While major attractions and theme parks make up for a bulk of its tourism, Orlando also quietly boasts a thriving arts scene and a rich variety of native foliage. These two seemingly disparate features can be enjoyed in tandem just south of the Orlando International Airport at the Lake Nona Sculpture Garden in Orlando’s innovative Lake Nona neighborhood.
This free, publicly accessible garden opened in 2022 alongside the Lake Nona Wave Hotel. Walk into the front entrance of the hotel and through the lobby and you’ll enter a 50,000 square-foot outdoor space bursting with tropical trees, fragrant flowers and both world-renowned and locally created art.
Many of the sculptures on display here are part of the Lewis Collection, a distinguished collection of international works and one of the world’s largest private collections. Walking along the tree-lined paths, visitors can see iconic pieces like Arturo di Modica’s Charging Bull, Fernando Botero’s Leda and the Swan, Henry Moore’s Mother and Child, and Eric Goulder’s Postmodern Man. The garden also features work from local artists like Orlando-based JEFRË, whose reflective humanesque figures bounce Florida sunshine about the verdant garden. The rotating collection is intended to not only connect locals with the work of international artists, but also introduce faraway visitors to Orlando’s own artistic character.
The natural elements here are no less deliberate. Some 300 hand-selected palm trees are arranged in waves throughout the space to guide visitors from piece to piece. The canopy of fronds creates pockets of shade while fragrant shrubs like gardenia, ylang-ylang, and jasmine perfume the air below. Seating is distributed in alcoves throughout the garden to allow visitors to take their time experiencing both the handmade and natural beauty of this lush, secluded garden.
