“This was all that Harry wanted the park to be,” Templeton Wilson said of Pyramid Hill founder Harry T. Wilks. “Harry was very happy to be a citizen of Hamilton and he loved the community, and to be able to open up the park to the community, especially on a day that shows off his love of education, art and nature is really perfect. So, we’ve tried to honor that by having highlights throughout the park of all of those elements.”
With the park’s 25th anniversary last year, she said, this is a rebirth for the park of its next steps.
“Opening the Pyramid House was the very first move on that and guests are going to see a lot of really cool things come to the park this year. Part of that will be included in the season announcements. We are going to be announcing some new programs that are going to take place this year,” Templeton Wilson said.
Beginning with Founder’s Day on Saturday, Pyramid House will be open for public tours for the first time in many years. Originally built by Wilks as a private residence, the Pyramid House has been featured in Architectural Digest.
Barbara Wilks, Harry’s daughter, will also be present for the celebration, along with several Pyramid Hill board members and community dignitaries.
Dr. Steven Tuck of Miami University will offer a guided tour and educational talk on the original artifacts and ancient sculptures that are now housed at the Pyramid House at 1 p.m.
Delaney French, marketing manager at Pyramid Hill said other Founder’s Day highlights will include access to the park’s newest sculpture, Transition, which was carved as a part of Hamilton Sculpture Week 2022, and Jill Krutick’s world premiere of Coral Beliefs that will be featured in the contemporary gallery of the Ancient Sculpture Museum.
The day will conclude with a member-exclusive happy hour at the Pyramid House at 2 p.m. with a Maple-themed refreshment, recognizing the Maple Trees in the park. Members will receive a complimentary beverage. Non-members are welcome to attend, and can purchase a beverage.
“We’re all really excited about opening the Pyramid House. It’s a big request from visitors. We have had a lot of people ask for access. So, we are thrilled to be able to welcome everybody into the Pyramid House and show it off. It’s an incredible structure, said French.
Entry to Pyramid Hill is free to the public on Saturday (Founder’s Day). The park will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Kicking-off on Founder’s Day, visitors will now be able to take a self-guided tour of the Pyramid House noon-5 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and 11-11:45 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays. The tours are free for park members and included in park admission for the public.
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