“Bizarre art.. and home of the glass coffin!”
Home to strange folk art and political art. “S.P. Dinsmoor, retired Civil War Veteran, started building the Cabin Home and Garden of Eden in 1904, at the age of 64. His sculptures are as interesting as his biography, with each and every element having a story to tell.” Dinsmoor's concrete sculptures soar over visitors' heads, silhouetted against the Kansas sky. From grieving widows to a conquering Goddess of Liberty, scoundrels and grafters of society to sweetly sentimental portraits, explore some of the images captured at the Garden of Eden... Perhaps the strangest part about the Garden of Eden is the fact that it's creator's body can be viewed in it's glass-sided tomb right on the premises! As you peer in, you can see SP Dismoor's head, green with moss. Dinsmoor , the artist and social commentator, spent the years between 1907 and 1928 creating the Cabin Home and the Garden of Eden. He located his sculptural environment in a residential area, within walking distance of Main Street businesses and visible from the principal railroad track. It appears that Dinsmoor selected the location with the public in mind. The environment was a popular attraction; income from visitors' admission fees provided a degree of financial security for Dinsmoor and his family. He welcomed visitors and led tours of the site while the work was in progress. The Garden of Eden is best experienced in person. Guided tours tell the stories behind the sculptures and tales from the colorful life of Garden of Eden creator, S. P. Dinsmoor. Located in Lucas, the Grassroots Art Capital of Kansas.
Super fun little stop, if you like the oddness that people get up to with tons of time in their hands. Great tour guides, it was $7 on 8/8/16, and very enjoyable.
A must see if you pay extra you can see the guy that built this I am not sure how long he has been dead
Someone had a lot of time on their hands. It is interesting and creative. It's not quite what I picture when I think of the Garden of Eden Mentioned in the Bible. It's okay, but wasn't my favorite thing on our trip from Ohio to Colorado. To be fair though we did a lot of things.
One of my favorite places in Kansas. Very worth the trip to visit this unique place.
It's quite interesting worth a visit
Also MUST visit the public restroom in downtown... See BOWL PLAZA.
Very interesting place to stop. Beautiful house and gardens. Very interesting sculptures and even a CRYPT. Definitely see the crypt and visit Mr. Dinsmoor...
Extremely political and super strange. I usually like weird stuff and this was just blah. Not worth the thirty minute detour.
This place is fantastic. Enjoyed learning about this quirky (and talented) artist and seeing his work (plus... his skeleton). A very cool stop off the highway.
Be the first to add a review to the Garden of Eden.
Garden of Eden
Hours
- Sun - Sat: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Problem with this listing? Let us know.
-
Parking
-
Pets Allowed
-
Restrooms
-
Wifi
-
Wheelchair Accessible
-
Credit Cards Accepted
Parking
Nearby Hotels
Related Trip Guides
Road Trip Down US 83: The Road to Nowhere
- 36 Places
- 34:43
- 1,869 mi
The top things to do on a Route 66 road trip
- 41 Places
- 38:08
- 2,284 mi
Make the most of Kansas' 14 mile stretch of Route 66
- 7 Places
- 00:22
- 12 mi
Road trip along the Oregon Trail: A journey through history
- 31 Places
- 36:24
- 2,114 mi