Walk onto the UCLA campus near the northern edge, and the vibe shifts instantly. The frantic energy of Westwood, the screeching tires on Hilgard Avenue, and the hurried pace of students rushing to South Campus labs just... evaporate. You’re in the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden. It’s five acres of rolling grass and heavy bronze that somehow feels like a secret, even though it’s one of the most significant outdoor art collections in the United States.
It’s weirdly quiet here.
Most people think of museums as stuffy, climate-controlled boxes where a security guard glares if you breathe too close to a canvas. This place is the opposite. It’s an open-air living room. You’ll see a student napping under the shadow of a massive Alexander Calder or a couple eating overpriced poke bowls right next to a Henry Moore. This isn't just "art on a lawn." It’s a masterclass in landscape architecture that completely changed how universities think about public space.
The Chancellor Who Refused a Parking Lot
Back in the early 1960s, the space where the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden sits was slated to be a parking lot. Seriously. In the car-obsessed culture of Los Angeles, asphalt usually wins. But Franklin D. Murphy, who served as UCLA’s chancellor from 1960 to 1968, had a different vision. He wasn't just an administrator; he was a guy who believed that being surrounded by world-class art should be a daily requirement, not a special occasion.
Murphy teamed up with Ralph Cornell. If you don't know Cornell, he’s basically the godfather of Los Angeles landscape architecture. He’s the reason the campus has those iconic eucalyptus trees and that specific Mediterranean-meets-California feel. Cornell didn't want a "gallery with no roof." He wanted a garden where the art and the plants were in a constant, silent conversation.
The garden officially opened in 1967. Since then, it’s grown to house over 70 sculptures. It’s managed by the Hammer Museum now, and they keep the curation tight. You won't find any second-rate filler here. We’re talking about the heavy hitters of 20th-century Modernism.
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Walking Through the "Heavy Metal"
When you first walk in, the scale hits you. It’s not cluttered. The placement of every piece is intentional, meant to guide your eye from the organic curves of the bronze to the sharp lines of the nearby architecture.
Take Alexander Calder’s "Eagle." It’s this massive, red, angular beast of a sculpture. It stands out against the green grass like a lightning bolt. It’s a "stabile"—Calder’s term for his non-moving sculptures—and it anchors the entire north end of the garden. You can’t miss it. It’s bold. It’s loud. It’s exactly the kind of thing that makes you stop mid-sentence.
Then you have Henry Moore. The garden has several of his works, but "Reclining Figure" is the one that everyone recognizes. Moore’s work is all about the human form being distilled down to its most basic, bone-like shapes. Sitting near it, you start to notice how the holes in the sculpture frame the trees behind it. It’s meta.
But honestly? The real sleeper hit is the Jacques Lipchitz collection. His work "Song of the Vowels" is this swirling, vertical explosion of bronze that looks like it’s trying to escape the ground. It’s incredibly intricate. If you get close—and you totally should, because there are no velvet ropes here—you can see the texture of the metal and the way the California sun has weathered it over the decades.
- David Smith’s "Cubi" series: These are stainless steel geometric towers. On a sunny day, the burnished surfaces catch the light and throw it back at you in these hazy, shimmering patterns.
- Auguste Rodin’s "The Walking Man": It’s a cast of one of his most famous works. No head, no arms, just the raw power of a stride. It feels strangely modern despite being the oldest vibe in the park.
- Barbara Hepworth’s "Two Figures": These are upright, elegant, and feel deeply spiritual. They look like they’re whispering to each other.
It’s Not Just About the Art, It’s the Trees
You can't talk about the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden without talking about the botany. This isn't just a flat lawn. Cornell used a mix of South African and Australian flora that thrives in the LA climate.
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The Jacaranda trees are the stars of the show in late spring. They drop these vivid purple blossoms that coat the grass, making it look like the sculptures are floating in a sea of violet. Then you have the Coral trees with their gnarled, orange-red flowers and the massive Cedars that provide actual, honest-to-god shade—a rarity in some parts of the city.
The way the hills are graded matters too. There are subtle berms and depressions. This creates "rooms" within the garden. You can be thirty feet away from another person and feel completely alone because a small rise in the land or a strategically placed shrub blocks the line of sight. It’s brilliant design. It’s why you’ll see people practicing yoga in one corner while a professor holds a seminar in another.
The Logistics: How to Actually See It
Parking at UCLA is famously a nightmare, but don't let that stop you. If you're driving, the best bet is Parking Structure 3 or Structure 2. Use the "ParkMobile" app because the kiosks are hit-or-miss.
If you want the best experience, go on a weekend morning. The campus is quiet, the light is soft, and you don't have to dodge 19-year-olds on electric scooters. It’s free. Totally free. You just walk in.
- Start at the North entrance near the Broad Art Center.
- Walk clockwise. This lets the landscape reveal itself slowly.
- Bring a book. Or a sketchbook. This isn't a place to rush through in 15 minutes.
- Touch the art. Okay, don't climb on it—seriously, don't be that person—but the oils from human hands are actually part of the patina process for some bronzes. Just be respectful.
What Most People Miss
Look for the Henri Matisse "Backs". These are four relief sculptures mounted on a long brick wall. They show the progression of Matisse’s style over decades. The first one is relatively realistic; by the fourth, the human back has been abstracted into these thick, vertical columns. It’s a literal timeline of art history sitting right there in the open air.
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Most people walk right past them because they’re looking at the big "hero" sculptures in the middle of the grass. Slow down. The walls have stories too.
Also, check out Isamu Noguchi’s "Enigma." It’s a basalt piece that looks like it was pulled straight from the earth. It’s low to the ground and easy to overlook if you're looking for "statues." It’s more of an object than a figure.
Why This Place Actually Matters in 2026
In a world that’s increasingly digital and filtered, the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden is visceral. It’s heavy metal and old wood. It’s the smell of damp grass and the sound of wind through pine needles. It’s a reminder that human beings can make things that last longer than a trend or a fiscal quarter.
Chancellor Murphy knew that. He knew that a university shouldn't just be about grades and research papers. It should be about soul. By forcing the university to build a garden instead of a parking lot, he gave Los Angeles a permanent sanctuary.
It’s a place where the 20th century sits still so you can catch your breath.
Pro-tip for your visit: Head over to the nearby Hammer Museum afterward. It’s just a short walk or a very quick drive down Westwood Blvd. They often have rotating exhibits that provide even more context for the permanent pieces you just saw in the garden. If you’re hungry, skip the campus food and hit up Saffron & Rose for some Persian ice cream. Eating saffron-rosewater ice cream while thinking about a Moore sculpture is basically the peak Los Angeles experience.
Actionable Next Steps
To make the most of your trip to the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden, do these three things:
- Download the Bloomberg Connects App: The Hammer Museum has a free digital guide on there specifically for the sculpture garden. It gives you the "why" behind the "what" for almost every piece.
- Check the Weather for "Golden Hour": The bronze sculptures look entirely different at 4:00 PM than they do at noon. The shadows lengthen and the textures of the metal really pop.
- Plan a "Minimalist" Picnic: Pack something simple. Sit on the grass near the Jean Arp "Cloud Shepherd". It’s one of the most peaceful spots in the entire city. Avoid the paved paths and actually sit on the lawn—that's what it’s there for.