2023 - 41st Anniversary: Celebrating Noguchi Garden’s: A Hidden Oasis Among High Rise Buildings Using Natures Elements: Rock, Water, Tree.. NEW

A Closer Look into the Sculpture Garden that is a hidden gem in Irvine California.  Noguchi Gardens is a tranquil oasis set amongst the hustle and bustle of the city life. It is easy to walk right by it without realizing that behind the scores of buildings sits a tiny world of it’s own. The site was commissioned by philanthropist Henry Segerstrom, who had parlayed his family’s lima bean fortune into a South Coast Plaza mall on one side of his family’s property.

In the late 1970’s Segerstrom decided to expand even more of their land into a small office park.  He asked his good friend and well-respected artist, Isamu Noguchi, to provide a unique garden with installations hidden inside the towering office buildings.  The end results were seven sculptures scattered across 1.6 acres grounds, each representing a different region in California.

There are 6 pieces representing various elements in California: “Forest Walk,” “Land Use,” “Desert Land,” “Water Source,” “Water Use” and “Energy Fountain”. Then there is a surprise piece called “The Spirit of the Lima Bean”, which is an homages to the Lima Bean fields that once sat here.

This secret gem is a lovely place to balance energy and reflection. It is a wonderful juxtaposition of straight and curved, hard and soft, wet and dry, smooth and rough, lines and shapes. There is a master blend of simple and complex.

Best Places for Group Photos
Take Group Photos, Prom Photos, Wedding Party Photos, etc.. 

Entry Costs
No costs except parking

Where to Park?
Parking structure next to garden - Ave of the Arts

A secret sculpture garden just a couple blocks from South Coast Plaza.

Aerial View Map

Anniversay: May 1982

Information Sources
1) Source: https://hiddenca.com/noguchi-garden/

2) Valerie Takahama: https://www.orangecoast.com/features/celebrating-noguchi-gardens-40th-anniversary/ (Image source)