The Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center in Solomons Maryland

If you are looking for a great place to get away and become one with nature, then I suggest you visit the Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center in Solomons, Maryland. Keep in mind that this garden is not your traditional garden; instead, it is one filled with fairy houses, wooded paths, tree carvings, painted trees, and various sculptures, some of which are on loan from the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and The National Gallery of Art.

The Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center consists of primarily all re-purposed items and offers fun for the entire family. If bringing the children, be sure to visit the art room inside for a fun filled day of creating wonderful works of art using all re-purposed materials. Or, simply enjoy the day inside viewing the brilliant exhibits.

Some of the wonderful things you will see while winding through the Annmarie Sculpture Gardens are the various fairy houses that are created by the different garden clubs throughout Southern Maryland.

These fairy houses are fashioned with all types of items, mostly re-purposed materials, and they are on display in order to be judged to win an award for their creativity. Some of the fairy houses are so intricate that you may find yourself gazing at the many details for minutes on end, while others you may just simply pass by.

Just a hint: Be sure to look in all of the nooks and crannies because the fairy houses can be found in the least expected places throughout the garden.

If you decide to visit the Annmarie Sculpture Gardens for the fairy houses, please make sure you check with them first to make sure that these houses were not a "one time" event. I would hate for you to go all the way there to find something else in their place.

If you choose to meander through the wooded paths, be sure to find “The Women’s Walk” sculptures. These bronze sculptures of females celebrate the female form and convey a story about the exploration of being a female. They are all on loan from the Smithsonian Institutions’ Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. They are magnificent and truly worth seeing.

“Girl with Braids” was created by Gerhard Marcks

“Torso” was created by Frederick Charles Shrady

“Standing Nude” was created by Nelli Bar

“Resting” was created by Paul Suttman

“Squatting Woman with Shawl” created by Francisco Zuniga

“Seated Woman” created by Francisco Zuniga

The women’s sculptures are not the only sculptures that add interest to this wonderful garden. Make sure to take in a few others such as:

“Big Skull II” created by Jack Zajac

“Large Head with Beard” created by Shay Reiger

“Mother and Child” created by Sorel Etrog

“Cluster of Four Cubes” created by George Rickey

Some other very interesting discoveries along the paths are the “Talking Benches” that are placed throughout. These benches are ornamented with tiles created by the children of Mutual Elementary School in St. Leonard, Maryland. Each bench sports tiles that represent different plants native to southern Maryland. If you find one, I encourage you to take a seat, look around, and see how many other wonderful treasures you can spot within the woods, such as tree paintings. It is definitely worth taking the extra time.

There are so many things to see at the Annmarie Sculpture Garden so I encourage you to consider it for a day trip if you live in Maryland or plan it into your next vacation. You won’t be disappointed if you love sculptures, items created from re-purposed materials and believe in living in an eco-friendly environment.

Below are a few pictures of what you can find inside at the Annmarie Sculpture Garden. You can find items made from bottle caps, jar lids, can tops, tide bottles, paint cans and more. There are additional sculptures, paintings, and exhibits. So why not pack a lunch and make a day of it. It definitely is worth the trip!