griffis sculpture park

It is very out of the way and not nearly as beautiful or fun to hike as other nearby places, I will not be returning. I do not agree with the very positive reviews. It might be ok for little ones, my teens grew bored very quick. I would rather go to Allegheny State Park.

The towering sculptures flanking the entrance announce boldly The 'speciality la maison' into this amazing sylvan setting. Amazing display of a collection that features 200 sculptures fashioned out of aluminium, bronze,steel, cast- iron and wood. The mindset of the artists' pieces, as well as the curative ensemble, shows high calibre and tones inherent on display. Whimsy is certainly high up there. We followed the easy trails that criss-cross the park's 400 acres of meadows, ponds and lightly wooded slopes. As we walked, abstract forms and surreal figures literally pop out boldly into view or lurk to astonish you amongst the trees.. There are plenty of meditative spots catch your breath and contemplate the excellent array of sculptures. This is no walk in the park, in a manner of speaking, for it's a full days outing to capture just a portion of this wonderland. We loved the striking sculptures of a giant woman striding across the field, while not far away, a bishop confronts a king and queen. Further apiece, we came upon a flight of giant geese, a life-size giraffe browsing for twigs at the edge of the woods, while a huge silvery crab with a gigantic, rust-coloured mantis had a king cobra for company. the juxtapositioning is superb. At the pond we encountered glistening aluminium bathers, a real testimonial to the uniqueness and charm aplenty in this park. We will have to return to see it again when the leaves turn russet and gold.

This year Griffis added lights to the park. The path is lit leading to the lake and surrounding sculptures. Very nice. They open at dark certain nights charging $10 per adult. TAKE A FLASHLIGHT.

There are actually two parks within a few miles of each other. The one in Ashford Hollow has (in my opinion), the more interesting sculptures. The one in East Otto feels a little more intimate, perhaps because the open (treeless) areas seems smaller and more of the sculptures seem tucked along wooded paths (but, I haven't explored the entirety of either place, so it might just be the areas I got to). You need to be in fair shape to appreciate all of either park. You need to hike out to the sculptures and the terrain is very hilly in some places. But, it is a beautiful area and a gorgeous spot for a walk/hike with the surreal experience of finding sculptures along the way. We went towards evening this trip so that week could take in the special lighting they have during a few weeks in the Fall. I hadn't expected much from the lighting, but I was pleasantly surprised. The colored lights and some special light effects ranged from eerie to romantic to surreal. There were a lot of families there and the kids were really digging it, squealing with delight as the roamed the dark woods amidst colored lights. Biggest drawback is that there are only portapotties...and the parking areas are smallish to handle the crowds drawn during special events like the lighting.

Very interesting. The park is huge with the sculptures scattered throughout. Be prepared to do a lot of walking. There is also a second section of the park on another road. Would have liked a map to follow. Also, there is very limited parking at the main entrance. Would come again.

We drove to Griffis Park the day after we arrived. It was our first attraction we visited on our trip. We had a nice walk up the side of a mountain looking at sculptures. We enjoyed as some were ordinary..others unusual..and some quirky!! We loved the maidens reflected in the pond!! Thank you....

I had read about this online, both on TA and on some other websites. It was also in a local paper as a recommended attraction so we figured we would check it out when we could.When we first arrived, I thought hey this is going to be cool and it was but there were a lot of things I disliked. The first thing was an empty shack with hand-written signs advising to stay away from certain locations at the top of the hill. There was not a brochure, or take-along map of any kind so this to me says there are not enough attendees to afford paying staff members.Only one set of washrooms near the very beginning and they are camping style porta potties which we avoided at all costs. Given the rest of the maintenance issues, I was not entirely sure of what one would expect inside. If you can find a Tim Horton's, McDonald's or the like before going it would be HIGHLY recommended as once on course there were no others to be found.There is no service of any kind, you do it all on your own. The $5 entrance fee is "by donation" and works entirely on the honor system. The sad part is that, they must have had some issues with people stealing the donations that had been made as a camera had been installed to prevent future occurrences.This place is huge, and you could easily spend an afternoon here if you decide to do a picnic or something of the sort so allow at a minimum 2 full hours. Map system could use some updates however. For example there is a large map at the beginning that shows a green, blue and red trail. Only the first trail you head out onto is actually yellow so right of the start it was a little confusing. The map shown at the front entrance is NOT the same as the one that is posted throughout the park. Relatively easy to get lost, although you could generally find your way back. It's just not marked very well, and the map is not entirely representative of the actual loops. There are branches with sculptures not marked at all on the map so you are weaving in and out all over the place never being entirely sure where you are.Would like to see more information about the sculptures themselves. Some are marked with the artist and the name but nothing about what went into the making of them. If the intention is to leave people guessing afterwards then they have done a good job of that. Brochures or maps at the entrance would have been good but even that was nowhere to be found.Recommend bringing bug spray, especially if you are going anywhere near dusk. We encountered several mosquito's and I believe there were some deer flies to be found as well. Also, if you can avoid going immediately after it has rained it would be a good idea unless you have the proper foot wear. Going with running shoes will be a bad idea, as the majority of it is walking in grass which was drenched when we were there. Picking our paths carefully was the only way our feet remained relatively dry.Overall I was very disappointed. The sculptures themselves are beautiful in my opinion with some of course being more enjoyable then others. There is so much room for improvement here, and of course that requires funds but it appears basic upkeep has been let go. Near the bathers area, it appears that individuals have actually taken a couple of the sculptures and moved them into the weeds. Signs on several sculptures have been removed from the ground or fallen over. Not being able to ask questions or get any kind of answers was extremely frustrating and never knowing exactly where to turn was even more so. There are easily over 200 sculptures and only 8 labelled locations on the map which should give you a sense of how all over the place the sculptures are placed. I would not recommend it nor would I probably return. If I did return, since I had already paid admission once I likely wouldn't pay to go back and would just go to see the stuff that I might have missed previously.

This place is big enough to get lost in -- and we did, in the rain, no less. But we loved it. It's full of gigantic steel sculptures -- of insects, of vaguely mythological figures, of toy submarines and the like for kids to play in. The sculptures are in gardens and in fields, separated by hiking trails. You think you're just taking a hike through the woods back to your car, and lo! A field opens up before you containing yet another collection. Pack a lunch, bring your GPS, and enjoy the show.

Love wandering around here. Great location and beautiful sculptures. Nice for a picnic, or just lying in the sun to read a good book.

We've been visiting this park for years and it never gets old. The fall is lovely with the changing colors and this past year we tried the winter snow shoe which was wonderful. Payment is on the honor system and I encourage everyone to contribute to support this wonderful park. We will be back.

A tucked away little treasure! Beautiful hiking, hidden gems, unusual statues... a very intriguing place in a beautiful spot!

Oddity at its best. There are 2 different signs for Griffis park when you get to the top of the dirt road, one takes you through a walk in the wood, where you will experience something new around each bend.these are welded metal huge sculptures that someone has created in the woods. Then as you drive to the other part of the park ,there is a garden of wonder, a must do if your visiting Buffalo area.

This place has been on my bucket list forever. It was a rainy kind of day, but we still went, and I'm so glad I did, I will be back!So much open space, and trails, you could easily. Spend a few days In this park. Between the wildlife and the sculptures, on the trails. It was a great day!!! Even in between the sprinkles.

Sometimes on our way to ski in Ellicottville you see the faded signs to Griffis and are reminded that we have a real hidden treasure nearby. Try to visit on a cool sunny day and enjoy a hike through the hills and forest to see some fun and interesting sculptures. The views from the upper area are amazing and the sculptures are "climbing friendly". Bring good walking shoes, bug spray and water and hang out. Even a trip with 3 fifteen year old boys turned into a "three hour tour" because it's fun for everyone. Honor system admission. This place survives on donations from what I can tell. Agree with other reviewers that a brochure or even a sign that explains a little about the history of this place, the sculptures and artists would enhance the experience. Really enjoyed out latest trip to this park.

This would get a 5 star rating because it is really cool, however, there was not one bit of information available at the visitor center (which was a hut) and it is high season there. Back to the park though, AMAZING! Great hiking and the sculptures pop out of nowhere. Truly magnificent. Some of the sculptures are 25-30 feet high. I wish I would have had more information about the artwork, the man, the park.... that would have made it perfect!