The Whimsical Park In Virginia That Everyone Should Experience At Least Once
By Beth|Published October 13, 2018
×
Beth
Author
A lifelong Virginia resident, Beth loves exploring different parts of the world and currently resides in Charlottesville. She holds a degree in English Literature and one of her short stories has been featured in the Shenandoah Review. Other interests include hiking, songwriting, and spending time in the mountains.
Here in Virginia, there’s a park suited to almost every taste: mountain adventures, gentle shoreline strolls, and even ancient rock formations that date back millions of years. Today, we’ll introduce you to another kind of park altogether. The Dark Star Park in Arlington is not only a beautiful green space, but also offers a unique celestial twist. Here’s more on the wonderfully whimsical park that everyone should experience at least once:
Dark Star Park is situated in the urban landscape of downtown Arlington, yet provides an artistic connection to nature and space in a way that's truly fascinating.
The sphere-like installations are meant to resemble fallen stars. They were put in place by artist Nancy Holt, who was commissioned by the city of Arlington in 1984.
On August 1st, at exactly 9:32 a.m., given that the sun is out, the shadows of the spheres and rods will align perfectly with the patterns on the ground. This marks the exact date when the surrounding land of Rosslyn was originally purchased by William Henry Ross.
And while experiencing this anniversary is truly mesmerizing, you don't have to be there for the moment-in-time event to feel moved by this installation. The idea of the park is to give each visitor a true sense of place within the world.
The Dark Star Park is located at North 1655 Ft. Meyer Drive, Arlington, VA 22201. Have you visited this unique attraction recently? We’d love to hear about your experience!