Day Trips: Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden, Abilene

The Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden in Abilene turns an outdoor art gallery into a playground for admirers of all ages of children’s literature. 

Abilene claims the moniker “Storybook Capital of America” due to its annual Children’s Art & Literacy Festival held in June, being the home of the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, and an impressive public collection of 31 storybook character sculptures.

The collection of bronze statues of characters from classic and modern children’s literature began in 1996 with Childhood’s Great Adventure based on William Joyce’s book Santa Calls, which was set in Abilene. Over the years, the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council has unveiled additional sculptures during the literary festival. 

In Everman Park, the first in Abilene’s collection of characters from children’s literature was “Childhood’s Greatest Adventure” by sculptor Rick Jackson from “Santa Calls” by William Joyce Credit: Gerald McLeod

Opened in 2017, the Storybook Garden upped the game. The tree-shaded park on the southeast lawn of the Abilene Convention Center contains 15 bronze characters to inspire reading and entertain children of all ages. From the wolf and the three pigs to Goldilocks and the three bears, this is an art gallery meant to be touched and experienced. Most of the characters meet the shortest visitors eye-to-eye. It’s a menagerie of unicorns, kittens without mittens, dragons that need to go to bed, tigers that don’t want to be like other tigers, a talking tractor, and a bear worthy of a hug. 

This summer the Cultural Affairs Council opened the Clear Fork Bank Storybook Garden on the southwest lawn of the convention center. While the space only has a couple of art pieces, it has lots of room for future characters. 

The Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden is at 1008-1098 N. Sixth St. in Abilene. The park is free, ADA accessible, pet friendly, lit at night, and open year-round. Other bronze storybook characters are in Everman Park at 1007-1099 N. First St. and contains six popular characters from Dr. Seuss books. To find a map to the sculptures around downtown, go to storybookcapitalofamerica.com.

“The Three Bears” by sculptor Steve Neves from “Three Bedtime Stories” illustrated by Garth Williams Credit: Gerald McLeod

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