Lately, we have been tourists in our own town! We especially like the free things! Yesterday we took advantage of the great weather and ventured to a place that is unlike any other! I think I could easily say this place is one of the most unusual and most interesting places in Salt Lake County. The place is called Gilgal Gardens. It is located just across the street (north) of Trolley Corners and is a hidden gem! I would recommend going here just to be blown away, laugh a little and be thoroughly impressed with how a certain artist's mind works!
Gilgal Gardens is a work by Thomas Child. He was a mason, a philosopher and an artist. The garden includes 12 sculptural arrangements and 70 stones engraved with scripture, poem and philosophical text. Child started the garden when he was 57 years old. He was also a great leader in the downtown community and a bishop of the LDS 10th ward for 19 years (can you even imagine!). His garden consumed much of his time and most of his money until he died in 1963. He said of the garden, "You don't have to agree with me, you may think I am a nut, but I hope I have aroused your thinking and curiosity."
Mission accomplished Mr. Child!
The garden was passed into new hands after the death of Child in 1963 and a group was formed to prevent development on the site and was turned into a public park in the year 2000. The park is now funded by Salt County, the LDS Church and the George S. and Dolores Eccles Foundation along with other private donors. I may just have to be a donor, now...this place is wicked awesome!
Here is Wes sitting on a representation of a sacrificial altar! The brick oven would be used to burn the sacrificial offerings. After the burning, grease would be collected from the oven and poured into the bowl and used as a "lamp of truth". How lucky we are to be living in civilization!
Me.
E.
This is a self portrait of Thomas Child. I love his brick trousers and stone jacket! He is holding a bible under one arm and blueprints under his other arm. He really was a fascinating man! So...I thought I would give him a little love!
This sculptural display represents the last chapter in the book of Ecclesiastes. "...and the grasshopper shall be a burden...". I'm not sure what the head means, but it was kind of creeping me out!
This large cornerstone in the arch symbolizes the gospel of the LDS church. I'm not sure if it is just floating up there or if it's bolted together for safety purposes, but I was a little nervous of my son walking around it and climbing on it!
Wes is leaning against the 4 cast stone books which represent the 4 books used in the LDS religion: The Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. They rest on a large boulder that symbolizes the "rock of revelation on which the LDS church was built upon". Wes thinks that the large books help to make him look smart!
This was by far my favorite sculpture!
The Sphinx represents Child's belief that the answers to life's great questions cannot be discovered with the intellect, but only through faith. The Sphinx is an ancient symbol of riddle and mystery, therefore, Child carved the face of the LDS prophet Joseph Smith into it to depict that the priesthood reveals to mankind the answers to life's mysteries! If course...why didn't I think of that!
Just one of the many, many carved garden stones!
This is a sculpture of the captain that appeared to Joshua in the Bible. The captain gave him a plan to assure the Israelite's victory over Jericho. Child never meant to carve the rock used as his head. He wanted to take advantage of the liberties of modern art. The 12 rocks formed in a circle at the base of the statue represent the 12 tribes of Israel. Also, this is where the Garden got it's name. Gilgal meaning "circle of sacred stones".
One of the REALLY great things about the garden is that it is nestled directly next to the Wonder Bread Factory. The whole time we were there, we could smell bread baking and yummy treats in the making! After our stay at the garden, we walked around the corner to check it out.
The sign reads: Bakery Thriftshop. Those are 2 of my most favorite words and when put together, they make my heart smile!
We opted for the cupcakes. Wes: orange. Me: chocolate.
......as you can see!
P.S. If you are wondering where I got my vast knowledge of the garden, I actually just picked up the tour book at the front gates and wrote from it!
9 comments:
That is the rock garden! When I was a teenager and we were out roaming the streets looking for stuff to do, we jumped a fence into the rock garden. I had heard about it from people and we thought it was all so creepy with scriptures and sculptures. we had a very different impression of it when we were breaking in, in the middle of the night. It freaked us out!
Wow! That looks like so much fun! We'll have to have a field trip there next time we visit! Miss you guys a ton!
I can't believe I've never heard of this place. LOVE that it is free! We will definitely be going. Thanks!
What??? I have lived in Utah for years and have never heard of this.
I love sculptures also and things just a little weird. The head and grasshopper are a little strange but I love it. I also love these nice days even if they don't stick around long.
Oh I forgot to say I like the "Heavenly Day" song too.
that sound like so much fun i want to go there next time we come down and have u ever been to blues diner down in salt lake ???
I am so glad I happened on to your blog today. I actually visited those gardens with an old boy friend while I was a student at BYU--a zillion years ago. I couldn't remember what they were called, but I did remember them being by Trolly Square, so one day I was telling Paul about them, tried to find them, but couldn't. Wow! I'd love to go see them again. Thanks for the post!
Ok, like everybody else, I want to go too! My fav is the sphinx with JS's head, uh...can you say wacko!
Isn't it great? I have actually been there and yes, it is certainly an unusual place. However, I too loved it. I happened on it accidentally one day while at work - well, I guess I was playing hooky!
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