Favorite cafe on the Grounds. Portions are pretty large, definitely larger than you'd expect. The service was good. It took a little while, but the food was well prepared and therefore worth the wait, in my opinion. I personally enjoyed the fries (I am admittedly very simple). Plus, they bring it out to you. Nice people behind the counter. There's nice natural lighting from the surrounding windows and you can see peacocks strutting by occasionally, as suggested by the name. It's also a nice cool place to relax after a good while spent in the scorching sun. It is more cost friendly than the Rats Restaurant and you get more for your buck than at the Van Gogh Cafe. Anyway, my point is that you should give it a try.
Thomas Yates
It will reopen this summer.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
J C
It was closed so couldn’t get anything to eat but the peacocks that walk around are gorgeous ?
Diane C.
Cute cafe for eating while at Grounds for Sculpture. Indoor and outdoor dining is available. In 2019, we had a poached chicken sandwich which was delicious. On 4/11/22, We shared a large yummy roast beef panini. Food consists of paninis and other sandwiches. Beverages consist of bottled water, soda, beer and wine. While eating outdoors, you'll experience beautiful peacocks stopping by your table. Don't think their stopping by to chat. LOL. In addition, you'll have a lovely view of turtles and stunning koi fish in the waters.
Matt P.
A must-do trip for anyone in New Jersey. I'm a local, born-and-raised Jersey boy and I didn't even visit until the pandemic, which coincidentally was a great way to socially distance ourselves outdoors. The property is massive and never ends, with little nooks and crannies of statues and pieces, some hidden and tucked away. Makes for a great game of artsy hide and seek. While it rained on our parade (literally), it still didn't take away the shine of the experience in itself. Swing by nearby Princeton for a quick touristy visit en route home.
Betty P.
What a wonderful experience for young and old. I am never disappointed when I visit. You get your exercise, enjoy nature and fine art. What could be better.
Greg J.
Very neat place. They have many odd sculptures. You will definitely walk a lot here but I enjoyed the walk. I would also suggest coming here when there is leafs on the tread because it's probably a lot nicer looking when walking through.
James M.
Bravo!!!!! The Grounds are always a special place to go! Bar & Lounge at Rats Restaurant always a treat. Resturant I don't found as special!
Jamila C.
We went at night and expected the sculptures to be more illuminated than they were. Many of us had to light our way, and the sculptures, by using the flashlight on our phones. There's definitely enough to see, but maybe we would've had a better experience during the day. I was able to take pictures of the sculptures that had pretty good lighting.
Shonda W.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the Grounds For Sculpture!! It's great place to escape on an adventure or road trip!! It's absolutely gorgeous, relaxing and a great learning experience!! The life size sculptures are amazing and look so real!! There is a lot of walking and a lot of paths to take to see amazing works of art and sculptures everywhere. There is plenty of benches, tables, seats throughout the entire grounds so the walking doesn't matter because you can grab a seat just about every 20 feet or so. Also, they do have motorized chairs that you can rent to just cruise around on the grounds if walking is an issue. The weather shouldn't be a reason to stop you either because in the cold weather they have little warming houses with a heater and comfy chairs. It's a very nice, comfy and cozy warming room with beautiful sculptures for you to look at while you warm up! In the hot weather they probably the warming rooms into cooling rooms just in case you need to cool down. In addition to magnificent sculptures outside there are a ton of more amazing sculptures and things inside the main building as well as other buildings throughout the grounds. There are also beautiful peacocks that walk around the grounds that don't bother you, are not afraid of you and will come and/or let you get within 2 feet. There are a couple places inside the main building where you can purchase food and a great little store with lots of cool things. Also, there is the Rat's Restaurant on the property where you could make a reservation to have a nice lunch and/or dinner. They have great foods! You can even take your own food and just have a picnic anywhere you pick! There are tables and chairs along the water that would make a great spot too!! There are tons of tables and chairs throughout the entire grounds! Or, you could just pull out your blanket and have a picnic on the ground looking at absolutely gorgeous sculptures as you dine! There are plenty of restrooms and the entire grounds is extremely well kept!!! This is my third visit to Grounds For Sculpture and most definitely not my last!! I still have not seen everything because it's so much to find and see!! I've been on tour guide before and a self-guided tour and still have probably only seen half of the sculptures. I do recommend setting up a tour guide especially if it's your first visit. You will not have to stay with your guide throughout your entire visit you can pick how long you would like a guide because you have to pay for the service but it's worth it. There is a large map of the Grounds that you can pick up in the main building if you do a self-guided tour and you will most definitely need it!! I DEFINITELY recommend Grounds For Sculpture for you to do alone, with family and/or friends!! You will be so WOWED!!!!! Oh one last thing try to purchase your ticket online because you will save $8 per ticket. It ONLY cost me $10 and you can stay as long as you want even if you make the wrong turn on a path and end up back in the parking lot just go right back in! It's PHENOMENAL!!!!
I loved visiting this sculpture garden so much, what an amazing, wonderful place! There is a huge variety of sculptures from modern to the life size wooden people strategically placed all over this park. Every twist and turn is a new discovery. It is also a lovely botanic garden as well. We were there for about 4-5 hours and saw everything. We almost missed the meadows section across the street, but luckily we followed the signs near the parking lot and there were some amazing huge dancing ladies and a few other really cool pieces. We went in September and it was lovely, but I bet spring and fall would be spectacular!
Doug D.
Grounds for Sculpture is one of the best places to visit in New Jersey. Yes that is a bold statement. They currently have limited entry, so you need to book in advance on their website. It turns out that we picked a really good day to go. We enjoyed it even more because they weren't overcrowded. The facility is basically very, very interesting sculptures and statues with a modern twist, set in beautiful gardens. My mom worked at the agriculture department for her career, and even she was impressed with the quality of the gardens. They must have a very well trained staff schooled in horticulture in place. I can say with a reasonable amount of confidence that the whole family will enjoy it. These days with the coronavirus, it's even more enjoyable because everything is outside. Also with cell phone cameras, you will have so many opportunities to take funny photos. We heard good things about the restaurant on site, but we ate elsewhere that day. I will have to go back. All the statues are pretty modern, so maybe I would've appreciated seeing some cool older ones, too. There was one sign, which was very small, that described the history of the grounds. It goes back to the 18th century when Trenton was one of the most important cities in the United States. I would've appreciated to have learned more about the history of the facility, so that would be a suggestion for improvement. The cost of admission was $18 for an adult and $15 for a senior citizen, which I felt was totally reasonable for the amount of work that is involved in taking care of that facility. It'll keep you busy for about three hours.
Natty C.
Such a fun activity especially for art lovers. It is mostly all outdoors. I really enjoyed my visit and can't wait to come back. Admission was $18 for adults and I purchased my ticket online. Parking was free.
Breana B.
Beautiful place! The grounds are very large and 3 hours went by quickly! There are so many different sculptures and areas. Due to covid some of the exhibits were closed. Alot of nice spots for photo ops as well, areas to sit and relax are around the grounds also. Be prepared for alot of walking!
Patricia T.
A most unusual park and setting for the arts. The park, on old fair grounds, was donated by Seward Johnson of the J&J pharmaceutical family. The grounds were particularly beautiful on the day I visited. This is a worthy place to spend the day for a few hours. Be prepared for lots of walking in this beautiful grounds for sculpture with its many exhibits. It is a grand cultural experience all in a park like setting. There are live peacocks, refreshment areas and glorious pieces of art throughout. We stopped at Rat's restaurant on the grounds for lunch. The ambiance is like no other. The food was secondary to the romantic and artsy setting. There is a fee for admission to the park but not for the restaurant.
Favorite cafe on the Grounds. Portions are pretty large, definitely larger than you'd expect. The service was good. It took a little while, but the food was well prepared and therefore worth the wait, in my opinion. I personally enjoyed the fries (I am admittedly very simple). Plus, they bring it out to you. Nice people behind the counter. There's nice natural lighting from the surrounding windows and you can see peacocks strutting by occasionally, as suggested by the name. It's also a nice cool place to relax after a good while spent in the scorching sun. It is more cost friendly than the Rats Restaurant and you get more for your buck than at the Van Gogh Cafe. Anyway, my point is that you should give it a try.
It will reopen this summer.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
It was closed so couldn’t get anything to eat but the peacocks that walk around are gorgeous ?
Cute cafe for eating while at Grounds for Sculpture. Indoor and outdoor dining is available. In 2019, we had a poached chicken sandwich which was delicious. On 4/11/22, We shared a large yummy roast beef panini. Food consists of paninis and other sandwiches. Beverages consist of bottled water, soda, beer and wine. While eating outdoors, you'll experience beautiful peacocks stopping by your table. Don't think their stopping by to chat. LOL. In addition, you'll have a lovely view of turtles and stunning koi fish in the waters.
A must-do trip for anyone in New Jersey. I'm a local, born-and-raised Jersey boy and I didn't even visit until the pandemic, which coincidentally was a great way to socially distance ourselves outdoors. The property is massive and never ends, with little nooks and crannies of statues and pieces, some hidden and tucked away. Makes for a great game of artsy hide and seek. While it rained on our parade (literally), it still didn't take away the shine of the experience in itself. Swing by nearby Princeton for a quick touristy visit en route home.
What a wonderful experience for young and old. I am never disappointed when I visit. You get your exercise, enjoy nature and fine art. What could be better.
Very neat place. They have many odd sculptures. You will definitely walk a lot here but I enjoyed the walk. I would also suggest coming here when there is leafs on the tread because it's probably a lot nicer looking when walking through.
Bravo!!!!! The Grounds are always a special place to go! Bar & Lounge at Rats Restaurant always a treat. Resturant I don't found as special!
We went at night and expected the sculptures to be more illuminated than they were. Many of us had to light our way, and the sculptures, by using the flashlight on our phones. There's definitely enough to see, but maybe we would've had a better experience during the day. I was able to take pictures of the sculptures that had pretty good lighting.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the Grounds For Sculpture!! It's great place to escape on an adventure or road trip!! It's absolutely gorgeous, relaxing and a great learning experience!! The life size sculptures are amazing and look so real!! There is a lot of walking and a lot of paths to take to see amazing works of art and sculptures everywhere. There is plenty of benches, tables, seats throughout the entire grounds so the walking doesn't matter because you can grab a seat just about every 20 feet or so. Also, they do have motorized chairs that you can rent to just cruise around on the grounds if walking is an issue. The weather shouldn't be a reason to stop you either because in the cold weather they have little warming houses with a heater and comfy chairs. It's a very nice, comfy and cozy warming room with beautiful sculptures for you to look at while you warm up! In the hot weather they probably the warming rooms into cooling rooms just in case you need to cool down. In addition to magnificent sculptures outside there are a ton of more amazing sculptures and things inside the main building as well as other buildings throughout the grounds. There are also beautiful peacocks that walk around the grounds that don't bother you, are not afraid of you and will come and/or let you get within 2 feet. There are a couple places inside the main building where you can purchase food and a great little store with lots of cool things. Also, there is the Rat's Restaurant on the property where you could make a reservation to have a nice lunch and/or dinner. They have great foods! You can even take your own food and just have a picnic anywhere you pick! There are tables and chairs along the water that would make a great spot too!! There are tons of tables and chairs throughout the entire grounds! Or, you could just pull out your blanket and have a picnic on the ground looking at absolutely gorgeous sculptures as you dine! There are plenty of restrooms and the entire grounds is extremely well kept!!! This is my third visit to Grounds For Sculpture and most definitely not my last!! I still have not seen everything because it's so much to find and see!! I've been on tour guide before and a self-guided tour and still have probably only seen half of the sculptures. I do recommend setting up a tour guide especially if it's your first visit. You will not have to stay with your guide throughout your entire visit you can pick how long you would like a guide because you have to pay for the service but it's worth it. There is a large map of the Grounds that you can pick up in the main building if you do a self-guided tour and you will most definitely need it!! I DEFINITELY recommend Grounds For Sculpture for you to do alone, with family and/or friends!! You will be so WOWED!!!!! Oh one last thing try to purchase your ticket online because you will save $8 per ticket. It ONLY cost me $10 and you can stay as long as you want even if you make the wrong turn on a path and end up back in the parking lot just go right back in! It's PHENOMENAL!!!!
Restaurantji Recommends
I loved visiting this sculpture garden so much, what an amazing, wonderful place! There is a huge variety of sculptures from modern to the life size wooden people strategically placed all over this park. Every twist and turn is a new discovery. It is also a lovely botanic garden as well. We were there for about 4-5 hours and saw everything. We almost missed the meadows section across the street, but luckily we followed the signs near the parking lot and there were some amazing huge dancing ladies and a few other really cool pieces. We went in September and it was lovely, but I bet spring and fall would be spectacular!
Grounds for Sculpture is one of the best places to visit in New Jersey. Yes that is a bold statement. They currently have limited entry, so you need to book in advance on their website. It turns out that we picked a really good day to go. We enjoyed it even more because they weren't overcrowded. The facility is basically very, very interesting sculptures and statues with a modern twist, set in beautiful gardens. My mom worked at the agriculture department for her career, and even she was impressed with the quality of the gardens. They must have a very well trained staff schooled in horticulture in place. I can say with a reasonable amount of confidence that the whole family will enjoy it. These days with the coronavirus, it's even more enjoyable because everything is outside. Also with cell phone cameras, you will have so many opportunities to take funny photos. We heard good things about the restaurant on site, but we ate elsewhere that day. I will have to go back. All the statues are pretty modern, so maybe I would've appreciated seeing some cool older ones, too. There was one sign, which was very small, that described the history of the grounds. It goes back to the 18th century when Trenton was one of the most important cities in the United States. I would've appreciated to have learned more about the history of the facility, so that would be a suggestion for improvement. The cost of admission was $18 for an adult and $15 for a senior citizen, which I felt was totally reasonable for the amount of work that is involved in taking care of that facility. It'll keep you busy for about three hours.
Such a fun activity especially for art lovers. It is mostly all outdoors. I really enjoyed my visit and can't wait to come back. Admission was $18 for adults and I purchased my ticket online. Parking was free.
Beautiful place! The grounds are very large and 3 hours went by quickly! There are so many different sculptures and areas. Due to covid some of the exhibits were closed. Alot of nice spots for photo ops as well, areas to sit and relax are around the grounds also. Be prepared for alot of walking!
A most unusual park and setting for the arts. The park, on old fair grounds, was donated by Seward Johnson of the J&J pharmaceutical family. The grounds were particularly beautiful on the day I visited. This is a worthy place to spend the day for a few hours. Be prepared for lots of walking in this beautiful grounds for sculpture with its many exhibits. It is a grand cultural experience all in a park like setting. There are live peacocks, refreshment areas and glorious pieces of art throughout. We stopped at Rat's restaurant on the grounds for lunch. The ambiance is like no other. The food was secondary to the romantic and artsy setting. There is a fee for admission to the park but not for the restaurant.