Guided Tours

Image credit: Jeff Blackwell
Kea Woodruff leads a tour.

Docent-led Guided Tours

Join us for a 90-minute walk through the Arboretum! Tour seasonal plant highlights and learn about Arboretum history from a trained docent.

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Self-guided Tours

From flowers and fragrance to fruits and textures to the bare bones of winter’s deciduous plants, the Arnold Arboretum is a dynamic landscape throughout the year! Our website offers a number of great self-guided tours that you can download ahead of time or take with your phone when you visit.

You can take a tour and explore on your own through our new Expeditions mobile app.

Private Tours

Adult Groups

We are now offering private in-person tours of the Arboretum. An Arboretum docent will lead these 90-minute walking tours of the landscape, seasonal highlights, and Arboretum history. Our Visitor Engagement staff will work with you to provide a memorable experience, whether you are a group of avid gardeners seeking to gain horticultural knowledge or simply want a guided stroll through an historic landscape of remarkable beauty.

Pricing

1-20 participants: $175

21-40 participants: $225

40+ participants: $275

*Funding assistance available for those unable to pay full price.

Bus tours and driving permits are available. Groups must supply their own bus, and bus size restrictions apply, including a height restriction of 11 feet.

For information about these tours, please contact Lauren Strack, Manager of Visitor Engagement at lstrack@fas.harvard.edu or 617-384-5251.

Youth Groups

Elementary and Middle School: If you are a school, camp, scout group, or another type of group that works with children in grades K-8, please look at our education page to find out how you can enjoy the Arnold Arboretum. Please note that at this time we do not have the ability to accommodate specialty requests and tours outside of our current offerings for children.

High School: If you are a high school class or organization that works with children in grades 9-12, we are happy to offer a 90-minute in-person docent led tour of the Arboretum focusing on seasonal highlights and Arboretum History. We can accommodate groups of less than 60 participants and will be dependent on scheduling availability. For more information or to check availability, please contact Lauren Strack, Manager of Visitor Engagement at lstrack@fas.harvard.edu or 617-384-5251.

Higher Education Groups

As part of its education mission, the Arboretum provides academic tours to college and university groups studying relevant subjects. These tours are currently not being scheduled. They are free of charge and led by Arboretum staff members whenever possible. To schedule an academic tour, course instructors or academic advisers will be advised to fill out a request at least three weeks in advance. Request forms will be available on this page when tours become available. On the request form, you will describe the scope of the course or other specifics that would allow us to place you with the most appropriate staff member(s) or docent. For additional information, please call 617.384.5209 or email.