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Laumeier Sculpture Park
DESCRIPTION: Laumeier Sculpture Park is a 105-acre natural landscape that features more than 75 works of contemporary sculpture in outdoor galleries and temporary exhibitions in the Museum's indoor galleries. The Park hosts several exhibitions and a multitude of cultural events each year. The Park's rolling lawns and nature trails as well as the Museum building are free and open to the public year round.
ADDRESS: 12580 Rott Road, St. Louis, MO 63127
LOCATION: Southwest St. Louis County
PHONE NUMBER: 314-821-1209
WEB SITE: http://www.laumeier.org/
GETTING THERE: From downtown, take I-44 West to Lindbergh Boulevard (Highway 67) exit. Turn left (south) onto Lindbergh Road and follow it a half mile to Rott Road. Turn right (west) onto Rott Road and proceed a half mile to the Park entrance on the left.
HOURS: The Park is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset (everyday except Christmas). The Museum and Museum Shop are open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. except legal holidays.
ADMISSION: Admission to the Park and Museum is free. There is a nominal admission to special events and festivals. Free docent-led Park tours are offered on the first and third Sunday of the month at 2 p.m., May-October. Group tours are available at $2 per person (minimum of $25 for groups of 12 or fewer) and must be reserved at least three weeks in advance.
ANNUAL ATTENDANCE: Estimated at 300,000
WHAT'S NEW: Laumeier features long-term and temporary exhibitions that change on a regular basis. Contact the Museum for current information.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Outdoor galleries which feature a collection of more than 75 sculptures by internationally-acclaimed artists.
- Indoor galleries where temporary exhibitions are presented.
- The Park also specializes in interpretive exhibitions and education programs which it offers on a regular basis.
ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS: Several sculptures are of special appeal to children including those representing animals. A summer art camp is held at Laumeier Sculpture Park each summer.
ANNUAL SPECIAL EVENTS: The Park sponsors a popular art fair every Mother's Day weekend, Music + Movies (entertainment under the stars) in June, an art camp that runs June through August and a multitude of other special events throughout the year.
HISTORY: Mrs. Matilda Laumeier bequeathed 72 acres of land to the St. Louis County Department of Parks & Recreation in 1968 in memory of her husband, Henry H. Laumeier. In 1976 the Park was enlarged and became an outdoor museum for contemporary sculpture. More land has been added over the years. The former Laumeier residence has been remodeled into a museum, a gift shop as well as into administrative offices. In its first decade, the Park qualified for accreditation by the American Association of Museums.
GIFT SHOP: The Museum Shop offers a variety of artwork by local and regional artists, in addition to exhibition catalogs and unique contemporary accessories.
HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBILITY: The Museum and the restrooms in the Park are handicapped accessible, and some of the trails can be navigated by the physically disabled. A Blind Maquette Program is available for some of the sculptures. "Maquette" is a French word meaning small model. It is a sculptor's three-dimensional sketch, a way of viewing the piece and working out the details before actually making the real thing. Several maquettes with Braille text plaques are installed near the full-sized sculptures to allow visitors with visual impairments to enjoy the works.
WHAT'S NEARBY: Laumeier is located halfway between Ted Drewes Frozen Custard and Six Flags with Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, the Magic House in Kirkwood and the Museum of Transportation nearby.
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONTACT: Mike Venso, 314-821-1209 x20; communications@laumeier.org
Updated: September 24, 2008
Readers should call 1-800-916-0040 to request a free copy of the Official St. Louis Visitor Guide or point, click and explore St. Louis at www.explorestlouis.com
