What’s this all about I can hear you saying? Well, don’t get worried. I’m not suggesting you don a pair of snow shoes and head down to Boston Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), and expect them to let you browse the collections in your designer Tubbs.

But… there is a place in Massachusetts where you’re encouraged to do just that. The place is the Decordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Lincoln.

For the remaining Saturdays in February 2007 you can put on a pair of snowshoes – provided by the museum – and follow along a guided tour of the famous sculpture park on the Museum’s 35-acre grounds.

Just a little information about this unique Museum and Sculpture Park to those new to it…

The DeCordova Museum & Sculpture Park is the largest museum of modern and contemporary American art in New England. It offers the only permanent public sculpture park in New England with about 80 works gracing the 35-acre site.

The museum opened to the public in 1950 and since then has modernized and expanded multiple times to accommodate its growing collections, special exhibits, and studios it’s built for its renowned education program.

The museum galleries are housed in the original mansion – called the “castle” – owned by Julian de Cordova, which also includes a store and café. Special programs and tours are run throughout the year.

The sculpture works you can view in the park include those from the DeCordova permanent collection; works on loan from artists, dealers, and private collectors and chose by DeCordova curators; and outdoor sculptures designed by artists for specific sites in the Sculpture Park.

The Sculpture Park is also a major recreational resource for the town of Lincoln and surrounding Boston metropolitan area communities. Along with viewing the sculptures, visitors can enjoy trail hiking, sunbathing, jogging, bicycling, picnics, dog walking, cross-country skiing, birding, and walking among many species of rare and non-native trees exotic to the New England region.

The DeCordova Sculpture Park is open every day of the year from dawn until dusk, and admission to the park is charged during Museum Gallery hours only (Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm). Outside of these times, access to the Sculpture Park is free.

Admission to the DeCordova Campus is $9 for adults, $6 for seniors, students, and children ages 6-12; children 5 and under are admitted free. DeCordova Members, Lincoln residents, and Active Duty Military Personnel and their dependents are admitted free.

Directions to the Lincoln, Massachusetts grounds and further information about this unique Museum and Sculpture Park can be found at their official web site at www.decordova.org

For suggestions on many other attractions in this area check out my Massachusetts destination section by clicking here.

Have a great week and look out for more ideas for things to do in the region next week.

Cliff Calderwood
Executive Director
New England Vacation Guide