Gilgal Gardens in right in the middle of a neighborhood near downtown Salt Lake City. It's a strange place. We planned a trip to Patsy's Mine (next blog entry) in Farmington, and thought it would be a perfect time to stop at Gilgal Gardens on the way.
Gilgal Gardens contains 12 original sculptures and over 70 large stones engraved with scriptures, poem, and hymns. Thomas Child was a strong member of the LDS Church and in 1945 started the gardens when he was 57 years old. He wanted to make a place in his yard to go that would create a sanctuary to shut out fear and provide a place to rest and relax and ponder his beliefs.
He went to great lengths to find huge stones, some weighing up to 62 tons for his sculptures. He traveled across Utah always looking for the "perfect stone" to add to his garden. He named the gardens Gilgal after the biblical location Joshua ordered the Israelites to place twelve stones as a memorial, and translated, Gilgal means "circle of standing stones.
There are no plaques explaining the sculptures or anything...you just walk around, look and ponder and talk about the abstractness of the sculptures.
Very interesting place for sure!
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| This one was strange - arms and leg parts and faces all over |
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| Sphinx with the head of Joseph Smith |
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