WORTH THE DRIVE: Columbus is home to the only topiary replica of a painting in the world

The Topiary Garden, located in downtown Columbus, features a full-scale replica of the Georges Seurat's famous post-Impressionist painting, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of LaGrande Jatte."

Credit: The Topiary Park

Credit: The Topiary Park

The Topiary Garden, located in downtown Columbus, features a full-scale replica of the Georges Seurat's famous post-Impressionist painting, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of LaGrande Jatte."
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By Ashley Moor
March 18, 2021
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The city of Columbus has some very specific bragging rights in the gardening world. The Topiary Garden Park, located in the downtown Discovery District, is home to the world’s only topiary representation of a painting.

Topiary refers to the art of crafting ornamental shapes from shrubs or trees. Artists James T. Mason and his wife Elaine mastered this art in 1989 when they created the Topiary Garden Park. The park is actually a recreation of Georges Seurat’s famous post-Impressionist painting, called “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of LaGrande Jatte.”

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The Topiary Garden, located in downtown Columbus, is a replica of the painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of LaGrande Jatte" by Georges Seurat.

Credit: The Topiary Park

icon to expand image

Credit: The Topiary Park

The elements of the famous painting are spread out over six acres of artificial rolling hills and on the park’s pond, which is meant to represent the River Seine depicted in the painting. Guests can visit the “As He Saw It” point at the park to see the scene as Seurat did while he was painting it.

The Topiary Garden is actually a part of Old Deaf School Park, which used to house a dormitory and campus for the adjacent Deaf School in the 19th century.

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The Topiary Garden in downtown Columbus is home to the only topiary version of a painting in the world.

Credit: The Topiary Park

icon to expand image

Credit: The Topiary Park

The Topiary Garden Park, located at 400 E. Town St. in downtown Columbus, is open from dusk until dawn and is free to all visitors. To catch a glimpse of the park at its best, guests are encouraged to visit between April and November when the park is in full bloom. The park also features an illuminated walking trail and picnicking area.

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For more information about the Topiary Garden Park, pay a visit to the city of Columbus website.

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About the Author

Ashley Moor is a Dayton native and graduate of Kent State University. She is a multimedia journalist for Dayton.com, and strives to provide impactful stories about the community and its people.