Glenstone

Glenstone is a museum and sculpture park 30 minutes from Washington DC. Glenstone's mission – the seamless integration of art, architecture, and nature – has been achieved through the landscape design that has been realized over the last 20 years. An evolving spatial and sensory journey unfolds as visitors leave their cars in the shade of a constructed native woodland and traverse the landscape on foot. Through physical contact with the land as well as key moments of prospect across it, experience in the ecology of the region is foregrounded alongside world class art and architecture.

Restoring the land itself as well as the communities, plants and animals that inhabit the area, Glenstone embodies the ability of designed landscapes to engage the public along both cultural and environmental lines. The landscape design achieves these goals through significant reshaping of the topography, integrating walking paths, bridges, native meadows and restored woodlands. Over 10,000 trees of 55 native species were planted across the grounds. 33 acres of existing lawn and pasture land were developed into sustainable meadows with indigenous flora. The Water Court at the Pavilions is richly planted with water lilies, irises and rushes, creating a seasonally dynamic landscape.

Within the landscape, over two miles of paths and walking trails bring visitors into contact with a variety of natural phenomena as well as site-specific art. Developed collaboratively over many years, the Woodland Trail and Art Walk at Glenstone invites visitors to experience the restored natural landscape, designed to enhance resilience to storms and climate change and to offer an opportunity to experience the unique habitats of the Potomac River region. Extensive stream restoration and the establishment of a trail including discrete bridges and boardwalk insertions over environmentally sensitive wetlands and forests, allow visitors intimate access to native plants and wildlife. The trail integrates unexpected experiences with art installations along its route in both monumental and diminutive scale that visitors can experience and discover at their own pace.