The Old Deaf School
As you walk down the path toward the pond, you can see the re-purposed, remaining building of the Old Deaf School in the background.
The Topiary Garden
The garden itself is a topiary representation of Georges Seurat’s Post-Impressionist painting, A Sunday
Afternoon on the Isle of La Grand Jatte. Sources say that this garden is the only known topiary
representation of a painting. The garden contains 54 human figures, eight
boats, three dogs, a monkey and a cat—each made of yew and the tallest
standing at 12 feet. The scene also includes a man-made pond to
represent the River Seine, with boat-shaped topiaries. The Topiary Garden changes with the seasons as various plants bloom at different times. In the various photos, the framework for spring and summer foliage is visible during the winter months.
The Old Deaf School Park holds a few tables and benches for visitors.
The Topiary Garden Museum Store
The museum store is open seasonally during limited hours. I have not been to the park when the store has been open--but, hopefully, I can take a look inside this summer!
What Happened to the Old Deaf School?
The original school ground was left vacant in the 1940's when a new campus was built in another area of the city and the buildings and grounds suffered through decades of disrepair. A fire damaged the structure significantly in the 1980's. The only remaining structure from the original Deaf School has been rebuilt and repurposed and currently houses the Cristo Rey Columbus High School. You can learn more about the Old Deaf School and the Topiary Garden on The Topiary Park website.
7 Comments
Wowzers. So beautiful. I would love to visit that place. Very interesting about the Deaf School and the history there to me as I work next door to CSD (California School for the Deaf). Thanks for hosting and I hope you have a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful gardens! Walking around there seems like a perfect way to spend a day. Happy Wednesday!
ReplyDeleteHow cool!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2018/02/some-more-from-nasher-museum.html
Such great designs. Thanks for sharing. What a beautiful idea for scenery for the students.
ReplyDeletePeabea@Peabea Scribbles
Love that garden!
ReplyDeleteVery cool garden!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely place to visit!
ReplyDeleteHappy WW!