Events

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All events at the Arboretum are free.

Ongoing

Exhibits

photo of tree branches in a vase

Guided Tours

Plan Your Visit

Monthly Weekly Daily List

September 2025

Large colonial ship in a harbor

Tree Mob: The Trees that Shaped the Seas
Virtual Event

As a lead-up to our Haunted Botany performance piece about the colonial histories of Eastern White Pine, join Materials Science Professor Lorna Gibson for a Tree Mob on tree species that were used to build colonial ships. From dense oak hulls designed to withstand cannonballs, to tall, straight masts made out of towering pine trees, each tree species was selected for its own unique strengths–both in the forest and at sea.

05 Sep
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm
Entrance to Conifer Path on Valley Rd

8V2F+2QQ

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Chinese Path (looking East)

Explorers Garden Tour

The Explorers Garden rests in a microclimate just below the summit of Bussey Hill. This nearly five-acre site provides ideal growing conditions for many species that have been challenging to grow in less protected areas of the Arboretum. As such, it has proven to be a perfect testing ground for plants collected in the expeditions of E. H. Wilson in the early 1900s to the NACPEC  (North America-China Plant Exploration Consortium) expeditions of our own time. Join docent Marie Herbert for a guided tour to learn more about some of the plants showcased in this special collection and to hear stories of the plant exploration expeditions that brought them to the Arboretum.

06 Sep
1:00 pm – 2:15 pm
Centre Street Gate

8V2F+WQJ Boston, Massachusetts

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A large sale with historical objects placed on top next to a finished cyanotype print

Haunted Botany: A Performance for a Forgotten Forest

The towering Eastern White Pine once dominated New England forests and served as an important symbol for Indigenous peoples, but the British Royal Navy’s thirst for tall, straight, trees to use as ship masts eventually led to the destruction of the vast majority of old growth pines in Massachusetts. Join Gwyneth Shanks and AB Brown for a performance piece highlighting Pinus strobus’s dramatic colonial history in which American settlers fought back against King George’s large-scale destruction of their forests, leading to direct resistance, riots, and eventually to the Boston Tea Party itself.

06 Sep
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Peters Hill Gate

7VWC+HQ7 Boston, Massachusetts

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A brown and tan bird perches on a twig and eats pink berries

Birding at the Arboretum Sold Out

Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk. We will cover a variety of habitats and focus on the changes that seasonal migration brings to our resident birds, so come back often to keep up with the seasons!

07 Sep
8:00 am – 9:30 am
in front of the Hunnewell Building

125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA

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Full moon against a black background

Full Moon Walking Meditation Sold Out

Take in the sights and sounds of the arboretum under the light of a full moon. Facilitator Bob Linscott will lead the group through mindfulness in nature practices and a meditative sound bath as we meander along the paved road to our final nighttime viewing location on top of Bussey Hill.

07 Sep
7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
in front of the Hunnewell Building

125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA

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Little Explorers

Join us at the Arboretum as we read and discover new things about the natural world. During this one-hour program for our youngest guests and their grownups, we will read a nature inspired story, do a craft, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

08 Sep
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Hunnewell Lecture Hall

8V4H+WM Boston, Massachusetts

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House Finch. Photograph by Bob Mayer.

Birding Walk

Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders. Bring binoculars if you have them!

13 Sep
8:00 am – 10:00 am
in front of the Hunnewell Building

125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA

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A green caterpillar hangs upside down on a flower stalk

Caterpillar Walk for Kids and Families

The Caterpillar Lab is moving in, and while the exhibit will be full of their munching critters and offer lots to explore, the real story is the one going on outside where these creatures are living out their strange lives in the wild. Join Caterpillar Lab Education Coordinator Sara Burrell for on a walk around the property exploring for native caterpillars and other insects–designed especially for kids and families. Learn how the Caterpillar Lab finds all of their caterpillars, learn about host plants and parasitoids, and get all of the caterpillar-finding secrets from an expert on local New England caterpillars!

13 Sep
10:00 am – 11:00 am
in front of the Hunnewell Building

125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA

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Caterpillar Lab

The Caterpillar Lab returns to the Arboretum for a full weekend packed with caterpillar displays, free-exploration programming, digital microscopes, and experienced educators on hand to give you insights into these amazing animals. This exhibit takes place in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall, where Caterpillar Lab staff brings in hundreds of caterpillars, cocoons, and lots of leafy greenery for the caterpillars to explore. This is a unique opportunity for visitors to experience the huge diversity of native caterpillars close up!

13 – 14 Sep
11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Hunnewell Lecture Hall

8V4H+WM Boston, Massachusetts

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A green caterpillar hangs upside down on a flower stalk

Caterpillar Walk with Sam Jaffee Sold Out

The Caterpillar Lab is moving in, and while the exhibit will be full of their munching critters and offer lots to explore, the real story is the one going on outside where these creatures are living out their strange lives in the wild. Join Director of the Caterpillar Lab Sam Jaffe on a walk around the property exploring for native caterpillars and other insects. Learn how the Caterpillar Lab finds all of their caterpillars, learn about host plants and parasitoids, and get all of the caterpillar-finding secrets from one of the foremost caterpillar hunters in the world!

13 Sep
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
in front of the Hunnewell Building

125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA

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Poison ivy growing on a tree

Spooky Plants: The Garden that Bites Back

As we ramp up for the spooky season of Halloween, join the Manager of Adult Programming and Events for a walk focused on the most sinister plants in the Arboretum’s collections. Armed with spiky thorns, sticky latex, and chemical warfare, these plant species defend themselves from hungry herbivores—and sometimes from humans who wander too close.

14 Sep
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
in front of the Hunnewell Building

125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA

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A large and knobbly beech with young light green leaves

Conservation in a Changing World

Part of the mission of the Arnold Arboretum is stewardship of the earth’s botanical diversity and its essential value to humankind. This one hour tour through the landscape, led by docent Vicki Amalfitano, will highlight important Arboretum historical conservation efforts that have preserved distinct native and exotic species, and current efforts in our living collections to mitigate habitat disruption and climate impact. Learn about plant expeditions to preserve species in the face of climate change and new pathogens, research initiatives, as well as the Arboretum’s green initiatives and local collaborations to improve our urban canopy.

18 Sep
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Hunnewell Visitor Center

8V4H+WM Boston, Massachusetts

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No event found!