It is completely free. So fun. Lots of history. Really a beautiful little spot. Flowers were beginning to bloom. My 3 girls loved it. Made a little donation and they sent me a thank you email. read more

See all

The Rock Garden was neat to see. It had a bunch of places created out of rocks and it is well preserved. It's free to visit, they just ask for a donation to help preserve the community. read more

See all

This beautiful Creation is really a blessing to see in person. This is what it means to say "And I think to myself what a Wonderful World ". The meaning and message behind each design is amazing. A lot of thoughts and wonders was put into this Master Piece. It's true when they say " The most beautiful precious things in life are free". I really enjoy the fact the children can enjoy this beautiful Master Piece and participate in its beauty. My boys enjoyed the fishes and the scavenger hunt. The last question had us thinking but we came up with two good answers. Thank you for allowing us to be part of such a Wonderful World . Many Blessings and your cup will never be empty. read more

Hartman Rock Garden - Parks Near Me - Springfield, Ohio

See all

Hartman Rock Garden in Springfield, Ohio is such a nice scenic stop. Their rock creations are pretty spectacular! My toddler enjoyed seeing the ginormous castle and walking over the little bridge. I enjoyed all parts of the designs, including Noah's arch. They have some brochures for kids and adults to follow along about each rock creation. You do have to be mindful of some uneven steps (our little guy had a minor fall - no blood or tears!) Be sure to visit if you're in the Springfield, Ohio area. Admission is free, but they do take donations for conservation. read more

Definitely a unique place, if you're in Springfield looking for something to do, it's worth a quick stop..

Thanks to the Atlas Obscura map, I found this amazingly interesting roadside attraction. Maybe a ten minute detour from I-70 between Dayton and Columbus, it's someone's backyard in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Street parking is available. A one-man creation, H.G. "Ben" Hartman was unemployed during the Great Depression and so he used his time to building this amazing wonderland. It is amazingly anachronistic here in Springfield Ohio. Nearly 20,000 stones, it includes Philadelphia's Independence Hall, the White House and a large castle with a drawbridge. The effort here was clearly intense and it is a remarkable sight to see. Entry to the Garden is free though they'll cheerfully take your donations. [Review 11269 overall, 1046 of 2019.] read more

Hartman Rock Garden - Hartman Rock Garden, Springfield OH - Parks Near Me - Springfield, Ohio

See all

I was pleasantly surprised by this place. It is located in a neighborhood with other homes. Amazing how much this man built out of small rocks etc. They have a brochure explaining about many of the structures. It is well maintained and very interesting to see. read more

See all

Hartman Rock Garden is quirky, artsy and cool and it is especially interesting as it's located in the not so quirky, not very artsy and not so cool city of Springfield OH. (I've even heard the city referenced as "Armpit O-H-I-O" by a local Springfield Yelper whom I'll refer to as "Val Double U". - to protect her identity.) So how did this not quite a "Wonder of the Modern World" come about? Back in the deepest darkest days of The Great Depression, Harry George "Ben" Hartman had a vision, lots of time, cement and rocks. So he built a magical little garden with a castle, houses, gnomes, religious icons, a pathway, stream and a pond all of which he built in the backyard of his home. Mr. Hartman worked on his project for 12 years until his death in 1944 and it still stands today much as it was then. It's a little worn around the edges but it's an outdoor piece of art so that shouldn't surprise anyone. It's great for kids, grandkids, fans of the odd and those of us that love history. If you come here be sure to take a moment to reflect and appreciate the work and dreams of someone who took the time to create something with his own hands for everyone to see. It's his legacy, it's a gift to us and it's a fun little stop if you are ever driving down I-70. It's also free, but they do appreciate donations. It's got to be at least 4 stars and it is seriously worth taking 20 minutes or so out of your day to see. read more

See all

Let me join the chorus and tell you how great this hidden gem is!! If you haven't been here, you TRULY haven't been to Springfield (and it's been two years since I moved here and it took an 'outta towner' to lead the way!!) It's unique, quirky, and takes itself soooooo seriously you just HAVE to laugh, and admire its SPUNK!! I'd pay a million bucks to meet Mr. Harry Hartman and his wife Mary, the Depression era couple that built this monument to kitsch!! In today's world of "modern convenience," where instant gratification translates to EXTREMELY short attention spans and very little attention to detail, the work that went into creating this masterpiece is just mind-boggling!! VERY interesting background story here, check out the website: http://www.hartmanrockgarden.org, and be sure to leave a donation so it's around for many more years to come... read more

a neat weird hidden gem ... it was the lifes work .. a man made his back yard into art ,, one stone at a time. Adding on but when he passed away and the house was abandoned .. the yard was damaged and vandalized. Someone saw the importance of saving this and repairing the damage. Free but they welcome donations. read more

See all

This was such a joy to see. When my friend and I visited we were the only ones there so it was lovely and peaceful. It's still a family home, so be respectful. read more

This tiny folk art treasure is hidden amongst the old time backstreets of Springfield. Blink and you could possibly miss this backyard, stony oasis. Ok, so before you go all crazy thinking this is some sort of massive stone castle a man has created in his backyard.. I must bring you back down to reality. It's cool... it does involve a stone castle, but let's think on a smaller scale. This place would be an absolute delight for children. Let the Barbie dolls and GI Joe's go crazy! Hartman is inspiring... being created from a time where people kept their minds and hands at work despite there not being any work to begin with, which is the creator's story. After being let go from his work in a concrete factory during the Great Depression he decided to keep himself busy by working on a concrete pond, then building castles, to whole villages and holy grottos. Looking at this artist's work will definitely bring you back to his era from the old metal World War I soldiers, and small metal crosses in a piece he has labeled "Flander's Field" after the prominent WWI battlefield. While it can just come off as a bunch of cemented rocks... if you look a little bit deeper into some of the pieces you might be able to discover more of the humor and more of the love within Hartman's creations. It really is folk art at it's finest and it's nice to have this in Ohio. Kitschy can sometimes be cool and if you're into photography, then this place is sure to tantalize and inspire great perspectives and interesting shots. The small group that keeps this up and running has been trying and making efforts to maintain this place by painting the small statues, and fixing any missing stones. They are doing a great job and I commend them! An interesting waste of time if you are in the Springfield area. read more

See all

An absolute little gem in Springfield. Kudos to all who take care of this park. If you're looking for something different in an eclectic artistic sense with rich history, this place fits the bill. My wife & I loved our visit. Highly recommend! read more

A lot of time went into making this. It's very neat to walk through. It's free, but accepts donations. It's very cool to check out, if you're in the area! read more

Fascinating folk art exhibit. it's history is equally fascinating. http://www.hartmanrockgarden.org/index.html read more

Great place to visit doesn't take long to walk around it's winter right now so not in its prime but it's still pretty cool and won't take much time out of your day to see something pretty interesting and creative! read more

A very neat place to visit when looking for something to do in lifeless Springfield. I loved reading the history and looking at the photos in the pamphlet on the Hartman's life and journey. The rock garden itself is very interesting and neat to see, though you can tell it's slowly starting to decline as the maintenance is lacking, there was no landscaping as seen in some of the other photos and the fountains and ponds are no longer full. The neighborhood, like most in Springfield, is a little iffy which explains the 4 stars. read more

See all

Awesome place with lots of local lore & stories!! I have VERY fond memories of riding my bicycle to this place as a child & actually getting to talk with Mr. Hartman. As kids we thought it was the absolute coolest thing in the world!! As an adult, it reminds me of those simpler times & good memories. He will never know how many hearts he touched with his "rock garden", for total lack of better words. I am ecstatic that someone has purchased the property & has put a ton of work into the garden to keep it going. Easily something that could have vanished overnight without much thought, but it hasn't. It has only improved, minus the conversations with Mr.Hartman himself. A great big THANK YOU to the folks who have carried on a great childhood memory for myself!! read more

Hartman is the last name of the man who made this historical rock garden in his back yard. The home and garden was passed down; thank you to the current person who still allows his art to live on. There was a pond (when I went it was dry, no water, fish or plants in it) in addition to several mini forts, houses, forge, castle and other replicas of historical places and events. They offer a pamphlet for you to follow to learn about each art piece displayed of concrete & stone with a mixture of gnomes & figurines throughout the path. Sadly they have to post a sign saying do not walk in the flowers, toss coins in the pond and watch your children. It's a great place to visit if you are in or near the area. Self guided tours are open year round from dusk to dawn & free of charge with a requested donation to assist with maintaining and restoring Mr. Hartman's masterpiece! read more

Hartman Rock Garden is a folk art exhibit that was created by a man who was out of work during the great depression. There is really no way to accurately describe Hartman...you need to see the pictures or go visit. To simplify, this folk art attraction is a display of decorative rock creations. Recently restoration funded by the Kohler Foundation has wrought a miracle out of a long-neglected site. Please visit the webpage and see how gorgeous and unique this garden is. It is the result of one man's creative and singular mind. I bring all my out-of-town friends and family to visit...especially in the summertime when the flowers are in full bloom. read more

I love this place! Super creative and fun! Def worth checking it out :)

You owe it to yourself to investigate this renowned - yet almost secret - folk art icon. Located in one of Springfield's old working class neighborhoods it is a true outsider art masterpiece. A completely unique world of pop culture and history. Totally free and great for both adults & children. read more

This place is really amazing to see. To think of the time taken to put it together just boggles my mind. I have lived in Springfield, OH for many years and didn't know this place existed until a couple of years ago. We decided to go check it out a couple of weeks ago and am so glad we did. I am already planning to take my neice and her family when they come for a visit. read more

Nicely maintained but I had higher expectations. Only took us ten minutes to go through. Nice, free excursion to cross off the Ohio bucket list. read more