National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

Designed to offer year-round enjoyment to the public in one of the preeminent locations on the National Mall, the National Gallery Sculpture Garden features works from the Gallery's growing collection as well as loans for special exhibitions. Installations include Claes Oldenburg's Typewriter Eraser, Scale X (model 1998, fabricated 1999), and Joan Miró's Personnage Gothique, Oiseau-Eclair (1974, cast 1977), as well as new acquisitions. Located in the 6.1-acre block adjacent to the West Building, the elegant yet informal Garden includes new plantings of native American species of canopy trees, flowering trees, shrubs, ground covers, and perennials. A fountain, which serves as an ice rink in winter, is at the center of the Garden, and walking and seating areas offer visitors a chance to rest and reflect on the works on view. The Pavilion Café offers year-round café service, along with indoor seating. The Sculpture Garden is enclosed by a decorative metal fence with marble piers and plinths, designed to reflect the historic character of the West Building. There are six public entryways to the Sculpture Garden, and it is accessible to visitors with disabilities. The Sculpture Garden is made possible by a 1991 agreement, signed by the National Park Service and the National Gallery of Art and approved by the National Capital Planning Commission, to transfer jurisdiction of the Sculpture Garden site from the Park Service to the National Gallery.