History And Humor Go Head To Head At This Quirky Garden Of Giant Busts In Virginia

If you happen to be visiting Virginia, whether it's a trip to Colonial Williamsburg or nearby Busch Gardens (one of the best-yet-underrated amusement parks in America), or even hitting our nation's capital, Washington D.C. for a quick vacation, there is a very quirky stop you have to make. Well, that is if you happen to be there at the right time. An unusual sculpture park known as The Presidents' Heads sits on private land and has quite a history. In 2004, a park opened in Williamsburg with sculptures of the busts of America's presidents, from George Washington to George W. Bush, created by entrepreneur Everette H. "Haley" Newman II and sculptor David Adickes. However, it closed due to bankruptcy shortly after, in 2010. The park hired contractor Howard Hankins to demolish the statues, but instead, he moved them to his own property, where they sit today.

Though they were damaged, it adds to their charm. These are no small statues — standing up to 20-feet high and weighing around 22,000-pounds. While there are only very specific times you can see them, it's absolutely worth a visit. One review on Google mentioned that the experience was a lot of fun. They said, "Friendly people, history trivia, and really cool giant president heads. Wear wellies, even on a dry day the last two rows are sitting in pretty deep mud. Listen to the tour guide if you want to learn about the artist and the history of the heads. He's informative and answers all questions. And don't forget to look for baby Obama!" (That refers to a smaller bust of President Barack Obama nearby.) 

By the way, as of two years ago, Adickes was still sculpting at age 95.

You can't just show up to see The Presidents' Heads, located about 16 miles from Busch Gardens and a 2.5-hour drive from D.C. This is private property, and it's a working industrial recycling facility. It's not always open, either. To visit these sculptures of the country's leaders, you have to go with one of the official tours or photography workshops. They put a few dates up at a time, so you have to check back often to see when it's available. (It's generally open for eight weekends per year.) Some tours are self-guided and you get a 2-hour window to visit. You can also get an optional 25-minute speaking tour which has a trivia contest and a storytelling session, and there are both day and night tours. (The fees are different, depending on the event.) 

The afternoon tours are more expensive because the statues are back lit in the morning, making picture-taking harder. There is even a scavenger hunt with questions listed on the website (with the answers below if you get stuck). You can bring drones for some great shots, but do note that you can't use them during the speaking tours. 

As you saw in the review, it's a good idea to bring boots as there is almost always water and mud. There is parking on the site, and there are portable bathrooms for your use. However, it's important to note that there is no shade, so bring sunscreen, like the Supergoop! dupe from Trader Joe's recommended by travel pro Samantha Brown. Dogs on leashes are permitted, but do try to keep them from lifting a leg on the statues. It's a little undignified.