Frederik Meijer Gardens opens new rooftop attraction

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in western Michigan has opened a new attraction — on the roof.

The Stuart and Barbara Padnos Rooftop Sculpture Garden is located atop the recently completed 22,000-square-foot (2,045-square-meter) Covenant Learning Center.

The rooftop garden is part of the $115 million “Welcoming the World: Honoring a Legacy of Love” expansion project. It’s designed to enhance the mission of the Grand Rapids-area attraction of promoting an appreciation for gardens, sculpture, the natural environment and the arts.

The rooftop garden offers a habitat for birds, butterflies and insects. It has four long-term loans from the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington.