Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a 158-acre (64 ha) botanical garden, art museum, and outdoor sculpture park located in Grand Rapids Township, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1995, Meijer Gardens became a major cultural attraction in the Midwest, focusing on both horticulture and sculpture.
Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park includes a tropical conservatory, an 8-acre Japanese garden, and many modern and contemporary sculptures both inside and outside the park, along with outdoor gardens and nature trails.
It is a popular cultural site in Michigan, having attracted 750,000 visitors annually between 2015 and 2017. Meijer Gardens has added more sculptures from famous modern and contemporary artists and built new areas for indoor and outdoor gardens. In 2018, Meijer Gardens was listed as one of "Eleven of the World's Greatest Sculpture Parks" by Artsy. In 2023, 2024, and 2025, USA Today voted the park the #1 Sculpture Park in the United States as part of their 10Best Readers Choice Awards.
History
In the early 1980s, the West Michigan Horticultural Society, a non-profit group in Grand Rapids, Michigan, looked for a nearby place to build a botanical garden and conservatory.
As early as 1986, a member of the Horticultural Society asked Frederik Meijer, the founder of Meijer grocery stores, to donate a piece of land. The land, which had a stream and wetland areas, was originally planned by Meijer for a new superstore. However, a different location was chosen for the store, allowing the land to be used for the public garden.
In January 1991, Meijer, Inc. donated 70.7 acres (28.6 hectares) of land in Grand Rapids Township, Michigan, to create the new public garden. A $13 million fundraising effort to develop the land into a park was led by Earl Holton, with additional help from Meijer vendors. By 1993, Frederik Meijer and Peter Wege, a Grand Rapids environmental supporter from Steelcase, visited the early park, then called the Michigan Botanic Garden, and planned the nature trail.
Frederik and Lena Meijer of Meijer Inc. supported the project by donating land, providing funding, and sharing their sculpture collection with the park. The museum was renamed the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in their honor in 2002. The Gardens became a place to display Fred Meijer’s collection of large sculptures by Marshall Fredericks and to celebrate Lena Meijer’s love of plants and flowers. Three areas of the park reflect Lena Meijer’s interests: a tropical conservatory and a children’s garden (each named after her), and a replica of the family farm where she grew up in Amble, Michigan. Meijer Gardens opened to the public on April 20, 1995. The mission of Meijer Gardens is to support horticulture and sculpture to help people appreciate the natural environment and fine art.
In 2017, the organization started major renovations and added new spaces. The expansion was designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. The project included a new Welcome Center and more exhibition spaces for larger and more varied art displays.
In 2025, Meijer Gardens welcomed its 16 millionth visitor.
Horticulture
The Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory is a five-story building that is 15,000 square feet in size. It helps protect and display tropical plants from around the world. The conservatory includes a variety of plants, such as coconut palms from the Pacific, fig trees from India, orchids from Central and South America, and bamboo and banana trees from Asia. Other areas inside include a garden with plants that catch insects, a space for desert plants like cacti, and a section with a Victorian-style design.
The Lena Meijer Children's Garden, opened in June 2004, was named after Lena Meijer. This garden is part of the larger park and includes many sculptures. It has special areas for children, such as a log cabin, a maze, and a rock quarry where children can dig for fossils.
The Gwen Frostic Woodland Shade Garden, opened in June 1998, honors Gwen Frostic, a Michigan artist known for her artwork showing local plants and animals. The garden includes woodland plants like ferns, hostas, bleeding hearts, rhododendrons, and azaleas.
The Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden, opened on June 10, 2015, covers 8 acres and includes both plants and sculptures. Designed by Hoichi Kurisu, the garden has elements like zen-style gardens, bonsai displays, bridges, waterfalls, and a tea house. It also features sculptures by international artists, including a 10-foot granite sculpture by Anish Kapoor.
The Wege Nature Trail, named after Peter M. Wege, is a paved path through a forested area. It shows different types of natural environments in West Michigan and has spots for bird watching near prairies and wetlands. The trail connects to the Frey Boardwalk.
The Peter M. Wege Library, named after Peter Wege, holds books and magazines about plants and sculptures.
Outdoor gardens include a New American Garden designed by James van Sweden, known for his colorful garden designs, and an English Perennial & Bulb Garden created by Penelope Hobhouse, an award-winning designer. The English Perennial Garden was later redesigned by Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio.
In 2003, two new areas were added to the gardens. The Michigan Farm Garden has heirloom vegetables, fruit trees, and sculptures of animals. It includes a 100-year-old barn and a replica farmhouse from Lena (Rader) Meijer's childhood. The Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater is an outdoor venue with a covered stage and seating for 1,900 people. Musicians who have performed there include Harry Connick Jr., B.B. King, Sheryl Crow, the Steve Miller Band, and Wynton Marsalis.
Sculpture
Meijer Gardens has a 30-acre (12 ha) outdoor sculpture park that opened on May 16, 2002.
The museum has shown works by famous artists such as Jonathan Borofsky, Alexander Calder, Tony Smith, Anthony Caro, Antony Gormley, Mark di Suvero, Anish Kapoor, Jenny Holzer, Richard Hunt, Joan Miró, David Nash, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Keith Haring, Laura Ford, and Kenneth Snelson.
Fred and Lena Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park mainly collects sculptures. It also has drawings made by artists who consider themselves sculptors. As of May 2015, the permanent collection included more than 300 artworks. These works include pieces by well-known British and American sculptors such as Claes Oldenburg, Louise Bourgeois, Richard Serra, Barbara Hepworth, and Henry Moore, as well as major works by international artists Coosje van Bruggen, Ai Weiwei, Beverly Pepper, and Jaume Plensa.
In 2009, Fred and Lena Meijer bought another large sculpture by glass artist Dale Chihuly to add to the collection.
In 2016, the museum acquired the archives of sculptor Beverly Pepper, which include over 900 works on paper. After the museum acquired Iron Tree by Ai Weiwei, a major exhibition of his work was held at the Gardens in 2017.
The collection includes many large outdoor sculptures, as well as indoor sculptures in the conservatory, specialty gardens, and gallery. One highlight for visitors is The American Horse, sculpted by Nina Akamu as a tribute to the original commission given to Leonardo da Vinci by the Duke of Milan. The collection also includes works by Auguste Rodin and Degas in the Victorian Conservatory.
The Sculpture Program at the Gardens includes temporary exhibitions. These exhibitions have featured works by Andy Goldsworthy, Tom Otterness, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Yinka Shonibare, Jim Dine, and George Rickey.
Seasonal events
Meijer Gardens hosts two large seasonal events that began in 1995 when the gardens opened: The Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming and Christmas and Holiday Traditions.
The Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming takes place each year in the Lena Meijer Conservatory from March 1 to April 30. It is one of the largest butterfly exhibits in the country, featuring thousands of tropical butterflies from countries in Central America, South America, and Asia. The event is very popular with visitors of all ages.
Christmas and Holiday Traditions occurs from November through the first week of January. This annual event showcases holiday items and symbols from more than 40 countries and cultures.
Gallery
- Dry Room Cacti, 2006
- Michigan Farm Garden
- Meijer Gardens, 2014
- Gwen Frostic Woodland Shade Garden
- Boardwalk and Wetlands
- Children's Garden
- Children's Garden
Management
David Hooker was the President and Chief Executive Officer at Meijer Gardens from 2006 to 2022. Charles Burke was chosen to replace Hooker as the President and Chief Executive Officer, beginning in 2023.
In 2022, Meijer Gardens announced the hiring of Suzanne Ramljak as Chief Curator.
Architecture
The Lena Meijer Conservatory was created by Cox, Medendorp and Olson, and uses galvanized steel for its frame construction.
In May 2019, the New York-based architects Tod Williams Billie Tsien were chosen to redesign and expand the facilities at Meijer Gardens, with help from local partners Progressive AE and Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. The updated 69,000 square foot welcome center, designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, features a large relief sculpture by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa. The sculpture is made from four white marble slabs, each 19 feet tall.