Exhibits
Guided Tours
Plan Your Visit
Use the freshly fallen leaves at the Arboretum to make beautiful art, just like the famed nature artist Andy Goldsworthy. This is a chance to play in the leaves and make something beautiful– even if it only lasts until the next gust of wind!
In our perilous times, trees offer examples of resilience and precariousness, growth and generosity. How do we invite them into our writing? Join Matthew Battles, editor of Arnoldia, the Arboretum’s quarterly magazine, for an immersive workshop to practice writing under, about, and in collaboration with trees.
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. The weekly themes are inspired by what is happening seasonally at the Arboretum.
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. The weekly themes are inspired by what is happening seasonally at the Arboretum.
*Rescheduled from March 21* W.S. Merwin was famed for his poetry, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry twice and named the United States Poet Laureate in 2010. But he was also a nature enthusiast with a deep concern for conservation. Merwin bought a plot of former agricultural land in Maui in 1977 and spent 40 years revitalizing the land, planting nearly 3,000 species of palm trees, and the estate is now recognized as one of the most important collections of palms in the world. Join us for a talk and poetry reading celebrating Merwin’s legacy.
The devastating wildfires in California over the past several years have left the landscape starkly and in many cases permanently changed. Billie Mandle, Photography professor at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Karen Haas, Curator of Photography at the MFA, come together to talk about Billie’s new photography book ‘Asunder,’ made up of stark and haunting photos of the aftermath of the 2020 Glass Fire in Northern California. They will be joined by Director of the Harvard Forest Jonathan Thompson who will share his research on how the wildfires have changed the very makeup of California forests, from mature trees to landscapes dominated by chaparral.
Gather at the magnolias 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 magnolias, their cultural and historical impact, as well as plants and the Arboretum more broadly–including one original piece composed for the Arboretum’s magnolia collection itself. The concert will feature a small orchestra playing genres from Renaissance to jazz, all rooted in classical music.
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.
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.
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.
Keeping a nature journal can be a great way to record and enhance your explorations of nature. In this outdoor walking program, participants will practice mindfully observing the natural world, taking careful notes, and creating beautiful sketches of their surroundings. Artist and educator Erica Beade will provide thoughtful prompts and artistic guidance along the way. All skill levels are welcome.
*Rescheduled to May 3 due to rain* 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.
Stop by the Hunnewell Lawn while supplies last to create beautiful nature-based cyanotype prints. Participants will arrange flowers, leaves, and seeds and expose them in sunlight to create a deep blue print with bright, ghost-white silhouettes.
Are you trying to get (back) into a nature-journaling practice? Interested in discovering a new, creative way to engage with the world of trees? Join this online, interactive session for some spontaneous and expressive artmaking, inspired by a tree near you! We will gather online to respond creatively to the trees in our respective corners of the world. The session consists of various free-form sketchbook experiments that celebrate the diversity of tree form.
Use the power of art to hone your tree ID skills in this interactive class. The group will walk through the landscape, learning to identify common trees and shrubs and sketching out key identification characteristics. By the end of the program, participants will have a packet of identification tips and drawings for various plants, and a deeper understanding of the characteristics that make each tree species unique. No prior art skills necessary—this class focuses on seeing shapes, patterns, and details that make each species identifiable. Join us for a creative and hands-on approach to tree identification!
*Rescheduled to August 30 due to rain* Many of the plants grown at the Arboretum have been used as natural dyes for centuries: goldenrod for yellow, stinging nettle for green, madder or bloodroot for pink. Join fiber artist Maggie Ruth Haaland on the Hunnewell Lawn to learn about some of these natural dyeing methods and get a chance to try some of your own.
Explore the amazing variety and beauty of trees at the Arnold Arboretum with pencil and paper. Taught by artist and educator Erica Beade, this walking program will focus on capturing the shapes and volume of trunks and branches as well as techniques for drawing foliage. All skill levels are welcome.
Woodturning is the art or process of fashioning wood into various forms and shapes by means of a lathe. Returning to the Arnold Arboretum for the 11th year, The Art of the Woodturner will again offer visitors the chance to see an amazing variety of woodturned pieces: large and small, functional and sculptural.
Woodturning is the art or process of fashioning wood into various forms and shapes by means of a lathe. Returning to the Arnold Arboretum for the 11th year, The Art of the Woodturner will again offer visitors the chance to see an amazing variety of woodturned pieces: large and small, functional and sculptural.
Join the Iris Percussion Quartet, based out of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, for a performance focused on fallen leaves and the Arboretum’s Leventritt Shrub and Vine Garden. Working with small percussive instruments and found objects, Iris will bring together a unique program that celebrates the Leventritt in the peak of fall–including some brand new pieces composed specifically for this concert.
Drop by the Arboretum to make some beautiful ink prints using fallen leaves. This is a walk-up program so no registration is necessary, just stop by any time between 12pm and 2pm!