The Bear Pit

The Bear Pit is a bronze sculpture by artist Kwan Wu, dedicated and installed in 2006 as the City of Merriam's first public sculpture installation. Its mother bear and cubs celebrate one of the most popular features of historic Merriam Park. Wu said the work was meant to provide a historical representation rather than portray a specific bear, and that a family of bears would be most appealing, with bears of a human kind who love life and would bring together people who come to the park with their families to relax. During the 1880's, the Merriam Park Zoo had a bear pit that was home to three wandering bears, which often escaped and were returned to the park only to flee again, until eventually only one bear remained.

Merriam, Kansas · United States