Sculpture Plaza

Overview

Sculpture Plaza is a small park downtown that is a pleasant plaza where downtown Ann Arbor meets Kerrytown, at the corner of 4th Avenue and Catherine Street. View the Ann Arbor Parks & Nature Areas Map for location context. The Kerrytown Arch sculpture is central to the plaza, celebrating the gateway between the two areas. The plaza is used as a walk through to the Kerrytown Shops, local restaurants and businesses, The People’s Co-Op, the Ann Arbor Farmers Market and the Artisan’s Market. It has four picnic tables and two long seating sections for enjoying local food and relaxing.

Park Notices

Unless otherwise posted per City Council resolution, when a park is closed, no person shall remain in or enter it other than to quietly sit or walk.

Refer to Chapter 39 of the City of Ann Arbor Code of Ordinances for park regulations and rules.

Park Hours

6 a.m. - Midnight

Amenities

Bike Racks

Picnic Tables

Landfill & Recycling Bins

Access and Parking

The park has no dedicated parking, but there is paid metered parking at two lots directly across the street. There is also paid metered parking on several nearby streets. View the Ann Arbor DDA's guide to parking in Downtown Ann Arbor to learn more about parking downtown.

The park is accessible by foot and bicycle using the surrounding streets. Catherine street has a protected bike lane. There are bike racks in the park.

Public Transportation

There is a bus stop next to the park. Visit TheRide for schedule and route details or check out the parks ride guide.

Park Maps

Open the Park Tracker - See your location while in the park Open the Park Finder - Discover more Ann Arbor parks

History

Ann Arbor's city parks sit on the ancestral and traditional homelands of several indigenous Native peoples. Read a land acknowledgement from the city and learn more about the early history of the land here.

The Arch Sculpture, aka The Kerrytown Arch, was initially erected 1977 through a grant from the Michigan Council For the Arts. It is 18 feet of steel. The sculptor, David Heberling, graduated from University of Michigan with an MFA. In his words, “The history of the triumphal arch dates back to the Romans, who scattered them as a mark of their conquests in Italy, France, North Africa, and Asia. This 'arch' updates that ancient lineage with recent elements from cubism, minimalism, and modernist abstraction. It functions here as a symbolic gate, a segue between the downtown business district and Kerrytown." (From Public Art in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, by Martha R. Keller & Michael J. Curtis, 1995.) Courtesy of Ann Arbor Public Art Commission

The Arch was removed in 2007 for restoration by Giorgio Gakas of Venus Bronze Works Inc in Detroit. Graffiti was removed, the corten steel was repaired and the piece was repainted and reinstalled in 2008. The DDA upgraded the plaza by repaving the bricks, adding new lights, bike racks, benches and tables.

There is a sign in the park which provides a glimpse to 1879 life in Kerrytown, entitled A Supply Side of Town.

Park Adopters

The two large gardens in Sculpture Plaza are adopted by the People’s Food Co-op who maintain them by weeding, pruning and mulching each year. Contact Adopt-a-Park if you are interested in volunteering.

Volunteer in the parks

Looking to make an impact in a park or nature area? Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation provides volunteer opportunities for almost every interest, ability, and commitment level.

Learn more about volunteer opportunities

Park Finder

Discover parks and find amenities through the City of Ann Arbor Park Finder. This map allows you to search park names or search by amenity type or keyword.

View the Park Finder

A2Fix It - Service request tool

A2 Fix It is an online system you can use to report any maintenance issues or other problems during your park visit. When reporting an issue in a park please include detailed location information in the "details and description" section near the end of the request process. Pictures that provide location context are very helpful.

Submit a request