expanse of the grounds are all too notch. This is something worth taking people to from out of town. It it better than many other more well known sculpture gardens in other states, and I hope it gets more recognition.

Eliot kamenitz

Glorious way to spend time for walk in the park. My only criticism is that even though the benches are plentiful too many of them are in the sunshine and not enough in the shade because it can't get toasty out there in the summer

Curley Birdsong

The sculptures, as well as the environment, were great!

Edwina Chenplus

lovely grounds Spanish Moss canonical collection bourgeoisie under conservation

Lisa Jane Thyberg

This is a must see in New Orleans if you are lucky enough to visit!

Brennan Ortiz

Easily one of the best examples of public art in an open space that I have ever seen! The sculpture garden is a large and beautifully landscaped public green space, replete with inspiring and thought-provoking sculptures by a diverse number of artists. The sculpture garden is not just an amazing public installation of art, but a great place to relax and enjoy the views offered in the garden as well. This is a must visit when in City Park.

Emily Duffy

I love this sculpture garden! It's free when there isn't an event going on. Gorgeous place to spend some time.

Mandee Floyd

So pretty but half the trail is closed off at the moment.

Michelle Losic

My favorite place when I need to disconnect for a minute. So tranquil

Darren Melonson

Definely with a visit.

Carollee Washington

Beautiful sculptures. This was a wonderful place to relax and stroll with the family, even in the heat.

Tony Garcia

This has got to be one of the most unorthodox and most beautiful sculpture gardens I've ever been to! The art is out of this world and the wonderful garden that surrounds each piece has been so methodically blended in with the art. You can't tell if the art has been blended in to the garden or if the garden has been manipulated to support the art! You have everything from classical sculpting to out of this world, eerie like wonders, that will have your mind racing! Definitely, the kind of art that will make you stop and ponder! This is the kind of Sculpture garden that even if your not an aficionado, it will capture your interest! The Sydney and Walda Best of Sculpture Garden is just one of the many things to do within the MASSIVE Nola City Park! Drop on by, you'll be happy you did!

Eric Garza

Best sculpture garden I've ever been to.

Garrett Yu

Amazing atmosphere and amazing art. Definitely a must if in New Orleans. Lots of cool pieces of art of all kind. Great for the family. You can also rent canoes and paddleboats and go on the water through the gardens.

Apryl Hall

If you love art or just want to stroll beautiful grounds, go here. This is an amazing and FREE thing to do in New Orleans. I had so much fun and saw great pieces

thom williams

Beautiful, inspiring place to visit. Something for everyone... From classic to modern to contemporary... It's all here

Patricia O'Hara Ricke

Lovely sculpture garden . . . and it's free!

Chris Bing

Great sculpture gardens. Most of the great names of modern sculpture are represented. And all laid out in beautiful gardens. And it's free to visit.

Douglas Rebstock

Amazing little place. Sculptures were great and the natural beauty of the area was breathtaking. Spent a few afternoons here on my trip.

Rajivsakrikar Sakrikar

A beautiful park and some outstanding sculpture work in exquisite settings even the stainless steel benches are well designed an overall great experience

Jennifer Orozco

Stunning sculpture garden nestled in City Park. Populated with 60 sculptures and home to awe inspiring giant oaks.

Joseph Taylor

Pretty good place to walk around and look at some art.

Daniel Velkov

World class art and it's absolutely free

Joseph Kautz

Awesome place to walk around and enjoy the sites with friends, family, or that special someone. Very cool sculptures and definitely a place I would return too!

Angela Odom

Fyi, no dogs allowed! Expansion in the works as of 2018. Walkable distance to NOMA, gardens, Morning Call, Amusement park, mini golf, great lawn...

Alan Blair

Fun stroll through City Park with unique sculptures

Spencer Adams-Rand

Beautiful setting with nice sculptures and lots of places to sit

Matt Puerkel

Nice walk to see some of the different pieces.

Ronda Jones

This is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been!!!

Lauren Naomi

I really liked visiting this park. There are several paths that take you through the beautifully maintained grounds and winds around the wonderful menagerie of statues. There are statues from many different artists, countries, and times, and it's really awesome to see. We did this as a precursor to the NOMA, when it was still a little cooler in the morning. There is plenty of shade and benches in case you want to take a break or ponder a statue.

Hannah S

I was very disappointed in the art in the sculpture garden, this is supposed to be a garden in a public park and instead of having empowering art for the people it's obviously bowing down to the overbearing patriarchal white privilege that already litters the city's public spaces. Phallic this and that around every corner. Women statues that either look totally misshapen or modeling for her master. The only statues that look African are of a man with a hi top hanging up side down, yes hanging... literally swaying in the breeze... Mortified and ashamed but unfortunately not surprised by the overwhelming amount of Public space provided to white men masterbating aftrr their own image. Barf.

Lilly Milliman

There were beautiful sculptures here, and the garden was very well kept and clean

Victoria P.

Even if you're not into modern art, you should check out the sculpture garden, adjacent to NOMA. It's a relaxing environment with tall trees and waterways. It's not a huge garden, so you can tour the entire area in about an hour. Otherwise, it's a nice place to pass through on your way to the Botanical Garden nearby. Entrance is free, and donations are accepted. The kiosk also sells bottled water.

Suzanne Bienvenu

Very nice family place. The sculptures are neat and the trees and landscaping is beautiful.

Arthur Matthews

I really enjoyed walking around and seeing a lot of artists whose work I've seen in other exhibits around the world. This one felt like a little piece of home was right in NOLA.

Alexander Delp

Great place to relax. My heart feels for the gigantic paperclip attached to no paper. How lonely?

Pyra-Danny V

It’s exactly as it says in the title—A GARDEN (LESS FLOWERY AND BUSH but those are present) filled with sculptures. This place is MUCH BIGGER THAN ANTICIPATED with more off-shoot paths than I thought. Several small bodies of water help provide variance in background as you enjoy all these art works among nature. And best of all IT’S FREE! Be sure to bring a camera because a few of these pieces beg for interaction.

Three Little Birds Art

Lovely garden with a mix of contemporary and progressive sculptures. Very peaceful for a stroll and appreciate. As someone who is disabled, it was wonderful to find they have benches to rest. I would have liked to have been able to get close to the sculptures. For preservation you're limited to the paths and asked not to step on the grass. I'm glad they're dedicated to the preservation, but I think it's very unfortunate for anyone who is visually impaired.

Sean Craft

Incredible sculpture garden. Perhaps the best I have ever seen in my entire life. Great job!

Soumya Shree H V

Beautiful display of art in a very beautiful landscape. Wonder why no one ever spoke of this other than the Bourbon Street. This is absolutely free and 7-8 miles away from the French quarter, if you want to escape the regular tourist crowd.

Eric Sanny P

Wonderful sculpture garden

Natalie On

Quiet garden space

Guillermo Alves

Absolutely recommended. Great Sculptures with variety of styles (modern, contemporary, etc) in a beautiful natural setting.

Jason

Awesome place to get your head right.

Tst Mkr

Probably the best sculpture garden in the world. It is free and you can walk right in, just make sure to mindful and considerate of the rules (such as no pets). You can walk up to all the beautiful artwork or even rent a paddle boat from City Park and float right into the sculpture garden. The design is seamless between nature and manmade artistic endeavors.

J Chil

Amazing. Something for all ages & orientations

Nazary Nebeluk

An absolute delight to visit - it's almost shocking that it's free. The space is so well tended and taken care of - you could just go here by yourself when you need a quiet moment. There's a great range of works and while not every one will speak to you everyone will find a work that intrigues them and makes them stop and think. This is an undervalued gem of New Orleans.

Myana Burns

Beautiful sculptures

Danielle Jubanyik

great place! free, very clean, lots to see

Christhian Delgado

Peaceful and beautiful garden with interesting sculptures.

Barry Olson

Must see in nola

Omar Aniff

This is a little hidden gem that's off the beaten path from the normal New Orleans experience. This park, but especially the sculpture garden is beautiful and tranquil. It's a great park with a lot of sculptural art pieces surrounding a quiet little river. On the little rive you can take gondola rides or peddle boats to see the sculptures from a different vantage point. A must visit.

Chuan Q.

Nice place!

Michael G

Exceeded expectations. Worth taking Street car there. Free.

Bon Pierce

Easy walking tour of a terrific sculpture garden. Very impressive collection. Not to be missed in my opinion. Easy for wheelchairs too.

Robin Hero

Great way to experience modern sculpture.

Willie Solomon Moore

The Garden of Art Sculptures are very beautiful and interesting......

Kristal J

Amazing!

Carla Velte

This place was definitely worth the walk around.

Jibran Imtiaz

Great place to take a stroll and enjoy some art, especially given its free entry

Jessi Jacobs

Beautiful and peaceful sculpture garden.

Michael Robinson

This is the best free activity I have found in all of New Orleans. Exhibits range from the serious artistry to whimsical and peculiar. Well worth going out of your way.

Drew Thompson

The best contemporary sculpture garden I have ever seen. And I am typically bored by sculpture!

Edward Gambrell

In City Park by the art museum,such a serene and relaxing place, not to mention the art and enlightenment

Lisa Cantrell

We visited this garden 2 years ago while visiting New Orleans and it was one of the only things on my must do list this time. It's 5 acres of modern and contemporary sculpture most of which was donated by the Besthoffs and is wonderful. Whether you like the art-it is diverse even if all in the modern category-or not, the park itself is lovely and centered around a small body of water with bridges and pathways. Morning Call cafe is just outside the park so have a coffee and beignets either before or after.

Ashley Drewes

Beautiful and FREE! It's a nice walk in a circle basically under the trees looking at the sculptures. It's next to the museum of art and think it's worth checking out if you're in the area.

Kevin Rey

Such a beautiful, mesmerizing, surreal park.

James Gillespie

Awesome art!

Buzz Bray

What a beautiful place. May be the most beautiful outdoor sculpture garden I've ever seen. And it's free to the public.

Kelly Anna Pitts

Bring an umbrella! We got drenched in a pop up downpour! Still, the sculpture garden is GORGEOUS, filled with beautifully curated pieces from a range of periods and styles! These pieces are thoughtfully placed and look magnificent against the natural backdrop. Best of all, the grounds are free to the public! Don't miss this spot on your next trip to NOLA.

Judy Eastman

Beautifully maintained and interesting way to spend time in New Orleans. Very intriguing sculptures.

Syed Ashrafulla

Go. Just go. Look at the pictures. Go.

Stephy Simoneaux

A walk amid the sculptured works of art, is refreshing fun for the eyes.