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    • Chinese Path, Explorers Garden

    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.

    Centre Street Gate
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      A Taiko drummer, cherry blossoms, and Japanese calligraphy

      Cherry Blossom Celebration

      Come celebrate Japanese culture amongst the Arboretum’s beautiful cherry blossoms with taiko drumming, traditional Japanese dance, Japanese games and calligraphy, family activities, and the inside scoop on the Arboretum’s own cherry collection.

      Bradley Rosaceous Collection
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        Jacek Smolicki listening to tree sounds.

        Nature Amplified: The Secret Sounds of Trees

        If our ears were 100 times more powerful than they are, we would be able to hear the sounds produced by trees themselves: water moving through the trunks and branches, the creak of the wood in the wind, and small critters moving around in the wood or the canopy. We would even be able to hear how plants receive and respond to sound waves produced by other beings. Our ears are not this powerful, but artist, researcher, and Harvard Graduate School of Design fellow Jacek Smolicki has created microphones and recording systems that are.

        Join Jacek for an indoor introduction to his specialized microphone technology, then move outside for a walk to try out the microphones around the landscape and listen to the amplified sounds they create.

        Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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        A red-winged blackbird in flight. The bird is black with red and yellow on its shoulders.

        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.

        in front of the Hunnewell Building
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        A spectrogram, a yellow and black bird, and mics attached to a tree

        Soundscapes of the Arboretum: A Drop-in Event

        Stop by the Hunnewell lawn to experience the sounds of the Arboretum in a new way. View the sound of wind or birdsong through special spectrograms; participate in a “sound to sketch activity” to draw what you’re hearing with a friend or family member; work with a birder to learn how to identify birds from their unique calls; and listen to the sounds of a tree or soil amplified through specially designed microphones.

        Hunnewell Lawn
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          Portrait of Frederick Law Olmsted.

          Olmsted and the Arnold Arboretum

          Frederick Law Olmsted, considered the father of landscape architecture, designed some 500 public spaces in North America. The Arnold Arboretum is the only arboretum he designed, a National Historic Landmark, and a model for others around the world. Docent Bill Beizer, will identify the elements of the Arboretum that best reflect Olmsted’s philosophy and approach to landscape design.

          Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)
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          A sketch of a fiddlehead fern

          Patterns in Plants: Spirals, Branching, and More

          Discover the patterns that shape the plant world in this hands-on art program, from spirals that follow the fibonacci sequence to branching that creates infinite fractals. After a brief crash course on the math and science behind these patterns with instructor Rachel Mirus, you will move into creative, art-based activities to explore these patterns further and start creating some of your own.

          in front of the Hunnewell Building
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          Spectacular flowering in spring

          Early Spring Blooms Tour

          At the end of April, flowers are just starting to emerge from the trees and shrubs of the Arboretum: cherry trees, dogwood, redbuds, and magnolias are all blooming this time of year. Join Arboretum docent Paul Eldrenkamp to see, smell, and learn about these early spring blooms!

          in front of the Hunnewell Building
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          Two young women, one with a violin, and a photo of cherry blossoms

          Cherry Blossoms in Bloom: Music Inspired by Nature

          Gather at the cherry blossoms for a one-of-a-kind concert celebrating this beautiful collection in peak bloom. Chloe DeSteno and Ariana Mascari, graduate students at the New England Conservatory, have assembled a collection of musical pieces about the cherries, their cultural and historical impact, as well as plants and the Arboretum more broadly–including one original piece composed for the Arboretum’s cherry collection itself. The concert will feature a small orchestra playing genres from Renaissance to jazz, all rooted in classical music.

          Bradley Rosaceous Collection
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          A group of children and adults sit on blankets in a grassy park area, listening to a woman reading a book. Some children have their hands raised. Trees and a parking area are visible in the background.
          Little Explorers

          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/activity, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

          Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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            Aerial photograph of flowering crabapples

            Crabapples Up Close

            The Arnold is considered the “Mother Arboretum” for the modern crabapple, with over 50 species and 91 cultivars represented throughout the landscape. Join Assistant Curator of Living Collections Miles Sax and Horticulturist Lindsay Davies for a tour of the flowering crabapples on Peters Hill as they reach peak bloom in late April and May, and learn about the history and conservation of this fascinating collection.

            Peters Hill Gate
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            • A clump of plants with small leaves and flowers

            Rescheduled Herbaceous Plant ID

            *Rescheduled from April 4 to May 2. As small, herbaceous plants begin to pop out of the soil and carpet the landscape, early spring is a great time to learn what some of these plants are and how to identify them. Join Manager of Adult Programming and Events Sarah Nechamen for a plant ID walk in the landscape and learn how to identify plants like chickweed, creeping charlie, and stinging nettle.

            Washington Street Gate
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            Two young women, one with a violin, and pink crabapple flowers

            Crabapples in Bloom: Music Inspired by Nature

            Gather at Peters Hill Summit for a one-of-a-kind concert celebrating the beautiful crabapple collection in peak bloom. Chloe DeSteno and Ariana Mascari, graduate students at the New England Conservatory, have assembled a collection of musical pieces about the crabapples and Peters Hill, as well as plants and the Arboretum more broadly–including one original piece composed specifically for this part of the Arboretum. The concert will feature a small orchestra playing genres from Renaissance to jazz, all rooted in classical music.

            Peters Hill Summit
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              A woman looks up at the trees and smiles

              Terapia de Bosque en Español: Escuchando a la Tierra

              La terapia de bosque, también conocida como baño de bosque o shinrin-yoku, es una práctica basada en evidencia que te conecta con la naturaleza de manera amable, curiosa y consciente. En el ritmo acelerado del mundo de hoy, esta experiencia cuidadosamente diseñada te invita a tomar una pausa, despertar tus sentidos y disfrutar de lo que nos ofrece la naturaleza.

              Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)
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                White shelf mushrooms growing on a tree trunk

                Mushroom Hunt

                Hundreds of mushrooms hide beneath the Arboretum’s canopies, silently blossoming into unique forms then withering away again just as quickly. Join local mushroom enthusiast Maria Pinto to search for these fascinating organisms on the Arboretum grounds, both edible and poisonous alike. Along the way you will learn what mushrooms to look for in different habitats and seasons, how they move through ecosystems, and what the Arboretum’s unique collections affect what mushrooms you might find here.

                Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)
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                A group of children and adults sit on blankets in a grassy park area, listening to a woman reading a book. Some children have their hands raised. Trees and a parking area are visible in the background.
                Little Explorers

                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/activity, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

                Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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                Get Tickets 26 tickets left
                  An Eastern Kingbird is perched on a twig. The bird has a black head

                  Birding at the Arboretum

                  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.

                  in front of the Hunnewell Building
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                  Cedrus libani 4697-K by Ned Friedman

                  Trees that Shaped Civilization

                  Join docent Paul Eldrenkamp for a visit to four groups of trees that each played a particularly significant role in shaping very different civilizations: Eastern White Pine, Cedar of Lebanon, Western Red Cedar, and the five sacred trees of the Kiso Forest in Japan.

                  Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)
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                  visitors smell lilacs at the Arnold Arboretum

                  Lilac Sunday

                  Experience the springtime bloom of our renowned lilac collection with Lilac Sunday, offering fun, free explorations for the entire family. The event features ongoing tours of the Arboretum’s lilacs as well as art, family activities, and picnicking on this day only. Visitors may also enjoy a host of self-guided tours, including a lilac tour, via the Arboretum website and its Expeditions app.

                  Lilac Collection
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                    A group of children and adults sit on blankets in a grassy park area, listening to a woman reading a book. Some children have their hands raised. Trees and a parking area are visible in the background.
                    Little Explorers

                    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/activity, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

                    Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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                    Get Tickets 27 tickets left
                      Aerial view of the Leventritt Shrub and Vine Garden

                      Leventritt: From Design to Living Landscape

                      As the Leventritt Shrub and Vine Garden nears its 25th birthday, join the garden’s original architect and our own Keeper of the Living Collections to learn about the garden’s history, its design goals and principles, and how it has evolved in the past two decades. This program will begin with a short talk in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall, then move outdoors for a tour of the garden itself with Michael Dosmann and architect Gary Hilderbrand.

                      Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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                        A red-winged blackbird in flight. The bird is black with red and yellow on its shoulders.

                        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.

                        in front of the Hunnewell Building
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                        Join Waitlist
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                        Chinese Path, Explorers Garden

                        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.

                        Centre Street Gate
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                        Get Tickets 6 tickets left
                          Clusters of vibrant purple and lavender lilac flowers bloom among green leaves on a shrub, with delicate petals densely packed together.

                          Ask a Horticulturist – Lilacs

                          Stop by the lilac collection to chat with the Horticulturist who manages the Arboretum’s beautiful lilac shrubs. Horticulturist Conor Guidarelli will be there from 2:00pm to 4:00pm answering questions about caring for lilacs, the Arboretum’s lilac collection, and what it’s like to be a horticulturist here. No registration is required, just stop by!

                          Lilac Collection
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                            An Eastern Kingbird is perched on a twig. The bird has a black head

                            Birding at the Arboretum

                            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.

                            in front of the Hunnewell Building
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                            A large, lush tree with spreading branches and roots stands at the center of a circular frame filled with leafy greenery, symbolizing life, growth, and interconnectedness.

                            The Cosmic Tree: A Universal Symbol of Life: Flowering Trees

                            During this tour we will discuss angiosperms, the largest and most diverse group in the plant kingdom. All flowering trees are angiosperms, but not all angiosperms reproduce in the same way, so you may not see blooms and flowers but plenty of leaves. Docent Katrina Scott will lead this interactive tour with stops for moments to reflect on specific trees and the stories associated with them. Were they revered or feared?  A home for deities or tricksters?  We will begin at the Center Street Gate starting at Jack Dawson’s shagbark hickory (1883) then head up Oak Path to Beech Path ending at Bussey Hill Road after visiting the ash trees of Norse mythology (Yggdrasil.).

                            Centre Street Gate
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                              A white woman with short grey hair next to a cover of Birds Up Close

                              Birds Up Close by Lorna Gibson

                              Have you ever wondered how a duck’s feathers repel water, or how the structure of a bird’s bones enables them to fly? Materials Science professor Lorna Gibson has spent years researching the physics and math of how birds work. Join her for a talk on her new book, Birds Up Close: An Engineer Explores their Hidden Wonders and get a deep dive into the incredible world of birds.

                              Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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                                Book cover for When Trees Testify next to a picture of a black woman with short hair

                                ‘When Trees Testify’ by Beronda Montgomery

                                Join plant biologist and author Beronda Montgomery for a discussion of her new book, “When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy.” Montgomery explores the way that eight trees and shrubs testify to the experience of black Americans, from sycamores that acted as landmarks for those trying to escape slavery, to pecan propagation spearheaded by an enslaved African woman, to the traditional medicinal uses of willow bark in black communities. Montgomery takes us through black American history with trees and shrubs as our guides.

                                Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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                                  Aerial view of Peters Hill, including the road that loops around it

                                  Peters Hill Tour

                                  Learn about some of the amazing trees on Peters Hill during this ninety-minute tour led by docent Paul Eldrenkamp. You’ll get a chance to explore a few of the interesting collections in the landscape, learn about the history of this part of the Arboretum, and get a view of the Boston skyline from the second highest point in the city.

                                  Poplar Gate
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                                  Zoomed in image of the berry-like fruit from a scale-like cone on female Yew plant

                                  Poisonous Plants

                                  Hidden among the beautiful flowers and innocent-looking shrubs of the Arboretum are some of the world’s most sinister poisons. White snakeroot, yew and even the beloved rhododendron are all filled to the brim with toxins that have both enticed and tormented people for generations. Join Manager of Adult Programming and Events Sarah Nechamen for a walk to learn about these poisonous plants, the chemicals they contain, and the strange histories they carry with them.

                                  Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)
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                                  Pink clumps of flowers

                                  Ask a Horticulturist – Rhododendrons

                                  Stop by the rhododendron collection to chat with the Horticulturist who manages the Arboretum’s beautiful rhododendron shrubs. Horticulturist Brendan Keegan will be there from 2:00pm to 4:00pm answering questions about caring for rhododendrons, the Arboretum’s rhododendron collection, and what it’s like to be a horticulturist here. No registration is required, just stop by!

                                  Rhododendrons
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