Topiary Park

A Living Work of Art

Topiary Park is a unique 9.2-acre public garden located in downtown Columbus, Ohio's Discovery District. The park's centerpiece is a topiary recreation of Georges Seurat's famous painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." Created by sculptor James T. Mason, it is the only known topiary representation of a painting in the world.

The park features 54 people, 8 boats, 3 dogs, a monkey, and a cat, all sculpted from yew trees to match the figures in Seurat's pointillist masterpiece. The largest topiary figure stands 12 feet tall. A pond in the center of the park represents the Seine River depicted in the painting.

Visitor Experience

Visitors can view the entire topiary scene from an elevated area designed to mimic the artist's vantage point. Walking paths and benches throughout the park provide comfortable spaces to relax and admire the living artwork.

The park includes over 220 trees representing 35 different species, adding to its botanical interest. A visitors center housed in a chateau-style building offers information about the park and its history.

Historical Background

Originally part of the Ohio School for the Deaf campus, the land was repurposed as a park in the 1980s after the school buildings were destroyed by fire. The topiary garden officially opened in 1992 and has since become a popular destination for art lovers, garden enthusiasts, and tourists.

The park is maintained by the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department and is open to the public year-round from 7AM to 11PM.