Philadelphia

Calder Gardens set to open along Ben Franklin Parkway in September

Calder Gardens Foundation

Philadelphia is set to welcome a new cultural destination this fall with the opening of Calder Gardens along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

With a building designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning firm Herzog & de Meuron and gardens by internationally acclaimed landscape designer Piet Oudolf, the 1.8-arce sanctuary will highlight the art and ideas of Alexander Calder, an abstract sculptor, painter, and Philadelphia native.

In a recent press release, the Board of Trustees of Calder Gardens announced that they will open doors in September 2025 and that curator, educator, and arts programmer Juana Berrío has been appointed as the Marsha Perelman Senior Director of Programs.

“I am thrilled to join Calder Gardens, a unique space that integrates art, architecture, and nature to invite self-reflection,” Berrío said in a press release. “I look forward to working with the team to design rich cross-pollinations between artistic and nonartistic practices, with diverse communities, and between humans, flora, and fauna. Calder’s own passion for interdisciplinary collaborations and experimentation at large provides a perfect context for Calder Gardens to become one of the most innovative and forward-thinking spaces for art and culture today.”

Through an innovative collaboration, the Barnes Foundation will provide administrative, operational, and educational programming support to Calder Gardens in what constitutes a new model for institutional sustainability and efficiency.

Calder Gardens will be located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 21st and 22nd Streets, across from the Barnes Foundation and the Rodin Museum.

According to the Calder Foundation, the cultural institution will feature inclusive public programs and special events.

Below is a glimpse of what Calder Gardens will look like when it opens:

The exterior of Calder Gardens. In the distance are high-rises.
Calder Foundation
Parkway Garden rendering, Calder Gardens, 2022. © Herzog & de Meuron.
A sculpture stands surrounded by grasses and flowers
Calder Foundation
Sunken Garden rendering, Calder Gardens, 2022. © Herzog & de Meuron. All works by Alexander Calder © 2025 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Rendering shows a girl admiring a large sculpture in an indoor area. Behind her is a large opening to gardens.
Calder Foundation
Open Plan Gallery rendering, Calder Gardens, 2022. © Herzog & de Meuron. All works by Alexander Calder © 2025 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Calder was born in Philadelphia in 1898 to a sculptor father and painter mother. Three generations of Calder work are already located along the Ben Franklin Parkway: atop City Hall is the statue of William Penn by Calder’s grandfather, Alexander Milne Calder; Logan Circle features the Swann Memorial Fountain by Calder’s father, Alexander Stirling Calder; and Calder’s “The Ghost” sculpture hangs in the main hall of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

You can learn more about Calder Gardens by visiting caldergardens.org.

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