We anticipated being out of town this past weekend, but as sometimes happens our plans changed last minute and we woke up at home on Saturday morning to stunning blue skies outside our windows and a full day ahead of us without any obligations whatsoever. Intent on enjoying the beauty of an absolutely perfect fall day, we packed a few snacks, hopped in the car, and headed north out of the city. Ninety minutes later we pulled through the gates of Storm King Art Center, a spot we’ve wanted to visit for years. Now that we’ve been, I’m sorry it took us this long to make the trip. Storm King is such a special place – an outdoor sculpture park that immerses you in a stunning natural setting while presenting as an integral part of the landscape the works of more than 100 modern sculptors. The 500-acre property could not be more perfect for exploring with children, as it allows them to experience art in a very physical way by running, jumping, and playing under and around the sculptures themselves.
Open to the public since 1960, the park is still evolving as the collection continues to grow, augmented at times by special exhibitions. It’s large enough that you won’t likely see it all in a single visit, and our visit this past weekend focused on making a large circuit of the South Fiends and Museum Hill on foot. We let our daughter set the pace, scanning the open vistas and selecting the next work to make our way toward, and running through open fields warmed by the mid-October sun. She had as much fun exploring the setting as she did exploring the art, and spent much of our visit looking for turtles in one of the ponds, practicing somersaults in the grassy fields, and collecting sticks and leaves in the forest. Had I known about it in time, I would have picked up a ‘Field Guide for Young Explorers,’ offered by the park. An interactive accordion-style booklet, the guide is meant to help children and families explore and engage with the art and nature at Storm King during visits.
As it was, even without the field guide we had the most lovely day. Several times I stopped myself and consciously tried to soak it all in – perfect October sunshine, fields and hills filled with trees assuming the vibrant colors of autumn, and my favorite people exploring a setting abundant with such beauty in its varied forms. I won’t soon forget it.
A few further details for those considering a visit: