Entry No. 68 — the New York City file — filed under: roadside-oddity

Taconic Sculpture Park

Self-taught sculptor Roy Kanwit spent some 40 years populating his hillside yard with more than 30 figures from Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Native American mythology — some carved from Vermont marble, others cast in cement. The centerpiece is a roughly 20-foot head of Gaea, the Earth goddess, cast in steel-reinforced concrete in 1996, that peers over the Taconic State Parkway at passing drivers. The head is hollow, with a ladder inside up to a lookout at her crown, where you can take in the rolling hills. Kanwit died in 2023; his family reopened the park, which runs seasonally on weekends.

The move: Pull off the Taconic, wander the open hillside of mythological stone heads, and take turns climbing the staircase inside the giant Gaea head to look out over the valley together.

📍 Before you go Privately run on the artist's property; best visited in warm months and daylight. The Gaea head is visible from the Taconic Parkway northbound.

• 📍 Spencertown / Chatham
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: 84 Stever Hill Rd, Spencertown, NY 12165

Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-23