Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park, Sculpture garden in Thurston County, US

Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park is a free outdoor gallery along the Chehalis Western Trail near Tenino, Washington. The 5-acre site holds 160 sculptures, including a welded bicycle-parts piece at the entrance and stone works from the 1998 opening symposium lining the main path to the studio.

Artist Myrna Orsini and Doris Coonrod purchased the property in 1992, inspired by European art symposiums, and opened the center in 1998. The founders envisioned a space where contemporary art and landscape could coexist and develop together.

The space displays over 100 contemporary works by international and local artists, including pieces where visitors can leave messages and interact with sound installations, making art something you can touch and engage with directly.

The park is open from sunrise to sunset and accessible by foot or bike along established trails, with no vehicular access available. Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for outdoor conditions, as you will be moving through gardens and wooded areas.

A hedge maze shaped like a butterfly, one of only six of its kind in the world, once stood on the grounds. At the entrance, visitors are greeted by a welded sculpture made of bicycle parts, and the stone works carved at the 1998 opening symposium line the main path to the studio.