Years—no, decades—before Long Island City became a happening neighborhood, Socrates Sculpture Park was there, staking a claim on a patch of land that had been abandoned and turned into an illegal landfill. Since then, the park has become a cultural hub of the neighborhood, hosting year-round outdoor exhibits of contemporary sculpture. During warmer months, it also has a full calendar of events, most of which are free, including yoga and capoeira classes, international movie screenings, and art-making workshops. The park is also a launch point for kayaking (also free!) during the summer. Note that the Noguchi Museum is right across the street; along with Socrates, it makes for a inspiring art-centered outing in this increasingly popular Queens neighborhood.
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Offbeat Art at the Socrates Sculpture Park
Don’t limit your art experiences to just Manhattan. There’s plenty of new and innovating exhibits to see in Queens, too. Not only will you have a great view of the New York City skyline from the Socrates Sculpture Park in Astoria, but you’ll get to view one or more truly offbeat exhibits. Each exhibit runs for a few months and both past and upcoming installations are listed on their official website. If you are looking for a more traditional museum experience, The Noguchi Museum is just one block away from the park. The park is open everyday from 10am until sunset and admission is free and during the summer months (May-September) on weekends, there’s a free LIC ART BUS that serves as a shuttle with stops at The Noguchi Museum, SculptureCenter, MoMA PS1 and of course, the Socrates Sculpture Park.
