When we’re traveling, we like to take little breaks to rest our feet. On our visit to Dallas, we found a cute little park for such a break. We were so excited by the sculptures of a cattle drive that I wanted to share photos of 5 sculptures from Pioneer Plaza.
Pioneer Plaza Dallas
Pioneer Plaza was dedicated in 1994 in the heart of Dallas. The Plaza sits on 4.2 acres between the Dallas Convention Center and the historic Pioneer Cemetery. 43 bronze sculptures by artist Robert Summers are the main focal point of the Plaza. The sculptures depict a cattle drive and the pioneer cowboys who settled Dallas.
Cattle Drive Sculptures
The members of cattle drive are represented by 40 longhorn steer who were cast to be larger than actual steer. They travel up and down small hills and through water, as they would be if they were traveling across the prairie.
Cowboy Sculptures
Three sculptures of cowboys on their horses are driving the cattle through Pioneer Plaza. I really love how detailed they all are, with lines upon their faces and individual pieces of hair in the horse’s manes. They are quite impressive.
This is the lead cowboy, leading the herd.
The cowboy appears to be taking a tiny break on the hill overlooking the heard.
Other Components of Pioneer Plaza
When you visit Pioneer Plaza, be sure to walk around a little bit and explore the other things in the park. You will find a waterfall, native plant life and manmade cliffs. It’s really quite beautiful. Take a break under one of the towering trees and enjoy a little shade while you’re at it.
When we visited, we had just left the 6th Floor Museum on Dealey Plaza, which was an interesting excursion on its own. There are many things to see in Dallas, just be sure not to miss Pioneer Plaza.
I love finding places like this! The sculptures are pretty cool too, especially when there is a meaning behind them.
They were pretty fantastic to see. I really loved the detail.
The sculptures of Pioneer Plaza look so realistic. They bring alive the days of the wild west. The lead Cowboy sculpture brings alive the romance of the wild west.
Yes, I agree. They were great to be able to see in person.
What an interesting find! We have Rodin sculptures here in Stanford U. I wonder if they use the same techniques.
The cattle and cowboy look so real and true to Dallas!
The artist isn’t from Dallas, so maybe they are by the same person. I believe I read he’s from Montana.
What an awesome find! These sculptures are really neat, what a nice thing to check out when you need a break!
Yes, I agree. We really enjoyed looking at them all.
What a great place for a rest stop. The cattle drive sculptures are so unbelievably detailed – amazing! The waterfall looks lovely to wander around too.
It was a nice touch to the plaza/park. It was so hot that it was nice to be close to water.
These sculptures at Pioneer Plaza really have a lot of life to them! I love that together they are part of a whole cattle drive scene. What a massive undertaking it must have been for Robert Summers to create not one, but five sculptures as part of this installation. I also love that they are tied in with the natural surrounding. I will stop at Pioneer Plaza to see this when I’m in Dallas next.
There were actually quite a few more than 5 because he did a lot of cows too. It was a really neat place to visit.