History & Design:

The French Cultural Garden features a hexagon terrace with a walkable map of the French mainland. Next to the terrace is a bike that symbolizes the importance of sports in French culture, particularly events such as the Tour de France bicycle race.

Plans to further the garden’s theme of “French Culture Alive” call for adding a flower bed to honor French Impressionist painters such as Claude Monet. The Impressionist Garden will host temporary and permanent works of art. There are also plans to construct an amphitheater for hosting concerts and fashion shows. The amphitheater will provide a place to picnic, read and enjoy “pétanque,” the French game that resembles Italian bocce.

France’s ties to Ohio extend across centuries. French explorers and traders first arrived in the area in the 1600s. France continues to have close cultural and business ties with Cleveland, especially through the sister city relationship with Rouen, the capital of the Normandy region.

For more information about the French Cultural Garden, visit FACCOhio.org