deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum

I would highly recommend deCordova Sculpture Park to individuals who enjoy contemporary art and the great outdoors.

Admission is relatively inexpensive and they have ample parking on the property.

Though they have indoor exhibits (check for admission status) the outdoor exhibits are a museum in themselves.

I would highly recommend wearing comfortable shoes and a hat during the warmer months due to the uneven terrain and being in the direct sun at certain exhibits.

This sculpture garden and museum are absolutely breathtaking. I highly recommend coming in the fall because you are really surrounded by the beautiful trees changing color and the magnificence of the nature that really made this visit so worth it.
HOWEVER, during the time that I went, there were kids swarming everywhere. Kids can be lovely and super cute.. Totally get it. But on the day that I went, all I could hear was screaming children who were running around everywhere.
A fellow ongoer literally looked at me in the middle of taking pictures, and we had a 5 min conversation about how many kids were there that day.

Anyways, as I ran in any direction away from the chaos, there were several moments in time that were extremely peaceful and really did get the relaxation of being able to view the sculptures and appreciate the art. I would highly recommend going on the weekend and visiting their coffee shop there. Everyone was very nice and helpful.

Wonderful outdoor sculpture museum to visit only about 25 mins outside of Boston! I have been many times and always find something new and exciting to marvel at. Dogs and picnics are both welcome and highly recommended as the weather gets nicer! There is plenty of parking and it is $14 per adult to enter. EBT Card to Culture members get in for free.

Beautiful sculptures and architecture. I really love their sculpture selection and walking around is very satisfying. The feeling of being surrounded by art is the best. However, the indoor part of the museum is a disappointment. Learning about the history of the museum and seeing different artworks are interesting. The terrible part is that they put a lot of amazing artworks in a big dark room for private events, not the public eye. As a museum, being a nonprofit organization, enjoying benefit of tax exemption, but keeping arts, the good arts for private pleasure not the public good is unacceptable and disappointing. I hope the museum understands the mission of being a nonprofit and serving the public better. Some people are driving for hours and planning for months to be there, please don't disappoint people who support your organization.

I'd actually give it 3.5 I didn't like it for two reasons: most of the sculptures didn't appeal to me, and dealing with two outdated maps was extremely frustrating. First, it's a taste issue, and probably unfair to judge, but what it comes down to is that I didn't enjoy my visit. The two maps were the online version (outdated) and the printed version (even older.) The maps include sculptures' former locations and sculptures that aren't even there anymore. We figured this out on our own. A note with the online version and a verbal clue given by the staff member who handed us the maps would have been very useful.

Good take in the woods in Lincoln. Many sculptures around a large property. Mostly modern type sculptures. Spaced along trails going through a wooded park. Lots of benches under trees to rest. Indoor museum was closed today. See it when we go back. Took us about 2 hours to slowly go around. They have a small Cafe & gift shop. Bathroom available at the cafe.

$14.00 admission You could go to any park and walk around for free. The only thing that showed talent was the slanted house. The other stuff should go to a metal scrap yard. Sandwich shop is overpriced $ 15.00 for a sandwich .

What a way to enhance your appreciation of artistic sculpture on the most spacious landscape of this magnitude. Strolling the paths and enjoying nature at it's finest at your own pace. I quiet reflection in observing the details and ideas of the Artist!
A great way to be a part of the landscape among the monumental installations!
Sit along side of larger than life works of art.
Well worth the admission price if you are lucky enough to visit in a less busy day.

Came here on a warm winter weekend day (seems to be a lot of those recently), and the experience was great! Lots of fun sculptures which bring about great discussion as you gaze. Being outdoors gives it a more relaxed feel, and kids running around makes the whole experience light-hearted.

Went after it had rained earlier that morning, so some of the paths were a bit muddy - so be aware of that if there's rain planned around your visit.

Other than that, about 1-1.5 hours worth of sculptures outside depending on your pace, and maybe another 20-30 min of installations in their indoor museum.

Best to reserve tickets online, though you can purchase tickets at the gate - there were plenty of reservation spots open for a Saturday at 11am, though the rain might have had something to do with that.

The best of the sculpture park is hidden from the casual visitor who picnics or wanders in the meadow near the entrance. Hike over the hill and a beautiful pond, creative landscaping and much more expressive installations await you than the temporary pieces near the entrance. (These are part of a rotating collection shared by a number of public spaces.)

We were there on a cold but clear day with some construction going on down the hill from the museum proper, which means we would have missed Andy Goldsworthy's "Watershed" if we had not followed the advice of the docent at the gate to ignore the caution tape and bravely proceed down the path. Go on a rainy day and you will see runoff cascading down the interior concentric circles; since our day was dry we were left to listen to his expressive commentary on the museum app and admire the craftsmanship. Do not miss this.

There's a minimal map available when you check in but you will do much better by activating the app, which you can do by scanning the QR code on the label of any installation. Another tip, deCordova is part of the "trustees" collection of a number of public spaces throughout MA, and you can buy a trustee's membership and visit all of them as well as come back to deCordova repeatedly in the changing seasons (which I plan to do) for about the price of a family admission.