Outdoor Art & Sculpture Museums: Artalistic’s Top 10

Enjoying the summer sun while enriching your artistic and cultural knowledge is entirely possible. Artalistic takes you on a world tour of highly-reputable, must-see outdoor art and sculpture museums.

Outdoor art and sculpture museums: 10 not-to be-missed places

A remarkable appropriation of public spaces, outdoor museums blend nature with sculptures, street art, installations and much more. 

The world's best outdoor art museums: from Europe to South America and the United States

Skansen outdoor museum in Stockholm, Sweden

The world's oldest outdoor art museum is located in the Swedish capital, on the island of Djurgardend, to be precise. Founded in 1891, the museum’s collection takes you on a nature-filled journey through Sweden's history. Throughout the year, this small village features an array of cultural events full of local traditions, including artisanal crafts, concerts, dances, various workshops (glassblowing, leather tanning) and festivals. 

Ekebergparken near Oslo, Norway

Also located in Scandinavia, the Ekebergparken is considered to be Norway’s finest outdoor sculpture museum. The art collector Christian Ringnes created it in 2013. Approximately forty pieces by renowned artists are displayed in a gorgeous flower-filled setting, including Salvador Dali's Venus de Milo and sculptures by Auguste Rodin, Louise Bourgeois and Marina Abramovic. This outdoor museum also features rock engravings that date back thousands of years. This blend of contemporary and ancient art is truly astonishing!

East Side Gallery in Berlin, Germany

Along Mühlenstrasse street visitors can admire part of the famous concrete wall that divided Berlin until 1989. Approximately one hundred artists were given carte blanche to create frescos on a half mile-long section of the wall that was kept intact. This is considered to be the world’s longest outdoor art museum that features street art while symbolizing freedom.

Ballenberg in Brienz, Switzerland

The Ballenberg is an outdoor museum that features over one hundred historic buildings from all over Switzerland. These traditional farm houses, barns and stables were taken apart stone by stone and reassembled to create this unique collection of characteristic homes and farmsteads. A visit to Ballenberg is like stepping back in time with live demonstrations about cheese making, basket making and wood carving. There is also a trail through the forest that is decorated with antique children’s toys and a farm that features educational classes.

Tarot Garden in Garavicchio de Pescia Fiorentina, Italy

Next stop, Italy! The Tarot Garden in Tuscany features 22 massive, colorful and sparkling sculptures. This one-of-a-kind outdoor sculpture museum was created by the Franco-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002) and her husband Jean Tingueley. The Tarot sculptures were heavily influenced by Gaudi’s work. Towering deities and monsters from the Tarot deck come to life with a dreamlike, psychedelic aesthetic. These magical sculptures seem to have walked straight out of a fairytale and are covered in mosaics made of glass, mirrors and ceramics.

Chianti sculpture park in Pievasciata, Italy

An impressive collection of statues and sculptures by various artists is tucked away in Tuscany, in the town of Pievasciata. Works by Piero Giadrossi can be found along a romantic, light-dappled path that winds through undulating landscape of green hills covered with vineyards, olive groves and cypress trees. This outdoor museum was created to subtly and seamlessly integrate art into the natural landscape. This well-received project creates a distinctly multicultural feeling with art by several international artists including Jeff Saward and Dominic Benhura.

Park of Monsters in Bomarzo, Italy

The oldest outdoor sculpture museum is also located in Italy, less than 100 kilometers from Rome. The Park of Monsters dates back to the 16^th century, and was designed by the Duke of Bomarzo Vicino Orsini, who was considered at the time to be rather non-conformist. This park is filled with giant stone mermaids, dragons, turtles, sphinxes, ogres and nymphs. You’ll feel like you went through a portal to a parallel universe as you stroll through this lush and surreal location.

Open-air museum in Lille, France

This outdoor museum is located in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, a few kilometers from Lille, and is ideal for a family outing. It features a reconstructed village inspired by 17^th, 18^th and 19^th century Flemish and Artois architecture. The open-air museum allows you to wander through stunning botanical and vegetable gardens that pepper the grounds that surround these traditional, rural buildings. Children will also be delighted by the local wildlife, including Boulonnais sheep, Flemish geese, Bourbourg hens and Estaires ducks.

Wynwood Walls in Miami, USA

Miami is home to the world's largest outdoor street art museum. Globally renowned in its sector, its walls are covered with work by internationally renowned artists, including Obey, Pink, Miss Van, Eduardo Cobra and Os Gêmeos. Located north of Downtown Miami, it attracts countless street art fans from around the world. This district of Miami has become America’s Mecca of street art, with 5 museums, 70 galleries and 7 art centers dedicated to contemporary art.

Parque de las Esculturas in Santiago, Chili

This outdoor sculpture museum was a collaboration between artists and citizens who were eager to invent a cultural space that could be accessible to the general public. More than thirty works of art by both local and internationally renowned artists are currently on display.  Temporary exhibitions are also held here regularly, as is the famous Providencia Jazz Festival.