Hours and Services
The grounds are open from sunrise to sunset every day of the year. There is no admission charge, but donations are welcome.
The Visitor Center in the Hunnewell Building is open
- 9 AM – 4 PM weekdays
- 10 AM – 4 PM Saturdays
- noon – 4 PM Sundays
- closed holidays
Services available in the Visitor Center include:
- staff assistance to enrich your visit
- maps and self-guided tour brochures
- exhibits about the Arboretum and plants, and seasonal art exhibitions
- a shop featuring books and educational items for children and adults
- activities for children
- restrooms
- horticultural library
- Picking or destroying plant material is strictly prohibited.
- Climbing trees is not allowed nor is walking in plant beds or mulched areas.
- Dogs must be leashed at all times. Owners are responsible for removal and disposal of their dogs' wastes.
- Motor vehicles are not allowed without a special permit for individuals with mobility issues (contact the Visitor Center at 617.384.5209 for more information).
- Picnicking, fires, and barbecues are prohibited.
- Organized group sports and commercial film crews are prohibited.
- Bicycles are permitted only on paved paths.
- Vehicles are not allowed within the Arboretum gates or anywhere on the grounds; guests must walk to the ceremony; vehicles must be parked outside the Arboretum gates.
- Food and drink are not allowed on the Arboretum grounds, nor can the Arboretum provide indoor facilities; wedding receptions must be held elsewhere.
- Any trash generated must be removed prior to your departure.
- Furniture is not allowed on the Arboretum grounds.
- No event or directional signs are allowed. We suggest that you specify the exact location in the invitations and place an attendant at the nearest gate to guide your guests. Download a map.
- The ceremony must have no impact on the Arboretum grounds or plants.
- Areas cannot be roped off, and other visitors to the Arboretum cannot be prevented from entering the area of the ceremony.
Directions
Contact us
Accessibility
Vehicular Traffic
Parking is available outside the main gate, along the Arborway, and around the Arboretum’s perimeter. The plantings are best enjoyed on foot, and the grounds are closed to vehicular traffic except by permit for special-needs individuals. A limited number of permits (first-come, first-served) are available at the front desk of the Hunnewell Visitor Center Monday through Friday between the hours of 10 AM and 2:30 PM for special-needs individuals. During busy seasons (spring and fall), a time limit of one hour is imposed. Vehicle height is a maximum of 11' high, with a maximum capacity of 35. A driver’s license is required in exchange for the permit. Full driving restrictions (speed limit, permissible roads) are explained when the driving pass is loaned. The right to a driving permit may be revoked if the vehicle is observed violating these regulations.
Unscheduled tour and school buses will not be allowed to drive through the grounds. For adult tour groups, please contact the tour coordinator at 617.384.5209. For school groups, contact the children's education coordinator at 617.384.5239.
Please Protect Our Plant Collections
The Arnold Arboretum is intended for the study of plants and the passive appreciation of nature. Activities must be conducted in a manner that does not impact or deter the general public’s enjoyment of the Arboretum.
Groups and individuals using the Arboretum should be aware of the following rules:
Weddings, Memorial Services, and other Group Activities
The general public is free to conduct small wedding ceremonies, other group activities, or have their wedding photographs taken on the Arboretum grounds. ALL EVENTS ARE LIMITED TO 40 PEOPLE, and we do not reserve or schedule specific locations.
We do appreciate being informed about event plans. Please call 617.384.5209 or email us at arbweb@arnarb.harvard.edu to inform us of the date, time, and intended location of your ceremony as well as a contact person and phone number.
The Arnold Arboretum offers a unique, beautiful, and safe environment. Please help us keep it that way. There is no fee for group events but donations are welcome. Donations may be made by check made out to the Arnold Arboretum or by cash in person in the Hunnewell Visitor Center.
Memorial services: The policy of the Boston Parks Department, which reflects the General Laws of Massachusetts, is that the spreading of ashes is not allowed in the parks. Since the Arboretum is a public park of the City of Boston, we must comply with their regulations.
In addition to the guidelines above, the following rules apply to group events, ceremonies, and photography:
Science in the Pleasure Ground
An Exhibit Celebrating 125 Years of Discovery
Frederick Law Olmsted, a designer of parks for the people, believed that beautiful landscapes provide moral and spiritual sustenance. Charles Sprague Sargent, director of the Arnold Arboretum, was devoted to the scientific study of trees. In 1872 their separate visions came together on an old farm in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston to create the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.
The Arnold Arboretum, a link in Boston's Emerald Necklace park system designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, has given pleasure to thousands of visitors for well over a century. True to its mission, the Arboretum has developed, curated, and maintained a superbly documented collection of living woody plants, as well as a herbarium and library that support research on them. Science in the Pleasure Ground tells the story of the Arboretum—of its evolution over time and of the knowledge and pleasure that many people have derived from its landscape and plants. Copies of the original Olmsted drawings for the Arboretum, "then and now" photographs, and a nine-by-fifteen-foot scale model of the landscape illustrate the story of this unique design collaboration.
Science in the Pleasure Ground is located in the Arboretum's Hunnewell Building at 125 Arborway in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.