This is a Reprint of the November 13, 2025 Article By Beacon Editor. All Credits Belong to SA Beacon
The Coming King Prayer and Sculpture Garden displays God’s creation during the fall season.
Bigtooth Maple trees are bursting with vibrant color across the Texas Hill Country and can be enjoyed until mid-to-late December. While very common in the northeastern USA, Maple trees are rare in the Texas Hill Country… except in two parks.
Sightseers eager to enjoy the beautiful autumn foliage, shifting from green to yellow, orange, and red, have two good options: 1) They can drive to the famous “Lost Maples State Natural Area” on the Sabinal River, near Vanderpool, 70 miles (about two hours) northwest of San Antonio. There is an admission fee for this state park, which draws around 200,000 visitors each year. 2) Alternatively, visitors can check out the “Found Maples” at The Coming King Sculpture Prayer Garden, located only 60 miles (about one hour) northwest of San Antonio. This park is free.
Over a million people from more than 120 countries have visited the non-denominational Christian art park. The 24.5-acre garden was built to honor God. Ranked by TripAdvisor (the world’s top tourism website), the Kerrville art garden is in the top 10% of attractions worldwide. The spiritual park features $3,000,000 worth of massive sculptures and 77 Bible scriptures carved into stone in three languages.
This private park, located on IH-10, is about three and a half miles from the Guadalupe River. In addition to top-quality landscaping featuring rustic limestone with native Texas plants and trees, the recreational area has a large collection of famous monumental sculptures by three internationally acclaimed American artists.
The iconic fine art was donated by professional artists Beverly Paddleford, David Broussard, and Max Greiner Jr. Greiner (73), who earned an architectural degree in 1974 from Texas A&M University, designed the entire Christian art theme park. The artist, architect, and his wife of 50 years, Sherry, established The Coming King Foundation (TCKF) as a nonprofit art museum in 2004 to bless their community and the world. The Greiners are donors and receive no financial compensation from TCKF.
According to Pastor Fred Schremp, President of The Coming King Foundation, the unique garden is located at the main entrance of Kerrville. The tourist attraction draws between 150,000 and 200,000 visitors annually from around the world. The pastor said, “People are coming right now to see the beautiful ‘Found Maples’. However, while here, they are also experiencing world-class art and the manifest presence of God!” Pastor Schremp became the president of the nonprofit 501(c)3 organization in 2024, succeeding Greiner.
Schremp continued, “Our visitor numbers have risen sharply since the tragic July 4, 2025, flood that claimed 119 lives on the Guadalupe River and 139 in the Hill Country. This unexpected, 500-year flash flood, occurring in the middle of the night, caught everyone off guard.” According to the pastor, “Visitors are coming to ‘The Empty Cross’ to mourn and find healing. They are also viewing a temporary display of 40″ white wooden crosses placed by a Lutheran ministry and a new permanent monument. The ‘Hill Country Flood Memorial Wall’ was designed by our founder. The undulating limestone wall symbolizes the raging river on that terrible morning. We are currently seeking sponsors to help us fund the installation of permanent bronze plaques on the 176-foot-long wall. We created a monument to honor and remember the flood victims and those who helped during the disaster.”
TCKF Vice-President, Col. Bobby Woods (55), also states that visitors are finding peace, hope, and healing at the Christian park. The former high school teacher and Air Force officer says some guests experience real miracles. Most occur within the 7-foot-wide center space of the 77-foot, 7-inch tall Cor-Ten steel cross sculpture, “The Empty Cross.” Weighing approximately 70 tons, the icon is considered by many to be the most symbolic cross sculpture in the world due to its numerous biblical metaphors.
The military officer said, “Thousands of people have experienced peace, healing, miracles, signs, and wonders during their visit to this type of last days Tabernacle. Thousands have also been saved and baptized at the garden. Over a hundred desperate people have canceled their plans for suicide on this holy ground!”
Woods continued: “I have personally experienced and witnessed many miracles at this art park, including the sudden appearance of tiny, sparkling glitter particles on the hands, faces, and clothing of our guests walking on this holy ground!” Woods stated, “This strange substance usually appears during prayer. As a retired military officer raised Southern Baptist, this repeating sign and wonder blows my mind!”
The clever idea of calling the Kerrville Bigtooth Maple trees the “Found Maples” came to founder and evangelist Max Greiner Jr. in 2012, two years after “The Empty Cross” was erected on July 27, 2010. Greiner recounted, “I believe the Holy Spirit told me to plant maple trees along the perimeter of the 300-foot cross-shaped central garden and name them the ‘FOUND MAPLES,’ as a way to draw more people to the park and to Jesus!”
On February 18, 2015, Bryan Hutzler and the owners of LOVE CREEK ORCHARDS in Medina, TX (Baxter and Carol Adams) donated 42 large Maple saplings to THE COMING KING SCULPTURE PRAYER GARDEN. This generous gift was made at the request of TCKF donor Billy Long, owner of Billy Long Enterprises in San Antonio and Gardens At The Ridge in Kerrville. These trees joined eight Maples at the bottom of the garden, which can be seen from IH-10.
The spiritual garden is roughly halfway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans on the transcontinental highway, at the same latitude as Israel, and resembles the Holy Land. This type of “Last Days Tabernacle” is also located at the exact intersection of the paths of the last two Solar Eclipses (2024 & 2024), according to NASA.
Greiner explained: “God preordained this holy garden to honor Jesus in the Texas Hill Country. The reddish color of the “Found Maples” and “The Empty Cross” symbolizes the shed blood of Jesus Christ. They are meant to draw attention to the Savior of the world, the one who created me and the trees! The Messiah’s sacrifice on a wooden cross, a tree, 2,000 years ago, provided a way to heaven for me and all who call on the name of Jesus!”
The art park is open daily year-round from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Admission is free, pets are welcome, and handicapped parking is available. Guided tours require reservations in advance.