Galleta Meadows Sculptures
DETAILS:
Location: Throughout Borrego Springs, CA (Borrego Springs is approximately 90 miles east of San Diego and is home base for anyone visiting Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The sculptures are spread out for miles across Galleta Meadows and the surrounding Borrego Springs area. Obtaining a map of the sculpture locations is strongly recommended and provided under “resources” below)
Hours of Operation: 24/7
Parking: The majority of the sculptures have some sort of turnout-off that you can pull into. Many of the sculptures will require some walking to reach after you park.
Cost: Free!
Time Commitment: Multiple hours depending on how many sculptures (over 130) that you try to see.
Sometimes the best discoveries are the ones you never intended to make, as if you’ve stumbled upon a secret. That’s how we came upon the mythic sculptures of Ricardo Breceda. (Often referred to as the Galleta Meadows Sculptures, Sculptures of Borrego Springs, or the Sky Art Sculptures. If you’re doing a Google search, they all reference the same gathering of sculptures in the Borrego Springs area). During a visit to downtown Temecula, we randomly stopped into one of Breceda’s shops, the Garden of Sculptures, and were instantly blown away by the craftsmanship of his metal sculptures, blazing to life in their trademark rust-colored red. His daughter happened to be working that day and told us that some of her father’s larger sculptures could be found on display across the deserts of Borrego Springs if we were ever interested. We were definitely interested!
Borrego Springs is a hidden gem for many reasons. It’s the gateway to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park which is actually the largest state park in California and rivals the magnificence of the more popularly known Death Valley National Park. It’s also the only city in the state designated as an International Dark Sky Community which means the stargazing here is some of the best in the world. And of course, it’s home to the sculptures of Ricardo Breceda who was first commissioned by Dennis Avery in 2008 to populate his Galleta Meadows Estate. But the collection grew so large, over 130 pieces currently, that Breceda had to expand beyond the estate which saw his work spread out for miles across the area.
As you navigate towards each sculpture (hopefully with the assistance of a location map that you’ve picked up in town), they first appear like little dots off in the distance. So you won’t fully appreciate how large these leviathans are until you draw close, each one rising into the sky like pre-historic creatures against the barren backdrop of scorched mountains which only augments their looming nature. You’ll come upon giant beasts in the shape of mammoths, sloths, dinosaurs, and scorpions as you proceed. But eventually, you’ll encounter Breceda’s signature creation; the serpent. I promise that the sight of this 350 foot Goliath swimming through the desert will trigger your primordial warning bells as you debate whether to run away or admire it in awe. As you continue on to the next, remember that one man was responsible for all of this which is surely the most impressive part.
