Play is important! Through play, we share experiences and can become more connected as people. Children learn through play and it’s woven into the many experiences and activities at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
This year, the Garden is celebrating play with two exciting exhibits: The Art of Play (through Sept. 30) and Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks (through Sept. 22). The displays complement each other and invite guests to explore the Garden and find surprises at every turn.
The Art of Play consists of six sculptures by Virginia artists. The whimsical installations encourage children and adults (because you’re never too old to play!) to engage in the creative process and experience nature anew. Sit astride a life-size wooden horse, play on a space-age seesaw, look through the lens of a giant kaleidoscope, or make an impression on a pin-toy. This is art that’s meant to be played with.
Guests are also connecting (pun intended!) with the popular Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks exhibit. More than half-a-million LEGO bricks make up 24 sculptures in 13 displays throughout the Garden. The award-winning exhibit was created by New York artist Sean Kenney. A map shows where all of the sculptures are located and you can ask at the admissions desk for a “Brick Quest” designed especially for children as a search-and-find activity with interesting facts. For those who want to make their own LEGO creations, the Library is a fun (and cool) place to play with LEGO pieces.
What will you see in the Garden?
A giant “Praying Mantis” (42,154 LEGO bricks) greets you as you enter. Many of the sculptures you’ll encounter are larger than life, for instance an “American Bald Eagle” made with 42,198 LEGO bricks perches at the end of Lake Sydnor in the Minor Garden.
Some sculptures highlight the interconnectivity of all living things, for instance “Monarch on Milkweed” in the Children’s Garden is created from 60,549 LEGO bricks and “Milk Snake and Mouse” in the Flagler Garden is comprised of 12,069 LEGO bricks.
Win FREE tickets to see The Art of Ply and Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks!
Best of all, Richmond Mom and Lewis Ginter have partnered up to give you a chance to win a family four-pack of tickets to see these, and all of the garden’s many incredible sites, for FREE! Simply enter your information below by midnight on August 7, 2019, and you’ll be entered to win.
About Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
The Garden is open daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and has extended hours on Thursday nights till 9 p.m. throughout September 12. The Garden also opens early (8 a.m.) on Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day. Garden admission is $13 adults; $8 Children (age 3-12); free for Children under 3; and free for Garden members. Garden membership is a great deal if you plan to visit more than once a year. See the Garden’s website to learn more about discounts for seniors, military and persons with SNAP/EBT. Learn more about the Garden at lewisginter.org.
