Benson Sculpture Garden began as a homestead and became a home for art and natural beauty. The transformation took place over a period of more than a century. The Benson family homesteaded in Loveland in 1877. Robert Benson purchased the property in 1907 from his grandfather and he farmed the land for thirty-eight years. He was influential in the Colorado Big Thompson project that developed water resources for Northern Colorado and he and his son Ralph remained active in water conservation throughout their careers. In 1961, the Benson family donated a portion of their farm to the City of Loveland for use as a wetlands area and refuge for birds. That land is now the Benson Sculpture Garden and adjacent ecosystem.

The sculpture garden was the dream of a group of Loveland citizens who saw an opportunity to make even more of the Bensons’ gift. In 1984, a group of five Loveland sculptors, George Lundeen, Dan Ostermiller, George Walbye, Fritz White, and Hollis Williford, together with representatives of the City of Loveland, the Chamber of Commerce and a few interested citizens fostered the idea of a sculpture show in Benson Park. They envisioned the outdoor art exhibition and sale as a unique environment for sculptors from across the country to showcase their work as well as a way to generate funding for a sculpture garden. The City of Loveland designated Benson Park as the site for the sculpture garden and in 1985, it became a reality. The Loveland High Plains Arts Council was formed to oversee the artistic development of the park.

The first annual Sculpture in the Park show was held in 1984, with fifty local artists participating. Two thousand people attended the show and purchased $50,000 worth of sculpture. Over the years, the Sculpture in the Park show has expanded its diversity of work to include representational, stylized, and abstract sculpture in a variety of mediums including bronze, stone, wood, ceramic, glass, metal, and mixed media. Held annually on the second weekend in August, Sculpture in the Park is now the largest outdoor juried sculpture show in the United States with sales well over $1 million.