What is the National Garden of American Heroes
The National Garden of American Heroes is a proposed sculpture park in the United States. Conceived by Donald Trump in 2020, it will celebrate “great figures of America’s history.” You might ask—who is honoured? These legends come from politics, science, sports, arts, and more.
The Vision Behind the National Garden of American Heroes
First introduced by Trump in a July 2020 executive order, the Trump National Garden of American Heroes is envisioned as a “vast outdoor park” filled with statues of America’s greatest citizens. The decision came in his Presidency’s final months. However, congress never allocated funds for his project.
Trump had a vision of a garden with 250 statues that would symbolize major Founding Fathers, activists, political figures, business leaders, athletes, celebrities, and icons from popular culture. However, the process of choosing the statues is extremely arbitrary and unorganized. Figures proposed for inclusion in the National Garden of American Heroes range from presidents like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to cultural icons such as Martin Luther King Jr., Amelia Earhart, and even entertainers like Elvis Presley and Whitney Houston.
The Task Force for Building and Rebuilding Monuments to American Heroes will manage the sculpture park. They will also find appropriations in the Interior Department to prepare the grounds. This task force consists of National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities leaders, the administrator of General Services, the chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and any other “officers or employees of any executive department or agency” as designated by President Trump.
National Garden of American Heroes Location: Where Is It?
One of the biggest questions surrounding the project is the National Garden of American Heroes location. With Trump’s new order, the projected timeline was changed to “as expeditiously as possible.” In March 2025, South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden made a proposal to Trump to build the garden in the Black Hills region of the state, near Mount Rushmore, on a piece of private land that would be donated.
Courtesy – Britannica
As of now, the garden has not been officially built and no permanent site has been finalized. During his administration, Trump suggested that the location would be somewhere “on federal land,” possibly in a central U.S. state to be accessible to all Americans.
Public Reaction and Controversy
Since the idea was put forth by Trump, the National Garden of American Heroes has sparked mixed reactions. Supporters argue that it’s a much-needed tribute to American heritage, especially in a time of cultural division. Critics, however, viewed it as a politically motivated project with little practical planning. This is the reason why during the Biden administration, the project was revoked. Trump’s second term rescinded Biden’s revocation.
Controversies also came with Trump cancelling significant grants to libraries, museums, and archives nationwide. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) plans to reallocate some of its resources to build the Trump National Garden of American Heroes.
Conclusion
In summary, if you’re wondering what is the National Garden of American Heroes, it’s a proposed national monument intended to showcase America’s most impactful individuals. While the Trump National Garden of American Heroes was never built and its location remains undetermined, the concept lives on as a bold, if controversial, idea for honouring U.S. history.
Image Courtesy – Yahoo
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