Queen Califia's Magic Circle is located in Escondido, CA. The sculpture garden is the creation of Niki de Saint Phalle. It includes nine large scale sculptures and a 400' undulating circular wall topped with serpents. Saint Phalle created four large-scale sculptural environments but this is the only one in the U.S. The sculptures make references to Native American, Pre-Columbian, and Mexican cultures. Queen Califia, represented by the garden's central sculpture, was an Amazon warrior for whom the state of California was named. The garden is approached by a broken cement, mosaic-like pathway. A black and white tile and mirror maze then leads into the garden itself. The Magic Circle opened in 2003, a year after Saint Phalle's death. In 2013, the place was closed due to vandalism. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4.
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