Robert Allerton Park, National Historic garden in Monticello, Illinois, US
Robert Allerton Park is a large estate featuring formal gardens, sculptures, and a Georgian-Revival mansion called The Farms. The grounds include walking trails through designed garden sections and natural areas, together offering diverse terrain to explore.
A wealthy Chicago heir created this estate in the early 1900s as a private retreat. In 1946, he donated the grounds to a university, transforming it into a publicly accessible destination.
The park displays artistic elements from multiple cultures, including neoclassical statues and Far Eastern art pieces distributed across the landscape. This arrangement reflects the founder's vision and creates spaces where visitors can see different traditions woven together in one place.
The grounds are open year-round for visitors to explore walking trails at their own pace. The mansion and certain garden sections can be visited during organized tours or special events.
One garden section contains a collection of 22 blue porcelain statues arranged in rows and framed by white fir trees. This Eastern art installation is one of the park's unexpected treasures and showcases the founder's international artistic taste.
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