deCordova's mission is to inspire, educate, and delight with contemporary art from New England and beyond through sculptures in the landscape and museum exhibitions.
Plan Your Visit
- Overview
- Ideas for Your Visit
- Admission & Hours
- Directions & Contact Info
- What You'll Find
- Facilities & Accessibility
- Venue Rental
- Property Map
- Regulations & Advisories
Overview
Established in 1950, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is the largest park of its kind in New England encompassing 30 acres, 20 miles west of Boston. In 2009, deCordova changed its name from deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park to deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum to emphasize its renewed focus on sculpture and to support the institution’s goal of becoming a premier Sculpture Park. Providing a constantly changing landscape of large-scale, outdoor, modern and contemporary sculpture and site-specific installations, the Sculpture Park hosts more than 60 works, the majority of which are on loan to the Museum. Inside, the Museum features a robust slate of rotating exhibitions and innovative interpretive programming.
Patrons of deCordova can enjoy year round activities in the Sculpture Park and Museum, including snowshoe tours, yoga in the park, nature tours, curator and artist conversations, and many special talks, screenings, and events. deCordova is also home to Lincoln Nursery School, the first preschool embedded in a contemporary art museum in the United States.
Passes are released every week on Tuesday around for the following two weeks. Advance passes are strongly encouraged, with on-site sales possible if capacity allows.
Conservation in Action Update:
We are improving access and revitalizing the landscape at Pondside—the West side of the museum building overlooking Flints Pond. Once complete, this peaceful landscape will be an ideal place for the contemplation of art and our natural world. The first (and noisiest) phase, from October through December, includes the creation of a dedicated pedestrian pathway, the transformation of the upper parking lot into a green gathering space, and improved accessibility to the museum building.
Ideas for Your Visit
There is something for everyone at deCordova. Visit ground-breaking contemporary art exhibitions and family friendly learning spaces inside the museum. Pack a picnic and spread out on 30 acres of trails, lawns, and gardens. Children will enjoy self-guided tours and scavenger hunts. Go into our app and learn about various sculpture throughout the park at your leisure or follow along with a digital tour.
Take a look at our current and upcoming exhibitions here.
View the Sculpture Park here.
See highlights from our Permanent Collection here.
Print out (or use on your phone!) our scavenger hunt, found here.
DeCordova | Store is open Tues-Sunday
Store hours are 10AM-5PM.
Admission & Hours
Passes are released every week on Tuesday around for the following two weeks. Advance passes are strongly encouraged, with on-site sales possible if capacity allows.
DeCordova | Store open Tuesday-Sunday
Store hours are 10AM-5PM
Sculpture Park and Museum Hours through September 12 – Seven days/week, 10AM-5PM, last pass slot at 3PM
Starting September 13 the indoor galleries are closed for exhibition install and will re-open to the public Friday, October 15.
Passes are $18/per person
Trustees Members, Lincoln residents, and active duty military are always free.
Visitors with EBT, WIC, and Mass Health are eligible for $1 admission. Please select the EBT option when you check out and bring any supporting documentation to your visit.
New England Museum Association members receive FREE reciprocal admission. Please email tickets@thetrustees.org for more information.
If you are interested in setting up a group visit, please reach out to Donna Berube at dberube@thetrustees.org, or 781.259.3603.
Hours Through September 12
Seven days/week, 10AM-5PM, last pass slot at 3PM
Starting September 12 the indoor galleries are closed for exhibition install and will re-open to the public Friday, October 15.
The Sculpture Park and Museum are open all year long. We are closed on New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day, Patriot’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
DeCordova is closed on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve if the holidays fall on a Monday or Tuesday. Otherwise, deCordova closes at 2 pm on these holidays.
Directions & Contact Info
51 Sandy Pond Road
Lincoln, MA 01773
Phone: 781.259.8355
Get directions on Google Maps.
deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is located 20 miles from Boston, 15 miles from Cambridge, and is easily accessible from several major highways.
Note: If you are coming from points east on Route 2 West, please see this annotated map for the left turn onto Bedford Road toward Lincoln Center. You must loop around and cross over Route 2 in order to make this turn.
What You'll Find
DeCordova is internationally recognized as a major venue for the exhibition and interpretation of modern and contemporary outdoor sculpture. The Sculpture Park occupies the entire campus: 30 acres of beautifully landscaped lawns, forests, fields, gardens, and terraces on a rolling site along the shore of Flint’s Pond in Lincoln, Massachusetts. At any given time, approximately 60 sculptures are on display in the Sculpture Park, which is open every day during the summer and Wednesdays through Sundays during the winter.
To see all current sculptures in the park, please click here.
To learn about our exhibitions, please click here.
Explore our hands-on learning spaces here.
Print out (or use on your phone!) our scavenger hunt, found here.
See highlights from our Permanent Collection here.
Join Curatorial Fellow Sam Adams as he discusses Heavenly Bound.
Group VisitsFacilities & Accessibility
Restrooms are open. Please follow all current COVID guidelines.
Please note that a small portion of the Museum’s Dewey Gallery is not wheelchair accessible.
Accessibility Features
wheelchair accessible bathrooms
There are accessible bathrooms on the fourth floor of the museum, accessed by an elevator. The bathrooms in the courtyard are not wheelchair accessible.
When the store and café re-opens there are accessible bathrooms in the café.
wheelchair accessible parking
There are two wheelchair accessible spots next to the front entrance of the museum. There are also a number of accessible spots in the main parking lot, for guests looking to access the store/café or Sculpture Park.
After the completion of the pondside renewal, there will be a few accessible spots in the upper level lot for access to special events.
wheelchair accessible picnic tables
There are two accessible picnic tables in the Courtyard
wheelchair accessible trails
Most of the Sculpture Park grounds consists of grass and paved path/drive. There is one accessible pathway through the property, with other locations wheelchair friendly (with assistance). There are a few sculptures located in areas of uneven ground and steep incline. Andy Goldsworthy’s Watershed is accessible from the upper staff parking lot which has accessible parking available to visitors.
Museum
The museum building is fully accessible, except for a small portion of The Dewey Gallery.
UP Organization
DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is proud to be a designated UP organization as part of an accessibility program developed by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. UP supports the growth and development of organizations that recognize the power of inclusive design to grow audiences and enhance cultural experiences for all, and that embrace inclusivity as core to their mission.
Venue Rental
DeCordova offers a unique backdrop of contemporary art for an unforgettable wedding in its indoor and outdoor spaces. Enjoy cocktails on the Sculpture Terrace, dinner and dancing in the galleries, or plan a tented event in the park.
DEWEY FAMILY GALLERY AND SCULPTURE PARK TERRACE
This combination of indoor and outdoor space overlooks the picturesque Flint’s Pond and can be used for daytime and nighttime events. The Dewey Family Gallery normally features artwork from deCordova’s permanent collection. Just outside the Museum, guests enjoy the stunning views from the Sculpture Terrace, which provides easy access to other areas of the Park. Use of the Terrace is included in the rental of the Dewey Family Gallery.
Capacity
140 people for dinner and dancing
170 people for dinner or luncheon, no dancing
200 people for theater-style seating
200 for standing reception
RAPPAPORT ROOF TERRACE
Located on the 6th floor of the Museum with easy access from an elevator, the Roof Terrace is the perfect location for a cocktail reception and passed hors d’oeuvres. The Roof Terrace is usually available for evening functions only and can be rented in conjunction with other space in the Sculpture Park or Museum. The expansive views of Sandy/Flint’s Pond, the landscape, and the Sculpture Park provide a memorable experience for your guests.
Capacity: 100 people for passed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails
DENORMANDIE LIBRARY
Located on the 4th floor of the Museum, the Library is the perfect location for small corporate meetings or retreats and is available for both daytime rentals. A boxed lunch from the cafe or a catered lunch can be arranged. Weather permitting, your guests may enjoy lunch on our outdoor Sculpture Terrace.
Capacity: 20 people
SCULPTURE PARK
Plan a tented event in deCordova’s 30 acre Sculpture Park. Providing a constantly changing landscape of large-scale, outdoor, modern and contemporary sculpture and site-specific installations, the Sculpture Park hosts more than 60 works, the majority of which are on loan to the Museum. Create a unique experience for your guests by immersing your event in art and nature.
Property Map
Free trail map distributed from bulletin board in the parking area. Please understand that supplies periodically run out.
We recommend that you take a photo of the map on your phone so you can refer to it during your visit, or download a trail map before you head out.
Regulations & Advisories
The Trustees reserves the right to photograph or video visitors and program participants for promotional use, and usage of our properties implies consent. Please review our photo and video policy.
We welcome dogs, please keep them on a leash and pick-up after them.
Please note that a small portion of the Museum’s Dewey Gallery is not wheelchair accessible.
deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum takes strong precautions to protect our visitors and staff. As of August 21, masks are required in all indoor spaces, regardless of your vaccination status. This is in accordance with the Town of Lincoln. Visitors will also find hand sanitizing stations located throughout the interiors of the building.
