My first experience hiking Andres Institute of Art was one of my motivations for creating Mommy, UP years ago. I had heard lots of mentions about this place and I swear I saw people sharing pictures with strollers in them. It sounded like a lovely place to wander around and see some sculptures. Long story short, it did not go great!
I adventured over with a baby in a stroller and a toddler. The first mistake was choosing the “quarry” trail based on no information, just randomly choosing it from the map in the parking lot. I have a vivid image of my jogging stroller with baby inside perched among large granite boulders as I tried to decide what direction I should move in order to not DIE.
By the time I had basically carried the entire stroller back down the rocks (how did I get up there?!) my body was exhausted. (My 3 year old was having no trouble – how nice for your body to just work!) I forged on – blindly – determined to make this an outing! I headed for the paved road trying to figure out where the heck I was supposed to be going and took the first turn-off into the woods. Pushing about 50lbs of stroller up a rocky hill, I made it to the “We Are One Together” sculpture and I was done. I wasn’t gonna die up there ya’ll. Keep an eye out for that one when you go for your hike so you can have a chuckle about how far I made it on my misadventure.
Maybe if I hadn’t exhausted all my energy messing about in the QUARRY first, things would have gone better.
Maybe if I had known I could just stay on the paved trail and still see sculptures, things would have gone better.
Please, benefit from my experience and read all the details so that you can evaluate and prepare properly for the trail ahead of time.
The Andres Institute of Art
Built on what used to be a ski area, The Andres Institute of Art consists of a giant network of trails all over the side of the hill (mountain!). Scattered throughout are over 100 sculptures made by artists from around the world across the last 20+ years. There are often artists in residence working there and new sculptures being added each year. If you like art, it is pretty interesting to follow them on social media and learn about all the goings-on. All the sculptures are intentionally designed to withstand visitors interacting with them. This is not “Do Not Touch” art.
The network of trails is all over the place leaving many options for designing a different route and discovering new sculptures with each visit.
The Deal with Strollers
Let’s Call it Stroller-Accessible
The best option in general here is to wear any non-walkers if you can. Is it stroller-friendly? Depends how strong you are. There is a paved trail that you don’t have to leave in order to see some beautiful sculptures – but it is all on an incline. Don’t underestimate the weight of pushing that thing uphill! So yes, your stroller can do it, but do evaluate if you have the fitness level needed to push it. I haven’t tried out this part, I was on the rocky trail with my stroller and, quite spectacularly, did not have the strength.
Our 2nd and 3rd Andres Experiences
My failed attempt to enjoy this beautiful place was a few years ago now and I procrastinated going back until a visit with a group of friends this summer. It was one of those squelching hot days and somewhere along the way the group decided to abandon the summit and head for shaded forest trails instead.
Mommy, UP Lesson #53: When in doubt, find a group to follow.
It was a lovely walk and we found so many cool sculptures surprising us around every corner. Plus, thanks to those friends who know more than me, I now understood how to tackle the top! I strategically waited for cool temperatures and autumn colors to make that summit view extra special.
The Picnic Trail & Cell Tower Road Trail to the Top
As far as I know, the Picnic Trail to Cell Tower Road Trail is the most efficient route to the top. We took our time on the way up to make sure everyone made it to the top still happy. The youngest on the crew was 4 years old. With a rest break at the two benches on the way up, everyone made it up & down again on their own two feet.
The Picnic Trail is the rocky, more rugged path. It is full sun about 3/4 of the way up with one mercifully cooling tunnel of pine trees. Then you cross the paved road (do check for working vehicles) and continue on Cell Tower Road. This is a more manicured gravel access road and there is a cell tower at the top.
The Summit at The Andres Institute of Art
Worth it! There is a little loop with sculptures among the trees at the top that is refreshingly less uphill than all the walking you just did. Then the trees open up around a huge rocky area allowing you to see out to Pack Mondadnock and the rest of the Wapack Range. For less than a mile hike to the top, your work pays dividends in view!
There are two large booths installed at the top for a nice relaxing way to take in the spectacle around you. I feel like there is a story behind these booths, please share it with us if you know how this seating came to be! A nod to the ski-slope history perhaps?
Make a Sculpture Scavenger Hunt!
I look forward to returning now that I understand the layout a little better! I want to adventure down all the different routes and find all the sculptures. On The Andres Institute of Art’s official website, they have both a virtual and printable maps linked. Print out Andres’ official map and go on a sculpture hunt! Keep track of your family’s progress and see how many sculptures you can discover over time.
A cool tool I haven’t explored yet is the Trailforks app. This provides the trails but also lets you click on each sculpture for more information.
The Andres Institute of Art: A Seasonal Slam-Dunk
Andres is one of the places I keep in my resources list for off-season adventures. In the dead of winter when most of nature is dormant and everything just kind of looks brown, exploring the art is a perfect way to ensure a little more entertainment on your hike. Springtime? Beautiful. Summer? Beautiful? Autumn? Beautiful.
Lunch & Snacks!
Attached to the Andres Institute of Art’s Visitor Center is a lovely locally-owned small business, Brookline’s Finest. They have bakery goods, breakfast/lunch foods you can sit down to eat, take-home meals and lots of great gifts from local artists. One thing that makes them special is how they feature the work of so many other local small businesses. When we stopped in we snagged some delicious cookie bars from the Teacup Baking Co, a bakery I recognize from the farmers market we frequent. Make sure to stop in, they also have bathrooms!
Quick Facts: The Andres Institute of Art
| Parking | Large paved parking lot |
| Bathroom | Real bathrooms inside the Visitor Center, enter through Brookline’s Finest. |
| Stroller Friendly? | Stroller-Accessible: Your stroller can go on the paved road, but can you push it uphill the whole way? |
| Sun Exposure | The Picnic Trail is mostly full sun and sections of the paved Parkway Trail but the rest is pretty forested & shady. |
| Trail Highlights | Route to the summit is “short” but a true uphill hike. Trails weave all through the forest so there are many options to match your crew’s ability. |
| Official Trail Map | Andres Institute of Art Website |
| Nearest snacks | Brookline’s Finest |
| Sculptures | Touchable art. Print their map to keep track of the ones you visit and help your crew find them all! |
| Nearby Fun | Right down the street from Mary’s Trail |
| Address | 106 Rte 13, Brookline, NH |
Happy Adventuring!
