Queen Califia's Magical Circle

Just 4 miles from our home nestled in Kit Carson Park, we romped around

Queen Califia's Magical Circle

(Be sure to go to this site to learn about each part of the mosaic art structures.)

The only American sculpture garden

and the last major international project created by

Niki de Saint Phalle

(born France, 1930-2002).

Inspired by California’s mythic, historic and cultural roots, the garden consists of
nine large-scale sculptures, a circular “snake” wall and maze entryway, sculpturally integrated bench seating, an egg shaped fountain and native shrubs and trees planted within the interior plaza and along the outer perimeter.

The garden opened to the public on October 26, 2003.

An undulating circular wall measuring 400 feet in length (with varying heights from 4 to 9 feet surrounds the garden. Monumental sculpted, playful serpents, decorated in colorfully patterned mosaics, slither along the top of the wall.

Their curved bodies form a pattern of solids and voids that allows visitors to see landscape vistas
beyond the garden.

The snake wall has one entrance into the garden.

It opens into a maze whose walls and floors are covered with bold patterns of black, white and mirrored tiles.

This gate announces that you are
crossing a threshold into a magical world the world of your past, your roots, your land, your unconscious dreams, observed Marcelo Zitelli, the artists curator and longtime assistant. Once through the maze, visitors
enter into the central courtyard.

Getting caught in the mouth of a totem.

A great place to touch.

Or even ride a silly serpent.

It is a great place for a photo shoot...with all the colors and textures it offers. We had fun playing around. It was like walking into an Alice in Wonderland dream.

The garden promises to become an instantaneous cultural landmark for the San
Diego region

—a place where visitors can roam at will, play, touch, dream and “find inspiration".