Meijer Gardens

In honor of Libby's May birthday, we visited the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. Mr. Meijer, founder of the chain of Meijer stores that dominate the midwest, donated a portion of his fortune to create the gardens, which include an extensive sculpture park. Although our family has been to the gardens several times, we've always visited in the winter months when it's too cold to walk outside. Yesterday, however, was a perfect day to explore the grounds.

 

Betsy gazes at a cow in the Michigan Farm.

A Mallard Duck and her ducklings find their breakfast in the swamp.

Naomi rests in the Gwen Frostick gardens.

Betsy and Naomi interpret Model for Big Sculpture II by Dietrich Klinge.

Amy adds life to Nomade, a sculpture by Jaume Plensa. Visitors are encouraged to enter the piece, for as the artist says, "When people enter Nomade they fill the work with their spirit, their soul." 

Photo  by Libby Cook.

Naomi, Betsy, Brian, Libby and Logan laugh at a joke as they rest with Fred and Lena Meijer.

The twenty-four foot American Horse by Nina Akamu was the only sculpture that visitors are allowed to touch and climb on. 

Logan's favorite part of the gardens was the hill near the American Horse. It was so steep that Libby said her toe nails hurt from pressing against the front of her shoes as she ran down it.