decordova sculpture park & museum

Doogle45

What fun! Met a few friends to snowshoe here amongst the sculpture rather than the usual woods. We did not go on a guided tour, but chose, instead, to meander around the grounds at our own pace. How fun to snowshoe around the rolling grounds and find the sculpture--some of it hidden under a blanket of snow! The museum will give you a map of where specific sculptures are located. Admission covers the museum and the sculpture park. The café and store were open on the weekend day we were there. The park is clean and bathrooms are located in the museum. Admission was $12 with AAA card. A great way to enjoy the day and be outside! I can't wait to go back once the snow melts to see the sculptures without the snow!--but it was cool to see the snow on them, too. Highly recommend a visit! *Tip--snowshoe up and around the museum building and check out the snow covered terrace overlooking the pond

ZoomDoggy

The museum was interesting, but not hugely impressive in scale. The springtime weekday we visited, the entire property was mostly deserted, which suited us fine. That gave us plenty of time to quietly stroll around the spacious grounds, taking photos and admiring the sculptures and views. I think kids would be pretty bored here, but lovers of contemporary art will enjoy it. I enjoyed the sculpture gardens more than the actual museum. And the witty signage here & there amused us. There's a cafe or something, but it was closed during our visit, so I can't comment on that.

buttonwoodbrook

A friend and I decided to visit here because we had always wondered about it. We will wonder no more, neither will we be visiting again. Although the grounds are lovely, the sculptures are not well identified. The museum is a large space with a lot of wasted space. The exhibits leave a lot to be desired by way of quality and explanation. Been there, done that, won't be back.

abarber

The DeCordova is a really beautiful museum - the grounds are gorgeous, overlooking a pond. The collection is well-curated; the pieces are thought-provoking while still accessible. It's a really lovely way to spend a sunny afternoon.

SandyH929

A great day trip. The sculptures were amazing. It was a beautiful day and perfect for walking around the grounds. Much to see for kids and the grown-ups.

8pixel

Bottom Line: Beautiful grounds and a seems like a great day to spend an afternoon. Details: We visited the park and museum late on a Saturday evening for a wedding so we were only able to view the grounds briefly on our drive up to the parking lot. From what I could see though everything wasn't so spread out so you wouldn't have to walk too far. As far as a venue for outdoor weddings go, it was quite beautiful and serene. The museum itself wasn't huge so there wasn't too much to see during our "cocktail hour." Overall, I would visit again if I was in the area.

240ellieb

The museum is worth a visit for the view of Walden pond alone. Now we can add the expansive sculpture garden with contemporary and modern site specific work. Lastly, add the indoor museum with continually interesting exhibitions. The cafe is tasty and the architecture is lovely. It's a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. It's a great place for children so that they can experience art in a tactile way. "Climbing on the art is not allowed".

MatthewLuciw

I was pleasantly surprised to find that, since I rode my bike there, admission would be free. So my rating is higher than if I would have had to pay admission. Anyway, it's an enjoyable place to explore. The park was interesting and fun to wander through. The museum (and gift shop) was nice, too.

dmcnslt

Though the setting is lovely and gift shop is one of the nicest I've been to (though merchandise on offer has nothing to do with what's on exhibit), both outdoor sculpture and especially indoor art is underwhelming and not at all appealing. Museum itself is a neat building but contains very little art - would make a great space for more and better quality art. Free map you get of sculptures is almost impossible to figure out and signage for each piece is almost invisible. Since entry fees are modest, DeCordova might make an OK destination on a lovely day, I would not return and there are many better things to do in Boston area.

traveler133nyc

We visited the DeCordova on a sunny August day with a 21/2 year old. Perfect place to introduce children of all ages to out door sculpture. A wide variety of pieces, some colorful, some huge and some just plain fun! There is even a waterfall where you can reach down and touch the water! Also a house with art work inside. We were told the exhibits are always changing. The gift shop was one of the nicest we have seen in an art museum of this size. Something for everyone. The children's section is quite large.

Powerfrau99

This is a beautiful park with a wonderful selection of outdoor art installations and sculptures. It would be difficult to navigate the grassy terrain, if you have any mobility issues. The grounds are a little hilly and a little grassy. I have been here numerous times and every time I go I really enjoy the modern, innovative installations. I recommend it for Burners and art fans. If you are in the Boston area for a week, it is worth the trip out of the city! The indoor collection is a nice collection too.

Jerandnanc

Visited the sculpture garden on a beautiful summer day. The grounds are very well cared for. There is a senior and active duty military discount. The museum contains more modern art than I am interested in. However, the works are well presented and there is a feeling of real openness when walking around. There were a couple interesting exhibits which the docent made a nice presentation about. The staff was universally helpful and pleasant. The outside sculptures are what we came for. Some are truly fascinating (McCarthy's massive work) but some are not (Andre). You can access fuller explanations on your mobile phone which we found helpful. Depends on your taste. We viewed the museum as an experience to broaden our understanding of art. However, we prefer other types of art.

AmyC69

VERY modern art spread out on beautiful grounds. Lots of families with kids, but since you were not allowed to touch the sculptures in any way, they had to be told over and over not to climb on them. Great for adults on a nice day, but be prepared to walk outside a lot - so weather matters. The museum was very small and not very interesting.

rzoe

When I was growing up in this area, DeCordova offered art classes and an art camp in the summer. Sadly, that no longer happens. However, they have turned the grounds of this beautiful semi-rural museum (in an extremely affluent town) into a beautiful sculpture park. The Museum itself has been upgraded and expanded since the 1960's and the exhibit when we were there was wonderful. It's in a beautiful location and the view from the deck on top of the building is lovely, especially on a clear day.

Clarissa_7

If you like to listen to kids yell, scream & run around while you try to look at art, then this is the museum for you. We went for the Ian Hamilton Finlay show, and this was just OK (there were some really interesting pieces, but I've seen much better representations of his work exhibited in the UK). Other exhibits were truly underwhelming. Sculpture garden likewise, sort of pretty but not too interesting. It's in a lovely and rather bucolic setting and it truly does seem the orientation is as a place for families to picnic and the sculptures are for kids to play on. There's nothing wrong with that but it's not a serious art venue. I say it's always good to know what you're really getting before you pay your $14 per. Doubt we'd go back unless they had an artist specifically of interest to us.