Парк искусств Капони в Эйгэне включен в Национальный реестр исторических мест

Eagan residents and art enthusiasts of all ages gathered last week to celebrate a unique landscape’s legacy. Caponi Art Park in Eagan, a sprawling 60-acre property dotted with sculptures of all sizes, is officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The park, which was founded and created by sculptor and Macalester College art professor Anthony Caponi, opened to the public in 1987 and was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1992. The nonprofit offers art workshops and educational programs on site, in addition to the sculptural landscape, which is free and open to the public May through Thanksgiving. Located south of Diffley Road near Quigley Lake in Eagan, the park receives over 10,000 visitors annually. “People see us as a place to come and create and to get involved with art,” said Executive Director Cheryl Caponi, who founded the park with her late husband. Anthony Caponi, who died in 2015 at the age of 94, was the visionary behind most of the park’s sculptures in addition to the structures, walking paths and retaining walls. A multidisciplinary artist, he believed art should be connected to nature, everyday life and human experience. “This park is so special,” said Denise Sjoberg, president of Caponi Art Park’s board of directors. The fundraising event, which had a goal of $10,000, had been half met by the start of the evening, Sjoberg said. Eagan City Council Member Gary Hansen said, “the more resources [the park] can get, the better,” adding that the focus was on preserving the park for future generations. When asked if she had a favorite sculpture in the park, Cheryl Caponi said no, that it would be impossible to choose. “Just about every foot [of the park] has a story,” she said. Caponi used materials like concrete, lead, red granite and Minnesota limestone to create his works. He also used uncommon items like helmets from World War II, or the Cadillac bumpers that make up a Preying Mantis sculpture, or used saw blades that can be seen in a lumberjack-inspired sculpture. At the event, Eagan resident Jill Wohlman said it was her second time visiting the park, though unbeknownst to her, she was already familiar with Caponi’s work. Having grown up in St. Cloud, Wohlman said she spent time as a kid playing on what she now knows to be Caponi’s massive carved boulders, called “The Granite Trio,” in the city’s downtown area. By the end of the week, the fundraising goal had been met, “but funds are always needed,” Cheryl Caponi said in an email. Run by the National Park Service, the National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program that aims to protect America’s historic and archeological resources. The park was officially added to the register in December 2025.