Garden of Eden
Being in a small prairie town in central Kansas, on a quiet residential street, a concrete Adam and Eve
greet you; Eve offers an Apple of Friendship. Above them, on tall concrete pillars, are the Devil,
frolicking concrete children, and two love storks. To the left, high in the air, an all-seeing concrete eye
of God watches over the Garden of Eden.
Biblical scenes mingle with political messages. In the back yard, Labor is crucified while a banker,
lawyer, preacher and doctor nod approvingly. On one pillar, an octopus representing monopoles and
trusts grabs at the world. A soldier and a child are 
trapped in two of its tentacles. Fear not. On the
"Goddess of Liberty" tree, Ms. Liberty drives a spear through the head of another trust octopus, as
free citizens cut off the limb that it rests upon.
The creator of this ivy-covered concrete and limestone utopia was pioneer showman Samuel Dinsmoor.
Dinsmoor was a retired Civil War Veteran, patriotic American, lover of freedom, and hater of the
conspiratorial trusts. At age of 64, he started building the Garden of Eden as a tourist attraction in
1907. His house is made of limestone cut to look like logs; his sculpture garden surrounds it. Having a
knack for popular eccentricity (he married his first wife on horseback decades before such stunts
became popular), he opened his home as a tourist attraction in 1908, even as his vision of biblical and
modern man was being molded out of 113 tons of concrete.
He continued building and displaying up until his death in 1932, taking time out to marry his 20-year-old
housekeeper in 1924. This relationship bore 2 children. Both are still alive. The son John is the youngest
living child of a Civil War Veteran. John was born when Mr. Dinsmoor was 85.
Dinsmoor built this 40-foot tall limestone log mausoleum for himself and his first wife. He is laid to rest in his handmade glass-topped concrete coffin for generations of public viewing.
*National Register of Historic Places
OPEN DAILY
May through October, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
November through April, 1:00 to 4:00 PM
Your admission fee will help preserve this unique attraction, $4.00.
785-525-6118
www.garden-of-eden-lucas-kansas.com/
North from Interstate 70, Exit 206, 17 miles on K-232 Highway