Exhibits
Guided Tours
Plan Your Visit
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.
Join us to celebrate the life, groundbreaking scientific work, and legacy of Hu Xiansu (Hu Hsen-Hsu) on the 100th anniversary of his doctoral degree from Harvard. This online event will feature Arnold Arboretum Director William (Ned) Friedman, Chief Scientist at the China National Botanical Garden (North Garden) Jinshuang Ma, Professor of Sociology at Beijing Normal University Hu Xiaojiang (granddaughter of Hu Xiansu), and other speakers discussing Hu’s life and influence.
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.
This event for the Young Friends of the Arnold Arboretum features an enchanting evening of food, drinks, live music, and content tables in our Weld Hill Research Building —a state-of-the-art facility that is typically closed to the visiting public. Designed to appeal to those 21-45 or who are young at heart, this event is a premier opportunity to immerse yourself in the plants, purpose, and passion of the Arnold Arboretum with other metropolitan nature enthusiasts. Come learn about the research that the Arboretum is doing in the face of climate change as we maintain our 281-acre “museum of trees.” Please note that this is a 21 and older event.
*This program has been cancelled* What is there to see at the Arboretum after all of the leaves have fallen and before spring flowers start to bloom? Bark! Shaggy bark, mottled bark, striped bark: the Arboretum has it all. Join Horticulturist Rachel Lawlor to see some beautiful bark highlights, learn how to identify some trees by their bark, and learn why that bark looks the way it does.
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!
Most of us know honeybees for the delicious honey they create (and the occasional sting!). But for scientists, the non-native honeybee represents a potential threat to our native bumblebees and butterflies. Biology professor Dr. Richard Primack has been studying these insects at the Arboretum, observing flower visitors at over 600 plant species to determine if honeybees and native pollinators can co-exist. Just us for a research talk and discover the results of this years-long investigation.
Dusk is a perfect time to look and listen for Great Horned Owls, often heard calling throughout the Arboretum’s collections. Join Arboretum Horticulturist Brendan Keegan and Matt Kamm, Associate Director of Field Conservation at Zoo New England, to hear about the owls’ breeding and nesting behavior, learn how to go owling ethically, and possibly hear and see a few owls as well.
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.
Take a brisk walk this winter and stay healthy and connected to the Arboretum at a time when the landscape is pared down to its beautiful bones. This 90-minute walk is similar to a guided tour, but with a slightly faster pace and fewer stops, to keep your feet warm and your blood pumping!
Dusk is a perfect time to look and listen for Great Horned Owls, often heard calling throughout the Arboretum’s collections. Join Arboretum Horticulturist Brendan Keegan to hear about the owls’ breeding and nesting behavior, learn how to go owling ethically, and possibly hear and see a few owls as well.
Embark on a birdwatching walk in the Arboretum’s landscape with birder and wildlife photographer Michael Bryant, AKA Nature Man Mike. This two-hour walk is suitable for beginners as well as more experienced birders. Binoculars will be available to borrow on a first-come-first-serve basis, but you are encouraged to bring your own!
Hardwood cuttings are one of the many techniques the Arboretum uses to propagate its plants: propagators take cuttings from the mature stems of woody plants, carefully trim and coat the ends in rooting hormone, then plant them in specially designed growing media. Join Arboretum Propagator Sarah Shank for a hands-on workshop to learn this specialized form of propagation: the class will begin with a presentation on the biology of hardwood cuttings, then head outside to collect our own cuttings from nearby woody plants, and finally return inside to prepare and root the cuttings in growing media. Participants will bring home a small tray of cuttings to grow into their own small trees and shrubs.
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.
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.
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 Walter Street Gate to visit the oldest ginkgoes at the Arboretum, then head up the Conifer Path and diverge to walk, rest, and reflect among various conifers, eventually ending by the yews near Bussey Brook and Hemlock Hill Road.
Get a new perspective on some of the amazing trees on Peters Hill during this one-hour seasonal tour. In winter, leaves and blossoms fall away, exposing hidden features like bark, thorns, and roots. During this one-hour 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 winter time view of the Boston skyline from the second highest point in the city.
Take a brisk walk this winter and stay healthy and connected to the Arboretum at a time when the landscape is pared down to its beautiful bones. This 90-minute walk is similar to a guided tour, but with a slightly faster pace and fewer stops, to keep your feet warm and your blood pumping!
Dusk is a perfect time to look and listen for Great Horned Owls, often heard calling throughout the Arboretum’s collections. Join Arboretum Horticulturist Brendan Keegan and Matt Kamm, Associate Director of Field Conservation at Zoo New England, to hear about the owls’ breeding and nesting behavior, learn how to go owling ethically, and possibly hear and see a few owls as well.
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.
What is there to see at the Arboretum after all of the leaves have fallen and before spring flowers start to bloom? Bark! Shaggy bark, mottled bark, striped bark: the Arboretum has it all. Join Horticulturist Rachel Lawlor to see some beautiful bark highlights, learn how to identify some trees by their bark, and learn why that bark looks the way it does.
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.
Join Nicole Forsyth, horticulturist and plant science educator, for a primer on all things botany: different plant parts and what they do, the movement of water and nutrients around the plant, gas exchange, plant reproduction and more. No prior botany knowledge needed! Whether you’re looking for a botany refresher or learning plant form and function for the first time, this class will give you the basics you need to know.
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.
Discover the story of James Arnold, for whom the Arboretum is named, and others whose legacy gifts helped secure its future. In celebration of nearly 154 years of plants and […]
Get a new perspective on some of the amazing trees on Peters Hill during this one-hour seasonal tour. In winter, leaves and blossoms fall away, exposing hidden features like bark, thorns, and roots. During this one-hour 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 winter time view of the Boston skyline from the second highest point in the city.
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.
Join us for a talk by popular Mushroom Hunt instructor Maria Pinto on her new book, Fearless, Sleepless, Deathless: What Fungi Taught Me about Nourishment, Poison, Ecology, Hidden Histories, Zombies, and Black Survival. Maria weaves together memoir, mycology, and cultural history to illuminate the deep and surprising ways fungi connect with human life. With vivid storytelling and a fiercely original voice, she explores fungi not just as biological wonders but as tools of survival, subversion, and spiritual sustenance—especially for those living at the margins.
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.
With mating season just getting started, February is one of the best times to see signs of the Arboretum’s resident coyote population. Join Horticulturist and wildlife enthusiast Brendan Keegan to look for coyote tracks and scat, check our trail cameras, and find out why all these coyotes are in Boston in the first place.
Take a brisk walk this winter and stay healthy and connected to the Arboretum at a time when the landscape is pared down to its beautiful bones. This 90-minute walk is similar to a guided tour, but with a slightly faster pace and fewer stops, to keep your feet warm and your blood pumping!
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.
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 Walter Street Gate to visit the oldest ginkgoes at the Arboretum, then head up the Conifer Path and diverge to walk, rest, and reflect among various conifers, eventually ending by the yews near Bussey Brook and Hemlock Hill Road.
Join us for February Break Drop In Family Activities!
Stop by the Hunnewell Building anytime between 10am and 12pm and create a nature-inspired take-home project.
Join us for February Break Drop In Family Activities!
Stop by the Hunnewell Building anytime between 10am and 12pm and create a nature-inspired take-home project.
Join us for February Break Drop In Family Activities!
Stop by the Hunnewell Building anytime between 10am and 12pm and create a nature-inspired take-home project.
Join us for February Break Drop In Family Activities!
Stop by the Hunnewell Building anytime between 10am and 12pm and create a nature-inspired take-home project.
*Rescheduled from January 24.* How do you tell the difference between a fir and a spruce? What about a pitch pine and an Eastern white pine? Join herbalist Alex Klein for a tree identification class focused entirely on conifers, so that you can start ID’ing these fascinating trees in Massachusetts streets and forests.
Winter can feel like one of the hardest times to identify trees, with most of their characteristic leaves and flowers gone for the season. But with help from experienced horticulturist and plant science teacher Nicole Forsyth, you can start identifying common winter trees from the woods and streets of Massachusetts based only on their bark, buds, twigs, and persistent fruit. This class will begin indoors with a presentation in the lecture hall, and then move outside for some identification practice in the landscape.
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.
*Rescheduled from January 31 due to heavy snow.* The Arboretum landscape doesn’t go to sleep in the winter: in fact winter is the best time to see the bright stems of red twig twig dogwood, the glossy leaves of fragrant daphne, and the feathery needles of plum yew. Join Director of Horticulture and Landscape Rodney Eason for a walk to explore the shrubs with winter interest in the landscape. Learn about a variety of shrubs in the Arboretum’s collections, how to maintain these shrubs in your own yard, and what to expect from them in various seasons throughout the year.
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.
Paying close attention to the plants around us can ease stress and create moments of joy and wonder, whether we’re walking through the woods, down the street, or just getting up close with our own houseplants. Let’s Botanize: 101 Ways to Connect with Plants is full of prompts and beautiful macrophotography that encourage readers to get outside and observe plants in close detail. Join authors Ben Goulet-Scott and Jacob Suissa, both former Arboretum researchers, for a book launch consisting of a talk, book signings, and an optional walk in the landscape to try some of these prompts out for ourselves.
Get a new perspective on some of the amazing trees on Peters Hill during this one-hour seasonal tour. In winter, leaves and blossoms fall away, exposing hidden features like bark, thorns, and roots. During this one-hour 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 winter time view of the Boston skyline from the second highest point in the city.
*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.
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.
Take a brisk walk this winter and stay healthy and connected to the Arboretum at a time when the landscape is pared down to its beautiful bones. This 90-minute walk is similar to a guided tour, but with a slightly faster pace and fewer stops, to keep your feet warm and your blood pumping!
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.
Did you know flowers can be found at the Arboretum even in the depths of winter? Witch-hazels bloom in vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows across the landscape, giving a beautiful pop of color amidst the winter greys and whites. Join us on a tour of this collection and be ready to step off the path to admire the native witch-hazels, as well as those from China and Japan.
Did you know flowers can be found at the Arboretum even in the depths of winter? Witch-hazels bloom in vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows across the landscape, giving a beautiful pop of color amidst the winter greys and whites. Join us on a tour of this collection and be ready to step off the path to admire the native witch-hazels, as well as those from China and Japan.