Washington State is dotted with outdoor art, from public murals to sculpture parks that showcase thought-provoking artworks surrounded by forests, meadows, and water views. While many Washington sculpture parks are open year-round, spring through fall is a great time to get outdoors and explore these diverse open-air art installations, many with free admission.
Outdoor Sculpture Parks in Washington
Earth Sanctuary Sculpture Garden & Price Sculpture Forest, Whidbey Island
Earth Sanctuary Sculpture Garden covers a 72-acre forest and is home to 11 spaces designed by author and environmentalist Chuck Pettis. “I visited ancient sacred spaces all over the world to figure out the power behind them,” he said. “At Earth Sanctuary, I created a sacred ecology, a place where nature is a top priority, combined with uplifting sacred, spiritual and inspiring experiences that are magical and peaceful.” Keep an eye out for the labyrinth made of Salal hedge or the Buddhist Stupa monument located high on a hillside. A two-mile nature trail takes visitors past three ponds and through each of these peaceful spaces.
The 17-acre Price Sculpture Forest opened in 2020 as an outdoor interactive museum. Here, visitors are encouraged to wander trails surrounded by century-old trees and rhododendrons while exploring outdoor art sculptures. Easily accessible by vehicle, on foot or by bike, the park offers a free, self-guided tour where the sculptors of each sculpture explain the meaning behind their work. Instructions on accessing the self-guided tour are available at the entry kiosk.
San Juan Islands Sculpture Park, San Juan Island
The San Juan Islands Sculpture Park spans 20 acres and features more than 150 sculptures by emerging and world-renowned sculptors. Traversed by five distinct trails, visitors can wander around a pond, through a forest, and out toward Westcott Bay. Don’t miss Large Marge, a bronze sculpture of a 20-foot mama grizzly bear with two cubs by Lorenzo Ghiglieri. Kids and adults alike can also enjoy interactive exhibits. Make your own sculptures from driftwood in the sand area or embark on a scavenger hunt for bird sculptures. Tents with tables and chairs make an ideal spot for a family picnic before or after exploring nearby Roche Harbor. The park is dog-friendly.
Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle
Created in 2007 by the Seattle Art Museum, the dog-friendly Olympic Sculpture Park reflects the Pacific Northwest’s valleys, forest groves, meadows and shoreline. Visitors follow pathways to explore the 22 sculptures, which are set against stunning views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. Notable artworks include The Eagle by Alexander Calder and Wake by Richard Serra. Free tours are offered regularly, and the park has many summer programs, including Summer at SAM in July and August and Family Saturdays.
Matzke Fine Art Gallery & Sculpture Park, Camano Island
Covering 10 acres on Camano Island, the Matzke Outdoor Sculpture Park boasts 140 works on display. Established in 2008 by Karla Matzke, it’s part of the Matzke Fine Art Gallery, with sculptures for sale and constantly evolving. Trails guide visitors through cedar groves, and artworks are placed where they best fit the landscape. Look out for Dan Freeman’s welded steel piece, Portal. He’s one of many Pacific Northwest artists whose work is on display. The gallery and sculpture park are open Fridays through Sundays and weekdays by appointment.
Big Rock Garden Park, Sculpture Woods & WWU Collection, Bellingham
Nestled in a grove of evergreens above shimmering Lake Whatcom, Big Rock Garden Park is a hidden gem in this vibrant college town. The 2.5-acre garden features nearly 40 permanent works of outdoor art surrounded by maple trees, rhododendrons, and azaleas. Interspersed between meandering paths, you’ll find pieces by both local and international artists, including a striking geometrical sculpture by Mexican artist Sebastian.
Head to Western Washington University (WWU) to explore the college’s extensive Sculpture Collection, which has twice been named among the 10 most important campus collections in the country. The 31 pieces of outdoor art are peppered throughout the campus and easily viewed on a self-guided tour. Don’t miss Mark Di Suvero’s For Handel, a soaring, red sculpture that speaks of the relationship between art and architecture. Visit during spring to enjoy blooming cherry trees before exploring the shops and restaurants of downtown.
A short ferry ride to Lummi Island will take you to Sculpture Woods, perched on a windswept bluff overlooking Rosario Strait. Here, sculptor Ann Morris has arranged a series of 16 arresting bronze sculptures among the hemlock and Douglas firs. The haunting pieces of outdoor art are set on mossy embankments an stretches of grass. Morris donated her 15-acre outdoor art gallery and studio to WWU in 2018 to inspire creativity in those who visit.
Monarch Sculpture Park, Tenino
Just a few miles south of Olympia, the Monarch Sculpture Park is filled with colorful art in a lush wetland and can only be reached on foot or by bike, with access points located along the nearby Chehalis Western Trail. Many of the park’s 150 sculptures are interactive or musical, including a family activity area with games and a sound garden. It’s a great destination for picnics and a perfect stop along the bike trail. Look out for Pick Up Sticks, a sculpture by Myrna Orsini, who founded the park in 1994. On Sundays from June through August, enjoy free pop-up art in the Butterfly Maze.
Webster’s Woods Art Park, Port Angeles
On the grounds of the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, the peaceful five-acre Webster’s Woods Art Park contains some 50 pieces of outdoor art spread throughout wooded trails. As you wander the pet-friendly paths through towering trees, don’t forget to look up. Many sculptures are displayed creatively—suspended from branches, inserted into the ground, or tucked into nooks and crannies—throughout the park. Be sure to check out Upcycled Tree Trunk by Anthony May, a sculpture that honors Native American ancestors and their spiritual connection to the land. The park includes a meadow where seasonal events are held and an accessible, graded gravel loop. The Port Angeles Fine Arts Center’s Art Outside program adds new pieces to the collection each year.
Riverfront Park
Developed in 1974 for the World’s Fair, Spokane’s Riverfront Park is an oasis in the city. The centerpiece of the park is the winding Spokane River, which cascades over basalt rock to create Spokane Falls, the largest urban waterfall in the country. You’ll find 21 pieces of outdoor art in this Washington sculpture park, including Shamil by Anatoli Abgudaev. This hammered copper sculpture was a gift to Spokane from Makhachkala, Russia (a former sister city), and depicts a folk hero and general. Another noteworthy piece is the Michael P. Anderson Memorial, which remembers the Spokane resident who perished in the Columbia Space Shuttle tragedy of 2003.
William and Catherine Dickson Sculpture Park, Columbia River Gorge
Nestled in the scenic Columbia River Gorge, The William and Catherine Dickson Sculpture Park sits on the grounds of the Maryhill Museum of Art. This Washington sculpture park got its start in 1996 following an Outdoor Sculpture Invitational and has continued to showcase large-scale works ever since. The park is home to 20 sculptures, including James Lee Hansen’s Winter Rider, Devin Laurence Field’s Folded Fan, and Julian Voss-Andrae’s Quantum Man. The outdoor art collection is located throughout the sculpture garden, along walkways overlooking the Columbia River, and on the Cannon Power Plaza.
About the Author
Lauren Kramer is a freelance travel writer who has spent the last 24 years exploring the Pacific Northwest from her home base of Bellingham. Her favorite trips focus on nature and wildlife, and her work has been widely published in the US and Canada, including Boulevard Magazines, Northwest Travel & Life, 1889 Magazine, and many others.
Featured image: Courtesy of Olympic Sculpture Park