garden of eden

This is the place where an eccentric lived and created some really bizarre stuff. I think the 'folk art" thing is clearly not for everyone (think concrete with colored glass pieces in it), among other things. But you get to see this guy's dead, molding body in his mausoleum. Really. And it's weird, but not really off-putting (except for maybe his body). Just a year or so ago, this guys son was the last living biological son of a Civil War veteran. Huh?? Yeah, the guy had a kid when he was in his 90s, who gave birth late to the kid that just died. Place does have a few interesting things.

A must see if you are looking for something different. Lots of neat details through out the house. Dinsmoor loved stone and concrete and used them to express his ideas.The tour guide is great and gives you a lot of information not commonly found online. I wont spoil the details, you must check it out for yourself.

This is just a one of a kind experience. We have been twice and will probably go back again when we are in the area. The story behind it is amazing and it is a lot of fun to walk around the outside and look at everything he made. Of course, the most memorable for my daughter's was when they got to see the body of the creator of such a fantastic place!

I grew up in the area and had visited the Garden of Eden with our award winning art teacher many times. But decades later when I saw a beautiful book published in the UK on folk art featuring this place on the cover, my reaction was, "wow!"

The story behind the Garden of Eden is just as amazing as the structures and sculptures themselves. Lucas is the place to go to be amazed by one man's handiwork and to giggle at how he bypassed what other told him he could and couldn't do. MUST STOP AND SEE!

We had a lovely time in Lucas. Used it as a stop from Colorado to Oklahoma. Was a bit hesitant knowing it was off the main interstate but when we pulled in it was amazing. Spend at least 3 hours in the "town" which included a few art stops, the toilet bowl plaza, the Garden of Eden, the World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Version of the World's Largest things, and the Brandt Market (local sausage).

Our tour guide, who was the great niece of Dinsmoor's second wife, showed great enthusiasm for her subject. And what an unusual subject Dinsmoor was! It was nice being able to stroll through the family home on your own. I especially liked the original linoleum and the handmade furniture and stairs. Outside, the history behind his sculptures and his mausoleum were fascinating.

Everyone needs to visit the Garden of Eden at least once. It is not only artistic genius, but a political and social observation that is still very relevant today. Our tour guide was very informative, and we enjoyed just wandering around the garden and house and pointing out different things that we all noticed. What a wonderful and thought-provoking creation! Most definitely worth the stop!

One of the top art environments in the entire country. You can't imagine that a single man built the entire thing. It even means more when you take the tour and learn that he was well ahead of his time when thinking about civil rights - and the art reflects that. It's way out of the way, but you can see why it's been a tourist attraction for 100 years. Thanks to the Kohler foundation, the place looks better than ever.

One of the top handful of world class environments in the US.Thanks to the benevolence of the Kohler Founndation,, the garden looks spectacular --shimmering in the central Kansas heat.Do not miss this unique and amazing creation

This was one of the most fascinating off-the-beaten-path tours I have ever taken. Folk art gone wild, this 1907 home has been extensively documented as has its occupants. This "log" cabin home is actually all concrete and native limestone - no actual wood logs at all. The work that went into his sculptures is equally fascinating, including the wired electric lights throughout (the first in the area). The house is interesting, including the hand-carved work he did inside and on a few pieces of furniture. The storyline the sculptures tell are twofold, starting with biblical (Garden of Eden of course) and then going political. Not only can you see the last sculptures he was working on when he died, but you can see their unfinished state with only the wires where the figure's arms would be (see attached photo). But the pinnacle of the tour? His own homemade mausoleum with his own homemade, glass-window coffin - and he is in it for all the world to see, right down to his beard!Definitely creepy as some have said, but utterly fascinating to see how this guy shaped his life. Of course the fact that he married a beautiful 20-year-old woman (at the age of 81) was a lot of fun to rib my wife about throughout the tour. The bruises from her elbows were well worth it... One last note: If you luck out your tour guide might be related to the original owners - ours was a great niece. She is also related to the owners of Brant's Meat Market a couple blocks away on the main drag (attached the giant toilet - I kid you not). MAKE SURE you stop by the meat market if you are a carnivore, as they have some amazing stuff in this old-style butcher shop and are happy to provide samples to try. The beef jerky is nothing short of amazing and you will want to take a LOT home with you - assuming you didn't just finish up viewing an 82-year-old mummy. May want to hold off on beef jerky for a little while after that...We are told that the Garden of Eden recently started doing nighttime paranormal tours on select dates that quickly sell out. Could be pretty darn interesting, especially given some of the stories you might hear on your tour. Well worth the visit!

If concrete is your thing, then this is the place to go. I happened to visit during non-operational hours and was still able to walk around the outside fence and see what I would believe to me most of the exhibit. I do think that there was some things to see inside the house, but the outside was what we were interested in. The entrance fee seems quite high especially when you can view from the street.

Take a job off 170 and head to the Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kansas. The deter is well worth it! At the age of 64, S.P. Dinsmoor, a retired English teacher, started building the Garden of Eden. His log cabin home is flanked by a concrete testament to his beliefs about religion and politics. It's quirky, to say the very least, just like the guy who built it. In his 80s, he married a lass in her 20s and together they had a child. Don't miss the tour--with an added charge to see where he's buried.

One of a few don't miss sites in this area. This was an interesting story. I am so glad I didn't miss stopping here. The guided tour was great. Must see this in person as photos cannot capture this! Don't miss all the sites in this town. So fun

this is out in the fields of Kansas, very interesting and unique, hard to believe it was built out of limestone even has a crypt to see the owners body..worth the trip