Known as the Seven Magic Mountains, the sculpture features towers of colorful rocks. They add bright, vibrant colors to the bland deserts surrounding Vegas. They were done by one person and are easily viewable from the road.
If you want to know more about the Seven Magic Mountains, casually known as the 7 colorful rocks in Vegas, Nevada, continue reading below. You can learn more about the artist, the purpose, and what these rocks look like so you can make sure you won’t overlook this spectacular art feature unlike anything else in the world.
7 Colorful Rocks in Vegas
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There are pictures of the Seven Magic Mountains art installation all over the internet. They feature seven pillars of rocks. Most of the time, there are between four and seven rocks, each one colored something different, but bright.
The Seven Magic Mountains installation was created by a man known as Ugo Rondinone. He worked with the Nevada Museum of Art and the Art Production Fund to create this art installation and add a bit of color to the otherwise empty desert. Ugo Rondinone is a Swiss artist and is fairly well known for sculpting, painting, photography, drawing, and even architecture.
The Seven Magic Mountains is what he is most known for. It came about at a time when stacking rocks in the wilderness for fun or meditation was widely popular. He made it unique and fun by adding colors and increasing its size.
It does have inner support to help keep it stable and safe for anyone wanting to visit. Some people don’t like the rocks due to how they are so disconnected from nature and are considered an eyesore by people that enjoy nature. However, many argue it is a way to bring nature and people together.
When asked about Seven Magic Mountains, the Nevada Museum of Art said, “The work pays homage to the history of Land Art while also offering a contemporary critique of the simulacra in nearby Las Vegas.”
It is located just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, and is free to enter. The rocks were first finished and opened to the public in 2016 on May 11th. It was only set to be displayed for two years before being deconstructed, but its immense popularity has made them stick around a lot longer than planned and was set to end in 2021.
However, considering it is still around and a new date for the installation ending hasn’t been noted, it is likely that the art will now be a permanent feature in the desert landscape.
The rocks that make up the Seven Magic Mountains’ pillars are all different. The pillars are over 25 feet tall and can get up to 35 feet tall. Though the rocks weren’t measured beforehand, they are thought to weigh over 55,000 pounds each. When you have around three to seven rocks per pillar, you are looking at 165,000 to 385,000 pounds.
Though the art installation is outdoors, open to the public, and easily visible from a distance for free, you can hire tour guides to take you to and from the area and provide you with more information about the mountains. The tours are fairly cheap, often only around $60 with the ride included. Most of them include other stops on the tour to make it worth the drive.
Some other stops can include the Valley of Fire, the Hoover Dam, and the Las Vegas sign. You can also look at hiking trips that take you by the art installation.
They are a 30-minute drive from Las Vegas, though you can see them for a while before you arrive. You can pull up and see the rocks, staying as long as you like and letting your children run around while you take pictures.
There isn’t a specific address to make it easy to see, but the common GPS coordinates used are 35.839006393657556, -115.27090117663252. You can often just search Seven Magic Mountains online to get the address on apps like Google Maps and Apple Maps.
There is nothing else in the area, including bathrooms, or places to buy food and water. The parking lot is just a flat area of the desert with some fencing. So if you plan to be there for a while, it is a good idea to use the bathroom beforehand and bring plenty of water and snacks.
While you can visit the art installation throughout the year, many people find the best time to visit is during the winter when the harsh sun isn’t overwhelming. In the winter, though, the chilly wind can be a bit much for some. If you have longer hair, you may want to bring a hair tie.
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