Enchanted Land of Story

Enchanted Land of Story

Inspired by the whimsical verses of artist Sherry Norfolk’s commissioned poem, the exhibit features an immersive adventure through ten enchanting experiences spread across the 14,000 sq ft garden. This outdoor space invites guests to imagine, explore, and discover a realm where stories come to life. Whimsical, literary-inspired sculptures, innovative technology, and native plants along with an edible garden combine to pull children into the creative, limitless world of stories and imagination.

This outdoor space is intended not only to meet children’s need for outdoor play and to create a space where they and their caregivers can become collaborative learners, but to expose them to elements which are critical for language and literacy acquisition so they can become the heroes of their own stories.

The Enchanted Land of Story

Float with clouds across the sky,
Talk with trees and stones,
Explore a desert island,
Call a live oak home.
Discover a topsy-turvy world,
Under a mushroom ring,
Climb over a giant’s knee,
Hear the forest sing.
Play in dancing waters,
Visit a dragon’s lair;
Return and tell the story
Of what you did while there.

– Sherry Norfolk
Mississippi Storyteller and Author

This project is made possible through generous grants from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) and the Hearst Foundations, in addition to the originating support from the Gertrude C. Ford Foundation.