Griffis Sculpture Park – East Otto, New York - Atlas Obscura
What's near me?

Griffis Sculpture Park

East Otto, New York

A collection of unique outdoor sculptures surounded by the beauty of nature. 

View all photos
134
291
Top Places in New York
Wall Street Bombing Scars
New York, New York
Strawberry Fields Memorial
New York, New York
Digester Eggs
Brooklyn, New York
 See All

Situated on 425 acres in Cattaraugus County, New York’s Griffis Sculpture Park was one of the first sculpture parks in the United States, and today this outdoor museum is now home to over 250 individual works by more than 50 artists.

Larry W. Griffis Jr. started the park in 1966 and founded the Ashford Hollow Foundation for the Visual and Performing Arts. The Foundation, now headed by Griffis’s son, maintains the sculpture park. The park is filled with Griffis’s original sculptures, as well as the work of Leon Gerst, Duayne Hatchett, Tony Patterson, and Glenn Zweygert.

The park is not only a a venue for unique sculptures, but it also serves as a nature preserve, making it a one of a kind chance to view the beauty created by both man and nature. Many sculptures accent the trails, surprising pedestrians in a meadow and along a pond. The park questions the boundaries between viewer and art, visitors are even encouraged to touch and play on the sculptures.

Know Before You Go

US 90 (NYS Thruway) to exit 55 - Route 219.Route 219 South to end (approx 24.5 miles). LEFT 0.2 miles then RIGHT onto continuation of 219 South. Approx. 8 miles on 219 to Ashford Hollow (speed limit 45). RIGHT onto Ahrens Road (Carsons Ashford House and Park sign on corner).Stay straight Approx. 2.7 miles to County Road 75 (Mill Valley Rd.). Turn LEFT and go 1.5 miles to Park entrance (on left).There are two distinct sections of the park. The directions above are to the main site, with plaques with information on admission fees and trail maps. The other site is on Mill Valley Rd. closer to Ashton Hollow. It has a smaller parking lot and no bathrooms or port-a-potties. Take photos of the trail maps or consult s trail website before you set out, as trail maps are posted sparingly. The names of the many sculptors are also shared sparingly. Bring water for long climbs on hot days. Closes for the year on the 31st of October.

Atlas Obscura Trips

Afloat the Erie Canal: A Self-Led Houseboat Adventure

Be the captain of your own ship as you steer along this historic waterway, experiencing its hidden wonders and two centuries of history.
Book Now
outsider art
Nearby
American Museum of Cutlery
7.20 miles
J.N. Adam Memorial Hospital
13.21 miles
Original American Kazoo Company
19.31 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
Cattaraugus, New York

American Museum of Cutlery

This edgy museum will whet your appetite for the industrial history of Western New York.
Perrysburg, New York

J.N. Adam Memorial Hospital

An abandoned tuberculosis hospital moulders on into an uncertain future.
Eden, New York

Original American Kazoo Company

This two-room factory has been cranking out the musical signifier of zaniness for a century.
Angola, New York

Site of the Angola Horror

Where one of the worst train disasters in the country took place, leading to upgrades in rail safety.
Related Places
Tervuren, Belgium

Bandundu Water Jazz Band

A jazz band formed by African water animals in the heart of Flemish Brabant.
Irving, Texas

'Mustangs of Las Colinas'

This strategically-placed fountain creates the magnificent illusion of mustangs galloping across a river.
West Sussex, England

The Long Bench

This multicolored meandering masterpiece is Britain's longest bench.
Villahermosa, Mexico

'La Ceiba' Water Tank

The majestic, sacred tree is represented on this piece of public infrastructure.