Topiary Park

Topiary Park is a living sculpture garden in the Discovery District of Columbus that recreates an artwork through carefully trimmed plants. The space spans seven acres with dozens of life-sized figures, boats, and animals arranged across gentle slopes and around a central pond.

The site once housed a school for the deaf beginning in the 1800s until its closure and relocation in the mid-1900s. Artists James and Elaine Mason later transformed the abandoned campus into this outdoor artwork.

The garden recreates a famous painting through living sculptures, letting you walk through a scene you might recognize from an art book. As you stroll past the trimmed figures, you begin to notice how the artist arranged them just like in the original artwork.

The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset with public restrooms and a visitor center on the grounds. Public transit lines provide convenient access, and the gently rolling terrain is generally easy to walk through.

The sculptors created bronze frames to guide how the plants grow, giving the topiaries their precise forms over time. The tending of these living sculptures requires ongoing skill and patience, as the plants must be trimmed throughout the growing season.

Location: Columbus

Location: Franklin County

Inception: 1992

Address: 480 E. Town St., Columbus, Ohio 43215

Website: https://columbus.gov/recreationandparks/parks/Topiary-Garden-(Deaf-School-Park)

GPS coordinates: 39.96111,-82.98756

Latest update: December 6, 2025 19:10