Lovers of the arts, architecture and landscape will soon have a new cultural destination along the Ben Franklin Parkway to add to their agendas the next time they are in Center City, Philadelphia.
That’s because, on Monday, officials cut the ribbon for the new Calder Gardens, which is a 1.8-acre site dedicated to the art of Alexander Calder.
The garden, located along the Ben Franklin Parkway, between 21st and 22nd Streets, will open to the public on September 21, 2025.
“While Calder’s works can be found all over the world, it’s here in Philadelphia that we have the most comprehensive collection of Calder works,” Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro told a crowd gathered at Calder Gardens on Monday, Sept. 15.
Who was Alexander Calder?
Alexander Calder was born in Lawnton, Pennsylvania, in 1898 and he died in New York City in 1976.
He was a sculptor known for mobiles, static sculptures and monumental public art sculptures.
Organizers for the garden credited him with developing a new method of sculpting in the 1920s, saying that he essentially “drew” three-dimensional figures in space by bending and twisting wire.
He is renowned for the invention of the mobile, whose suspended, abstract elements move and balance in changing harmony, organizers also noted.
From the 1950s onward, organizers said, Calder increasingly devoted himself to making outdoor sculptures on a grand scale from bolted steel plate.
Calder’s father and grandfather, Alexander Milne Calder, were sculptors as well. Calder’s grandfather immigrated to Philadelphia in 1868 and also created the statue of William Penn that rests atop City Hall to this day.
What is Calder Gardens?
As detailed by organizers in a statement about the new space, Calder Gardens is “a unique collaboration between the Calder Foundation, which is providing the curatorial vision, and the Barnes Foundation, which is providing administrative and operational support through an innovative resource-sharing model.”
The site’s gardens and meadows, featuring native and perennial species, were created by renowned Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf, organizers said.
The building at the gardens — which organizers described as “a gently curved structure with a softly shimmering metal-clad north façade and an understated wood south façade reminiscent of Calder’s own bohemian home in Connecticut” — was designed by Pritzker Prize–winning firm Herzog & de Meuron.
“In this setting where architecture and nature commune, visitors will find a wide range of works by Calder both inside and outside. The artworks on display will change over time and include rarely seen masterpieces, some on public view for the first time,” organizers said.
What to know before you go
Calder Gardens will open to the public beginning on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. The gardens will be open to the public Wednesdays through Mondays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tickets to visit cost:
- Adults: $18
- Seniors: $16
- College students (with valid ID): $5
- Youth (13–18): $5
- 12 and under: Free
Memberships and tickets are now available at caldergardens.org.
Also, organizers said that, before the opening date, there will be Chaos and Kisses: A Grand Opening Parade for Calder Gardens, a free public parade conceived by acclaimed artist, composer, and musician Arto Lindsay and organized by Juana Berrío, Marsha Perelman Senior Director of Programs at Calder Gardens, held at the gardens on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. .
Editor’s Note: Calder Gardens’ opening events were underwritten, in part, by Comcast NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC10.
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