An eventful year planned at Griffis Sculpture Park
East Otto, NY - Entering its 56th year in East Otto, NY, the Griffis Sculpture Park has a lot of exciting things planned for the 2025 season. The park features over 250 large-scale sculptures dispersed throughout the forests, fields and ponds of the 450-acre park. Larry Griffis, Jr’s creation is considered as one of the United States’ oldest and largest sculpture park.
Scheduled for this season is the return of a major sculpture installation, new public bathrooms, the debut of a Sunday monthly music series, a theatrical performance, guided hikes, and more, as well the annual summer festival and NIGHT LIGHTS in autumn.
Griffis Sculpture Park is a private, non-profit that relies on admission fees, grants and programming to stay open. The park requests a $5 admission fee per adult, $3 for children 12 to 5 years old and seniors. Admission can be paid electronically on-site, on the park’s website, or in-person at the Gift Shop on weekends. Some of the following events may have a higher admission price and will need to be purchased at Eventbrite.
Bringing Back the Bathers!
The lady’s are coming back. One of the most beloved features of the park are the Larry Griffis Jr’s "Bathers" sculptures, originally placed around the pond at the Mill Valley Road section of the park. The “Bathers” are 10 large female sculptures frolicking and posiing in the water and on the banks of the pond.
Due to a fundraising campaign to raise funds the “Bathers” are being repaired and will be reinstalled in the pond later this summer. These sculptures, created by Larry Griffis Jr., in the mid-1960s hold a special place in the hearts of our visitors and are an iconic part of the park's heritage. Over the years, due to environmental factors and necessary maintenance, the sculptures were removed from the pond.
Comfort Station Opening – May 15
An exciting announcement for 2025 is the grand opening of our brand-new Comfort Station at Griffis Sculpture Park on Wednesday, May 15!
This new amenity offers modern, accessible restrooms and handwashing facilities—making your visit to the park more comfortable and enjoyable than ever before. Whether you're here for a peaceful walk, a family outing, or one of our community events, the Comfort Station is here to support your experience.
We’re excited to announce the launch of the Memory Café at Griffis Sculpture Park—a new, free program designed for individuals living with dementia or memory challenges and their care partners.
Join the fun outdoors in one of Western New York’s most beautiful sculpture parks for relaxed conversation, light activities, and creative experiences in a supportive setting. This isn’t a support group—it’s a social, stigma-free gathering to enjoy art, nature, and community.
Griffis Sculpture Park Sunday Sound Series
Once a month on Sunday afternoon, world beat vibes will be flowing through these special performances. The performances will be held outside the Gate House at the park. Participants are allowed to bring lawn chairs, blankets and small coolers. These events are part of the regular admission fee on the day of the event.
Sunday, June 8, 2025 2:00 p.m. - Masti World Music Ensemble
Arabic jazz and world grooves. Masti is a collective of contemporary, creative musicians with a shared interest in music from the Middle East. Exotic instruments, Arabic melodies and rhythms guide the listener on a journey of global discovery.
Sunday, July 13, 2025 2:00 p.m. - Mirage
Mediterranean-inspired jazz. Led by composer and multi-instrumentalist Paul Hage, Mirage gives contemporary jazz a global perspective by combining unique instrumentation with the rhythms and melodies from the three continents that border the Mediterranean Sea.
Sunday, August 10, 2025 2:00 p.m. - Sitar Jams
Hailing from Buffalo, NY, Family FUNKtion and the Sitar Jams is a genre-defying trio blending the vibrant tones of the sitar with deep funk, jazz, and psychedelic rock grooves. With a foundation of bass, drums, and sitar, the band crafts a dynamic, ever-evolving musical experience that fuses Eastern melodies with Western improvisation and a jam-band ethos.
The Guerrilla Theatre Project 24-hour performance
Saturday, June 7, 2025, 7:00 p.m.
There will be three, two-person one act plays performed.
Donations will greatly be accepted. The Guerrilla Theatre Project will arrive at the sculpture park on Friday evening, then proceed to write three brand new one-act plays, audition performers, rehearse and perform the plays in 24 hours. The performances will take place at 7:00 p.m. at different locations at the Mill Valley Road section of the park. The Guerrilla Theatre Project out of Olean, NY aims to deliver theatrical experiences that might not otherwise be seen across the Southern Tier in new, original, and cutting-edge ways that are meant to inspire dialogue amongst theatrical enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
Mason Winfield Haunted History Walk
Saturday, June 21st - 7:30 PM
Most Six Nations folk have a keen awareness of their ancestral traditions, especially with the supernatural. Join us in the glow of the Summer Solstice at Griffis Sculpture Park for “The Shapeshifters Are Out!”–an entertaining, informative spoken-word performance presented by Mason Winfield, author, researcher, and storyteller. Storytelling may be humanity’s oldest art, and “The Shapeshifters Are Out!” is a walking, storytelling tour of Griffis Park grounds in the style of the old storytellers. We begin with profiles of ancient Longhouse supernatural/spiritual traditions, then turn to tales of contemporary witnesses in which the traditions seem still to be alive: witches, ghosts, curses, shape-shifters, and those curious “Little People.” The woods, hills, and valleys of the Cattaraugus could be more alive than we think! Admission is $20 for adults and can be purchased in advance at Eventbrite.
Griffis Sculpture Park Drum Circles
The drum circles are back! The park will feature three select Thursday nights this summer for a free drum circle, led by Steve Bell. The drum circles take place at 6:30 PM at the Rohr Hill Road section of the park. Steve will lead the group in some instruction and provide a few extra drums and percussion instruments. Great for beginners and experienced drummers alike. Bring a lawn chair. The dates are: Thurs, June 19, 2025, Thurs, July 10, 2025 and Thurs, August 14, 2025
Mark Griffis Walking Tour of the Park
Saturday, July 19, 2025 - 11:00 A.M.
Take a 90 minute walk around the Mill Valley Section of the sculpture park with Mark Griffis, son of park founder Larry Griffis. Hear stories about the creation of the sculpture park, Larry Griffis, Jr. and so much more. It will be a hike that will have some elevation changes. This hike is part of the regular admission fee on the day of the event.
A deep forest nature hike in the park - Seeking out The Ant sculpture
Saturday, August 16, 2025
Take a two-hour deep nature exploration of the Griffis Sculpture Park that is not seen by the public. A hike will proceed through the sculpture areas, then proceed into the forested ravines of the park. The group will seek out a forgotten sculpture that has resided hidden in the woods for three decades. The hike will cover 2-miles of hiking, with a few hundred feet of elevation changes. Come prepared with proper gear, hydration and a fun spirit. This hike is part of the regular admission fee on the day of the event.
Griffis Sculpture Park Summer Festival
Sunday, August 17, 2025
The park will host their annual summer festival on Sunday, August 17, 2025 from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The festival is a memorable day filled with music, creativity, nature, exploration and much more. Since 2013, the festival has become one of Western New York’s most beloved summer events. calendar. It has become a major fundraiser for the Ashford Hollow Foundation, which owns and operates the sculpture park.
The event also features a vendor village, a kid’s crafts area, food stands, and beer & wine service and more. Tickets are $25. Children 12 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite.
Headlining the 2025 edition of the Griffis Sculpture Park Summer Festival is Smilo & the Ghost, a rockin’ folk-bluegrass band from Erie, PA. Also performing at the festival; Olmsted Dub System (reggae), JGB Shibuki (Japanese taiko drum group), Tsavo Highway (jam/indie rock), Ben Perello (singer/songwriter) and Patricia Griffis (singer).
NIGHT LIGHTS at Griffis Sculpture Park
NIGHT LIGHTS at Griffis Sculpture Park returns for its 13th consecutive autumn. During NIGHT LIGHTS, the trails, forest and sculptures are illuminated with colorful lighting in the lower section of the Mill Valley Section of the park. The event takes place sixteen evenings from mid-September to mid-October. The dates are: Fri. Sept. 19 - Sat. Sept. 20, 2025, Thurs. Sept. 25 - Sat. Sept. 27, 2025, Thurs. Oct. 2 - Sat. Oct. 4, 2025, Thurs. Oct. 9 - Sun. Oct. 12, 2025 and Thurs. Oct. 16 - Sat. Oct. 18, 2025. For more information and tickets, visit Eventbrite.