Gilgal Sculpture Garden
4.3(1.8K)google
3.9(103)yelp
SculptureArtQuirkyFreePhoto SpotOutdoor
Overview
Tucked quietly away behind historic residential homes in Salt Lake City, this small, eccentric hidden gem contains a unique collection of visionary 20th-century stone carvings and sculptures. Created entirely by a single dedicated artist, Thomas Child, the garden features 12 massive monumental stone structures and over 70 stones engraved with historic poems, highlighted by a famous, surreal sphinx sculpture carved with Joseph Smith's face.
Practical Info
Every day8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Suggested Duration30-45 minutes
Best TimeA must-visit during the late afternoon hours between 3:30 PM and sunset from April to October. Tucked away inside a secluded mid-block residential alleyway, this hidden pocket garden displays wild, bizarre mid-century religious sculptures hand-carved by Thomas Child, including a Joseph Smith-headed Sphinx; low evening sun casts dramatic, eerie branch shadows across the stones.
Getting ThereHidden in the center of a downtown Salt Lake residential block at 749 E 500 South. Take the TRAX Red Line subway to 900 East Station, exit, and walk west along 500 South for 3 blocks. Look for the small metal gate embedded between local bungalows; the area features strict parallel street restrictions, making light rail transfer the only seamless viability.
Travel Tips
- Hidden Residential Alleyway Access Gap: This offbeat sculpture garden is tucked directly behind private residential properties. The entrance is an unassuming narrow iron gate sandwiched between home driveways; monitor street numbers closely to avoid driving past.
- Strict Early Lockups & Infrared Trespassing Arrests: The park enforces sharp curfews (closing at 5 PM in winter, 8 PM in summer). The perimeter is monitored by direct-to-police infrared security cameras; scaling the fence post-closure results in immediate trespassing arrests.
- Fragile Sandstone Artifacts Climbing Ban: The site houses eccentric historical stone carvings like the Joseph Smith Sphinx. The coarse sandstone matrix is highly brittle; climbing onto, sitting on, or heavily leaning against the sculptures for photos is strictly banned.
Reviews
Positive
- A hidden oasis deep in a residential grid; the stone-carved Joseph Smith Sphinx and rocky monuments are visually striking and live up to its quirky fame.
- The sculpture garden is kept clean with manicured lawns, and each bizarre monument features clear text plaques adding high historical core value.
- Best of all, it is completely free to the public with zero entry fees; crowd density is low, beautifully preserving a serene, rustic, and mysterious calm.
- The paved accessible paths are flat; though the entrance is tight, management is solid, making it a perfect quick stop to gather unique novelty fun.
Heads up
- The park's overall physical size is incredibly tiny, about half a soccer field; a casual stroll takes under 15-20 minutes, making the scale feel thin.
- The inner garden completely lacks permanent indoor flushing restrooms, vending machines, or trash bins, showing a complete vacancy of basic convenience.
- Hidden within tight residential lanes, it houses zero private parking, making pulling over hard and causing drivers to easily miss the entrance.
- All stone inscriptions and professional descriptions are English-only, completely lacking multilingual translations, which dampens fun for foreign tourists.