The Infinity Project
Since the 1980s, Josh Simpson has been hiding his glass Planets all over our Earth. In 2000 he launched the Infinity Project, which invites people around the world to hide Planets in exotic, mysterious, and sometimes even seemingly mundane – but personally meaningful - locations.
One day in 1976, I discovered several handmade glass marbles in the old garden bed outside my kitchen door. Probably left there by children a generation or two earlier, they were still just as bright and vibrant as they’d been on the summer afternoon they went missing.
I was making glass Planets that would probably last for centuries. So I thought: why not bury some of them, and perhaps someday one will be found and intrigue future archeologists.
I started hiding Planets first near my house and then later wherever I ventured. Soon, I was giving away my little worlds for others to hide along their travels. I love the thought of random strangers finding these unsigned objects and being delighted and mystified by their meaning, purpose, and origin. These people will likely not be archaeologists. They may know nothing of art, science, or space travel, but I like the idea of my art reaching a totally new audience, not just socially or culturally different but also potentially living decades or centuries from now.”
— Josh Simpson
UNITED STATES
ALABAMA
Bessemer, abandoned iron mine; Alan C.
Wetumpka, Tutwiler Prison for Women; Marc F.
ALASKA
Coast Guard ship, Arctic Circle; Michelle H.
ARIZONA
Cochise City, Chiricahua Mountains; Gail P.
Tucson, Baboquivari Peak; Kirsten K.
Mogollon Rim; Karen H.
Phoenix, Shaw Butte; Michael M.
ARKANSAS
Crater of Diamonds State Park; Kate S.
Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge; Judith P.
CALIFORNIA
San Francisco, Cliff House; Susan W.
Rumboldt, Redwoods State Park; Kelly M.
Yosemite, under the lower falls; Joyce H.
COLORADO
Boulder, Gunbarrel Hill; Walter B.
CONNECTICUT
Stamford, First Presbyterian Church; Kerry S.
Norwich, Slater Memorial Museum; Sara P.
Middletown, in a waterfall; Jason H.
DELAWARE
Cumberland Gap National Park; Mark. C.
FLORIDA
Miami, National Hurricane Center; Mark E.
Key Largo, Aquarius Habitat; James B.
Deland, Blue Spring; Jim K.
GEORGIA
Macon, gravesite of friend; Ron S.
HAWAII
Maui, Mount Haleakala; Jim S.
IOWA
Prairie City, Huffman Prairie; Alva K.
IDAHO
Boise River; Jennifer W.
Sawtooth Mountains; Thomas B.
ILLINOIS
Princeton, Lovejoy Homestead; Pam B.
INDIANA
Trafalgar, in a wooded grove; Sue D.
KANSAS
McLouth, Gaea spiritual retreat center; Audrey D.
KENTUCKY
Louisville, Churchill Downs Racetrack; Dave B.
Ft. Campbell, 101st Headquarters; Dawn L.
LOUISIANA
New Orleans, Lighthouse Vision Clinic; Steve G.
Raceland, sugar cane field; Kimberly T.
MASSACHUSETTS
Auburn, Goddard Rocket Park; Jacques T.
Holyoke, Sanctuary Clinic; Judy R.
Shutesbury, Tenemo’s retreat; Celeste S.
Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory; Jennifer W.
Salem Witch Trials Memorial; Adrienne A.
Dana, Quabbin Reservoir; Leslie H.
Lynn, High Rock Observatory; Rolf F.
Northampton, Paradise City Festival; Virginia A.
Northampton, Perkins School for the Blind; Chanda K.
Boston, Children’s Wing, Dana Farber; Monique M.
MARYLAND
Baltimore, Metro station; Michael M.
Chester River, Chesapeake Bay; Heather L.
MAINE
Machias, Bold Coast Trail; Katherine W.
Aroostook County Solar System Model; Eling C.
MICHIGAN
Cook Nuclear Power Plant; Pam P.
Tower on Mackinac Bridge; Charlie J.
Leland, North Manitou Island; Phil M.
Adrian, Siena Heights University; Melissa S.
MINNESOTA
Red Lake Reservation High School; Andy M.
MISSOURI
Hannibal, Mark Twain Cave; Martha B.
MISSISSIPPI
Not yet!
MONTANA
Bannack, Ghost Town; Jennifer M.
NEBRASKA
Wounded Knee Memorial; Keith B.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Mt. Monadnock; Joann D.
NEW JERSEY
Hillsborough, Doris Duke estate; Clifford B.
NEW MEXICO
Santa Rosa, Blue Hole; Isaac B.
NEW YORK
Montour Falls, nursing home; Margaret H.
Millville, Troll Bridge; Carolyn R.
South Salem, Lake Truesdale; Nick F.
New Paltz, Mohonk Mountain House; Bach A.
Fire Island, Kismet; Theresa C.
Potsdam, Crumb Library; Kenneth R.
Gravesite of child; Bill M.
The Chautauqua Institute; Donna K.
Grand Central Station; Lisa H.
United Nations Building; Leslie B.
NEVADA
Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon; Lynn B.
Boulder City, Hoover Dam; Peggy A.
Black Rock, Burning Man Festival; Kaori T.
NORTH CAROLINA
Cape Fear, Bald Head Island; Joan L.
Outer Banks, Wright Brothers Memorial; Gary H.
U-Boat 352 wreck; Jamie B.
NORTH DAKOTA
Sandstone cave; Laurie R.
OHIO
Toledo Museum of Art; Melissa S.
Cincinnati Observatory; Jeanette F.
Paint Creek, old Indian cave; William C.
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City Bomb Memorial; Melissa M.
OREGON
Portland, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Rose O.
PENNSYLVANIA
Harrisburg, James Madison University; Whitney M.
Ruins of Eastern
State Penitentiary; Dusty M.
RHODE ISLAND
Gloucester, 100 acres of farmland; Andrew I.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Conway, unknown location; Diane A.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Chamberlain, Dignity of Earth and Sun; Barbara G.
TENNESSEE
Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Victoria D.
TEXAS
Houston City Pond; Sean R.
Brazos Bend State Park; Laura W.
Gillespie, Enchanted Rock; Kathy F.
Space Center Houston; Roben B.
Universal City, Randolph AFB; Cody K.
UTAH
Kennecott Copper Mine; Don C.
West Valley City, Bonneville Salt Flats; Mack B.
VIRGINIA
Roanoke, new Art Museum; Chat T.
VERMONT
Jacksonville, Mello’s Retreat Center; Anonymous
Queechee Gorge; Laurie M.
Warren, Mad River; Michael M.
WASHINGTON
Seattle, Fractured Rocks; John C.
WEST VIRGINIA
Hedgeville, under a bridge; Barbara M.
WISCONSIN
Oshgosh Air Show; Josh S.
Bergstrom Mahler Museum of Glass; Josh S.
Kenosha, Kissing Rock, Carthage College; Aaron T.
Williams Bay, Yerkes Observatory; Gail B.
Green Bay, Wequiock Falls; Amy K.
WYOMING
Guernsey, Hell Gap; Marcy L.
PUERTO RICO
A defunct sugar mill; Nick R.
WASHINGTON, DC
Vietnam Veterans Memorial; Christopher G.
INTERNATIONAL
ANTARCTICA
Under the ice sheets; Henry K.
AUSTRALIA
A tiny island, Kate B.
New South Wales; Vicki S.
Parkes Radio Telescope; Nic M.
Philip Island Fairy Penguins; Carol S.
BELGIUM
Brussels, Atomium; Astrid V.
Weris menirs; Pierre D.
BRAZIL
Amazon River; Carol G.
BULGARIA
Plovdiv; Gergana A.
CAMBODIA
Angkor Wat; Charlotte B.
CANADA
Ainsworth Hot Springs, BC; Suzanne E.
Assiniboine Park Zoo; Carol Ann M.
Burntcoat, Nova Scotia; Alice B.
Nanavut, Ward Hunt Island; Carsten B.
Saskatchewan Mosaic Stadium; Greg M.
The Bay of Fundy; Jodi-Mari H.
The North Pole; Carla H.CHILE
Torres del Paine Nat’l Park; Kathy B.
CHINA
Li River; Penny G.
Qufu, birthplace of Confucius; Lorene D.
CUBA
Camp Delta; Mark D.
Varadero; Frances P.
CYPRUS
Troodos Mtns; Helen T.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Unknown location; Don P.
DENMARK
Copenhagen Opera House; Tracey W.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Jarabacoa; Denise C.
ECUADOR
Galapagos Islands; Alice H.
EGYPT
Unknown location; Anika D.
ENGLAND
Barbican, cobbled street; Jan S.
Stonehenge; Alan T.
Tower of London; Tara H.
ESTONIA
Toompea Castlet, Tallin; Laura S.
ETHIOPIA
Unknown location; Beth M.
FINLAND
Lokan Teojarvi beach; Chase H.
FRANCE
Chamonix Mtn.; Anne L.
Lot Valley; Lark W.
Normandy American Cemetery; Sandra J.
Omaha Beach, Normandy; Liz W.
GERMANY
Izar River; Georgene G.
Prinz Al Brecht Palais; Annaliese B.
GHANA
Unknown location; Nicholas T.
GREAT BRITAIN
Ainwick Castle, Northumberland; Senta R.
GREECE
Rhodes Colossus; Andrew W.
Temple of Artemis; Kathleen L.
GUAM
Shipwrecks in Apra Harbor; Shannan A.
GUYANA
Unknown location; Cecilia P.
HONDURAS
Island of Roatan; Melodie G.
HUNGARY
Unknown location; Britney W.
ICELAND
Drangajokull glacier; Auor K.
Unknown location; Horace D.
INDIA
Kathmandu Mt. Everest base; John C.
Unknown location; Janice J.
IRAN
Persepolis; Parissa H.
IRAQ
Baghdad Green Zone; Marilyn B.
IRELAND
Aran Islands sheer cliffs; Nicola C.
Cobh Heritage Center; Neil F.
ISRAEL
Jerusalem; Samantha J.
Phoenician Kiln; Robyn E.
Red Sea; Neil F.
ITALY
Ponte Vecchio, Florence; Valerie V.
School of Incisa Val d’Arno; Margaret R.
Murano Canals; Josh S.
JAPAN
Hiroshima; Joan B.
Mt. Fuji; Roger B.
KAZAKHSTAN
Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site; Mark P.
LAOS
Phra That Luang temple; Terry S.
MADAGASCAR
Rain Forest; Betty M.
MALAYSIA
Perhentian Islands; Erin F.
MALTA
The Hypogeum; Chuck F.
MEXICO
Chiapas Temple of Inscriptions; Stacey M.
Tecate, Mt. Kuchumaa; Debbie W.
Telum, Yucatan; Sandar F.
MONGOLIA
Gobi Desert; Marie B.
MOROCCO
Agadir; Aouatif B.
Casablanca; Anne G.
NEPAL
Niche in a temple; Ryan E.
Netherlands
Canals of Giethoorn; Janel P.
Peace Palace, The Hague; Rob Van J.
NEW ZEALAND
Wanganui, Mt. Eden volcano; Mike P.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Giants Causeway; Kathryn G.
NORWAY
Island of Kjerring; Michael S.
PAKISTAN
Unknown location; Kevin B.
PERU
Machu Pichu; Arthur B.
Salkantay, Andes Mountains; Stevi B.
PORTUGAL
Terciera Island, Azores; James H.
SAUDI ARABIA
Unknown location; Lillian B.
SCOTLAND
The Isle of Mull; Scott A.
Urquhart Castle; Marianny C.
SLOVENIA
Unknown location; Nate H.
SOUTH AFRICA
Cape Town Boulder Beach; Elaine W.
Unknown location; MaryAlice H.
ST. CROIX
Scuba dive; Amanda C.
ST. KITTS
Brimstone Hill Fortress; Brian M.
SWITZERLAND
CERN; Edmund B.
TANZANIA
Mt. Kilimanjaro; Joseph P.
Mt. Kilimanjaro; Nicole H.
THAILAND
Ayutthaia ancient ruins; Ai C.
Bangkok Buddhist shrine; Christine C.
Wat Tham Seua; Adria P.
TUNISIA
Unknown location; Pat K.
TURKEY
Mt. Nemrut; Terry S.
UGANDA
Unknown location; Meredith K.
UKRAINE
Lviv; Josh S.
VIETNAM
Unknown location; Shirley H.
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
Annaberg Sugar Mill; Toby B.
YEMEN
Unknown location; Mle D.
The Glass Artist Who Hides His Work All Around the World
Josh started making Planets in the late 1970s after seeing the photograph of Earth that the Apollo Astronauts took on their return from the moon.
Packed with unique and intricate details, Planets evoke the landscapes, scenery, and cities of imaginary worlds that might be found in the far reaches of the universe.
