'The Little Prince' Park – Merliot, El Salvador - Atlas Obscura

Nestled in between busy roads lies a public park with statues and a playground representing scenes from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s 1943 book, The Little Prince. A planet for a king, one for a drunk man, another for a businessman, one for a conceited man, another for a lamplighter, and one for a geographer. The little prince himself stands atop his massive asteroid in the largest piece under a decorative gazebo.

The statues are colorful and are lit up at night for those who wish to visit after dark. In addition, visitors can play on different playground pieces inspired by the book, including the airplane that the boy flies in to visit each planet. Other pieces of art include the sheep that was drawn for the boy, large hands watching over the park, and the snake eating an elephant.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was married to a Salvadorean woman named Consuelo Suncín de Sandoval, who is often considered to be his muse for the book. She is thought to be represented in the book as the rose that the boy carries. Other potential references to El Salvador include the representation of volcanoes on the boy’s asteroid. Visitors can enjoy the connection between the classic book and the country which hosts this theme park.

Know Before You Go

The park is free to all and there is a free parking lot just south of the park. Vendors will often set up food and drink stations with various treats to buy on weekends at the north side of the park.

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May 4, 2022

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