FAQ About Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

Learn from former Chief Curator, Joseph Becherer

Explore the opening of the Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden. Japanese gardens, known for shakkei, or borrowed view, are among the world's most revered and treasured garden styles. On June 13, 2015, the eight-acre Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park opened to the public, enhancing the venue's existing displays of sculpture and horticulture. Tranquility, simplicity, and beauty are the essence of a Japanese garden- something long appreciated by Fred and Lena Meijer, whose experiences with and shared love of the form led to asking about one being added to Meijer Gardens. 

Meijer Gardens has been recognized as America’s Best Garden, Conservatory or Botanical Garden (Groups Today), the #2 Best Botanical Garden in the U.S. (TravelAwaits) and home to 1 of America’s Best Cherry Blossom Displays (Travel + Leisure). It’s always growing and always changing, so every visit is an opportunity to discover something new. Highlights include:

Amphitheater Garden. Home to the Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts and Ayers Basement Systems Tuesday Evening Music Club, the Amphitheater Garden features terraced lawn seating, trees, perennials, tropical exotics and sculptures.

Conifer Collection. Meijer Gardens is an American Conifer Society Reference Garden, featuring more than 150 conifers representing about 75 species.

David  Carol Van Andel Children’s Gallery. Inspired by the classic children’s novel The Secret Garden, this indoor playspace is composed of elements popular in English garden design and features 10 engaging activity stations designed for young ones.

Earl & Donnalee Holton Arid Garden. Hosts a large variety of plants that survive in some of the world’s driest environments.

Earl & Donnalee Victorian Garden Parlor. Features plants and furniture used in classic Victorian garden parlors at the turn of the 20^th century.

Grace Jarecki Seasonal Display Greenhouse. Features a new garden design with each season, including autumn chrysanthemums and a holiday railway garden.

Gwen Frostic Woodland Shade Garden. Discover plants selected for performing best in shady conditions and heavy, clay soils.

Kenneth E. Nelson Carnivorous Plant House. America’s only publicly displayed collection dedicated exclusively to carnivorous plants is home to meat-eating plants from around the globe, including the Venus flytrap.

Lena Meijer Children's Garden. One of America’s largest and most interactive children’s gardens is newly refreshed in 2026 with an expanded playground and year-round ice cream parlor to complement the Great Lakes water feature, treehouse, log cabin and other kid favorites.

Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory. 500+ species from five continents populate this five-story conservatory, which also features waterfalls and streams and is the site of the annual Butterflies are Blooming exhibit (March 1 - April 30 each year).

Michigan's Farm Garden. Focuses on gardening and horticulture as it would have appeared during America’s Great Depression, with heirloom vegetables, flowers and an orchard reminiscent of the 1930s.

Plant Show Series. Local plant societies and hobbyists showcase tropical orchids, bonsai, iris, herbs and more through plant shows held from January October.

Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden. Embracing the essence of traditional Japanese gardens – tranquility, contemplation and beauty – it includes an authentic teahouse, three islands, two waterfalls, a Zen garden and contemporary sculptures by international artists.

Stuart and Barbara Padnos Rooftop Sculpture Garden. Showcases rotating sculpture displays set against stunning views.

Tassell-Wisner-Bottrall English Perennial Garden. Mejer Gardens’ most horticulturally diverse area offers a modern twist on a classic design.

Volunteer Tribute Garden. This gateway garden along the main access path to the outdoor grounds celebrates the spirit and importance of volunteerism.

Wetlands. Representing the crucial role of wetlands in Michigan as nurseries for fish and wildlife, natural filters for lakes, rivers and groundwater, vital reservoirs for floodwater management and premier locations for outdoor recreation.

Named America’s Best Sculpture Park for three years running by USA Today, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is recognized as one of America’s most significant sculpture collections. Highlights include:

Sculpture Park and Gallery Collection. Focused on established and emerging sculptors from the late 19th century to the present, this collection is international in scope and includes works from such masters as Edgar Degas, Mark di Suvero, Louise Bourgeois, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Roxy Pine, Auguste Rodin, Richard Serra, Ai Weiwei and many more. Don’t miss Nina Akamu’s The American Horse, a 24-foot tall bronze sculpture inspired in part by a Leonardo da Vince work.

Marshall Fredericks Collection. Frederik “Fred” Meijer, the late local businessman who pioneered the superstore concept and helped establish Meijer Gardens , began his philanthropic role as a collector with the works of American sculptor Marshall Fredericks. There are 29 bronze Marshall Fredericks, including figurative works, sited around the sculpture park.

Garden Trails and Conservatory Collection. Largely figurative and frequently whimsical, this collection complements or accentuates garden environments such as Lena Meijer Children’s Garden and Michigan’s Farm Garden.

Sculpture Exhibitions

Meijer Gardens hosts a vibrant roster of temporary exhibitions each year, many of which push the boundaries of contemporary sculpture. CHIHULY at Meijer Gardens (May 2 - Nov 1, 2026), which transforms the indoor galleries and outdoor gardens with colorful works from  40+ years of glass artis Dale Chihuly’s career, exemplifies the scale and significance of these rotating exhibitions.

Annual Events

Meijer Gardens hosts a series of annual events that draw visitors from around the region and around the world, including:

• Butterflies are Blooming, America’s largest temporary tropical butterfly exhibition, from March 1 - April 30 each year.

• Mums at Meijer Gardens, Michigan’s largest display of chrysanthemums, every October.

• Christmas and Holiday Traditions, featuring 40+ unique cultural displays from around the world from late November to early January

• ENLIGHTEN, a dazzling, mile-long outdoor light show named the America’s #3 Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights by USA Today, also late November through early January.

Summer Concert Series

The annual Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens concert series brings the finest national and international musicians to Grand Rapids, playing for capacity crowds from May through September in a stunning outdoor amphitheater. The Ayers Basement Systems Tuesday Evening Music Club brings local and regional musicians to the amphitheater stage on Tuesday evenings in June, July and August. Sunday Strings offers chamber music performances on select Sundays in July and August.

Upcoming Events

​Check for current shows and events