An endearing frog forms a heart with its hands. A larger-than-life banana roller-skates down the path. A circle of children from around the world plays ring-around-a-rosie, leaving an open spot for you to join.
At first glance, these figures seem to have nothing in common—yet they share something extraordinary. They are among the nearly 200 sculptures that grace the Benson Sculpture Garden in Loveland, Colorado, home to one of the country’s largest outdoor sculpture collections. Against a breathtaking backdrop of the snowcapped Rocky Mountains, the garden’s pathways meander through lush parkland and around a bird-filled lagoon, creating a heart-filled blend of art and nature.
But Loveland’s artistic bounty extends far beyond Benson Sculpture Garden. The town is a true artsy haven, boasting additional sculpture gardens, public art installations, and foundries that offer behind-the-scenes tours.
With all of this, it’s hard to believe Loveland wasn’t always about art. Established in 1881 as a railroad town—named for William Loveland, Colorado Central Railroad’s president—the town’s early economy thrived on sugar beets and cherries.
That began changing in the 1970s, when local bronze foundries—originally established to manufacture airplane propellers and other metal parts—started collaborating with artists. In 1984, a group of passionate artists and supporters hosted a modest outdoor sculpture show. What began as a small local event soon blossomed into Sculpture in the Park, now the nation’s largest outdoor juried sculpture show.
Every summer, thousands of artists and art enthusiasts converge on Loveland for this celebrated event. Proceeds from the show support the purchase of sculptures for permanent placement in the Benson Sculpture Garden. Today, there are 187 magnificent sculptures—and counting. The themes range from whimsical animals and human figures to fantastical creations, with a notable fondness for frogs.
Here’s a quick tour of some of the garden’s highlights, plus a glimpse at some of Loveland’s other artistic treasures.
You can enter the sculpture garden at any point, though the most popular place, which includes on-street parking and restrooms, is on Aspen Drive between 29th Street and Taft Avenue.
If you enter this way, one of the first works you come to is “Best Friends” by Linda Prokop, a favorite among locals and visitors alike. This engaging sculpture captures a fleeting moment between two pals caught up in a private joke that has them laughing in fits.
“The idea behind ‘Best Friends’ came from the theme of relationships.,” Prokop says. “Universally, we all have that person in our lives, at one time or another, that we can truly be ourselves around. Laughter is the best medicine, and I hope the sculpture resonates those times in our lives of the great connection joy can bring.”
If you continue north along the pathway, you will come to this delightful sculpture by Kim Kori. Kori’s love affair with amphibians began in her childhood in Pennsylvania. “Each summer, we would visit my aunt’s summer home,” she writes on her website. “While my siblings and cousins were having fun in the pool, I was sitting by the frog pond waiting for the bullfrogs to poke their heads out. I was enchanted with them.”
And who would not be enchanted by this larger-than-life bullfrog, giving us a sweet heart sign? “This sculpture is my way of spreading love and joy in a troubled world,” she says.
Nearby is this beautiful relief sculpture, where the musicians are carved to emerge from a flat background. “Working in relief with sculpture clay is very satisfying, reminding me of when I was a kid and my mother gave me ‘molding clay (before Play-Dough),’” Warren Cullar writes on his website. “I made things, rolled coils, and made animals.”
After a successful career in watercolor and acrylic painting, Cullar rediscovered his passion for clay and hasn’t looked back.
This briny beast is astounding from afar—it’s a giant octopus commonly found in Pacific Northwest waters, struggling with a spiny lobster for dinner. Get up close to examine the suction cups, and you understand the brilliance of its artist, Adam Schultz (who is standing next to his creation in the photo).
Schultz is well-known for his bronze, stainless steel, and aluminum sculptures of animals, portraits, memorials, and monuments, which have been placed across the country, including Arlington National Cemetery.
The playful red fox dangles over an arch, staring into a flowing waterfall. According to the artist, Laurel Peterson Gregory, this work captures the fox in the moment of catching a flash of movement below the water’s surface. “Foxes are known for their cleverness and curiosity,” she writes on her website, “and this one is no exception.”
She says that life is too serious. “I want my sculptures to lift the viewer and take them to a better place for a timeless moment. As an artist, nothing makes me happier than seeing someone smile and laugh with my work.”
She has clearly succeeded here!
On the opposite side of the lagoon, this eight-foot-tall sphere made of stacked sandstone bricks is more than just a striking sculpture—it’s packed with meaning. With its central slit, it resembles a seed pod, symbolizing growth, potential, and the cycles of life. At the same time, it brings to mind a cairn, those timeless stacks of stones are used as markers or memorials.
Created by Tom Herzog of Buffalo, Wyoming, the piece beautifully plays with light, shadow, and nature’s organic forms. It’s an open invitation to pause, reflect, and consider how we connect with the natural world.
Jack Hill infuses his signature whimsy and charm into this delightful creation, transforming a simple banana (!) into a playful anthropomorphic character. The vibrant yellow-painted bronze, perched on a pair of vintage roller skates, seems to glide effortlessly down the pathway, exuding a sense of motion and joy. Yes, art can be lighthearted and unexpected!
Rosalind Cook aims to capture the essence of her subjects, and in this piece, she beautifully conveys Lillith’s sweet innocence. “My children almost always are barefooted,” she writes on her website, “which symbolizes their unencumbered and innocent spirits.”
Cook’s life-size and monumental works—often depicting children, religious figures, and peoples of varied races and cultures—enrich parks, hospitals, corporate headquarters, libraries, and churches across the country.
Who can resist the opportunity to join in this lively sculpture, where a group of kids of different ethnic backgrounds are holding hands and playing “ring-around-a-rosie”—with an open space inviting you to join in!? Utah artist Gary Price describes his work as representing “a continuum of humanity,” while the clasped hands represent “interaction and cooperation, together with compassion and respect.” He says: “Respect for each other’s uniqueness bridges the gap between any indifference.”
Given the fact that this sculpture is one of the garden’s most popular, his message is being heard loud and clear.
Benson Sculpture Garden
- Location: Main entrance: 2908 Aspen Dr., Loveland, CO
- Hours: Open to the public
- Admission: Free
- www.sculptureinthepark.org
If you can, take a free guided tour.
MORE LOVELAND ART
Art Castings of Colorado
It’s no surprise the fabulous Benson Sculpture Garden is located in Loveland, a town with deep ties to the art of bronze casting. In 1972, Art Castings of Colorado was established, initially specializing in industrial metal components like bronze propellers. Everything changed when an artist approached the foundry to cast a sculpture, sparking a new creative direction. Over time, as additional foundries were established, Loveland became a hub of artistic bronze casting.
Fun facts: Art Castings produces sculptures of Woody, the famous cowboy from Toy Story, that are presented to Pixar staff on work anniversaries. Art Castings also created a bronze statue of Jackie Robinson in 2024 to replace the original that was stolen from Wichita, Kansas.
Art Castings of Colorado is open for tours.
Chapungu Sculpture Park at Centerra
In this artsy town, there’s another sculpture park, one perhaps even more surprising than the first: 26-acre Chapungu Sculpture Park at Centerra, which holds 82 stone sculptures by Zimbabwean artists. Named for the Shonan word for “Bateleur eagle,” a bird revered as a spiritual messenger, it’s an expansion of the Chapungu Sculpture Park in Harare, Zimbabwe, and the largest outdoor art center in the United States devoted to Zimbabwe’s stone sculptors.
LOVE Lock Sculpture
The country’s largest LOVE sculpture—a 24,000-pound behemoth measuring 10 feet tall and 30 feet wide—is located in Loveland, where you can join hundreds of other romantics in attaching your own love lock (buy one at the nearby visitor center). The sculpture is located within McWhinney-Hahn Sculpture Park, which has other notable sculptures, including “The Water Carriers” by American sculptor Herb Mignery, a bronze located in a pond depicting a man and woman transporting heavy, water-filled buckets.
Fun facts: Given its name, Loveland is known as “Sweetheart City,” which is embraced to the fullest. Every Valentine’s Day, the Sweetheart Festival—featuring live ice sculpting, musical and dance performances, art demonstrations, and more—takes place. You can also send a pre-stamped, pre-addressed Valentine’s Day card to the Loveland Post Office, where it will be hand-stamped with a special verse and postmark and remailed to your Sweetheart in time for Valentine’s Day.
More Art
Loveland is a designated Colorado Creative District, explaining why there’s public art everywhere in town. More than 20 art murals adorn downtown’s buildings, while sculptures line the streets, primarily between 1st and 4th Streets. You can download a self-guided tour here.
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Side Dishes
TownePlace Suites by Marriott is conveniently located in the heart of downtown. Or, for something really fun, Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch is a 3,200-acre ranch just outside town that offers “bunks and breakfast”—and horseback riding!
Taste Local Café is a great breakfast or lunch spot before heading to the garden, serving healthy dishes using fresh ingredients. Loveland Chophouse will sate your steak craving, while Sky Bear Brewery and Pub has local brews, outside seating, and a menu featuring pizza, sandwiches, and more.
By Barbara Noe Kennedy
