1 . 5 ▁million ▁budget . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁park ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁by ▁a ▁property ▁grant ▁in ▁the ▁will ▁of ▁Mat ilda ▁C . ▁La ume ier , ▁and ▁was ▁originally ▁intended ▁as ▁a ▁mem orial ▁to ▁her ▁dece ased ▁husband , ▁Henry ▁H . ▁La ume ier . ▁The ▁will ▁gave ▁their ▁land ▁and ▁country ▁house ▁to ▁the ▁county , ▁and ▁specified ▁that ▁would ▁be ▁used ▁for ▁pass ive ▁purposes ▁( e . g ., ▁no ▁sport ▁fields ). ▁The ▁park ▁was ▁ ▁at ▁its ▁opening ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁but ▁did ▁not ▁attract ▁many ▁visitors ▁until ▁a ▁year ▁later , ▁when ▁St . ▁Louis ▁sculpt or ▁Ernest ▁Tro va ▁don ated ▁about ▁ 4 0 ▁pieces ▁of ▁his ▁work ▁to ▁the ▁park . ▁It ▁soon ▁became ▁a ▁popular ▁tour ist ▁att raction , ▁and ▁received ▁an ▁additional ▁ ▁from ▁the ▁Fri ends ▁of ▁La ume ier . ▁The ▁additional ▁land ▁was ▁mostly ▁woods ▁and ▁is ▁for ▁site - specific ▁sculpt ures , ▁including ▁an ▁abandoned ▁De pression - era ▁concrete ▁pool ▁from ▁the ▁Or ch ard ▁Valley ▁estate ▁that ▁once ▁occupied ▁the ▁land ▁which ▁was ▁transformed ▁into ▁a ▁large ▁sculpt ure . ▁ ▁The ▁found ing ▁executive ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁S cul pt ure ▁Park ▁was ▁Dr . ▁Be ej ▁N ier eng arten - Smith , ▁whose ▁ten ure ▁last ed ▁ 2 2 ▁years ▁from ▁October ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁to ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁During