Plan a Visit
Visitor Info
Welcome to the Arnold Arboretum. Our 281-acre landscape featuring over 15,000 accessioned plants is open daily and free for all to explore. Whether you are coming for a stroll, on the lookout for wildlife, or interested in learning the stories and science behind our plants, we value accessibility as an institution and offer something for everyone. Explore our virtual walks, guided tours, Expeditions mobile app, and digital learning resources. If you're visiting with kids, check out a variety of self-guided family activities. Not sure where to start? Our Visitor Center staff is here to help.
Directions & Parking
You can get to the Arboretum by subway, bus, or car. Get directions to our Hunnewell Visitor Center at Arborway Gate, Peters Hill, Weld Hill Building, or Dana Greenhouses. Free parking is available along the Arborway, Bussey Street, and Walter Street. The Arnold Arboretum also offers resources for improved accessibility.
- Phone
- 617.524.1718
- Fax
- 617.524.1418
Hours & Admissions
The Arboretum landscape is free and open every day.
- Landscape Hours
- Sunrise–Sunset
- Visitor Center Hours
- 10am–4pm, every day but Wednesdays. Closed Wednesdays.
- Admission
- Always Free
Visitor Guidelines
Read about the Arboretum’s response to COVID-19. Read our visitor tips and guidelines to learn about bringing your dog, hosting events, riding your bike, and more so you can plan your best visit. Explore our interactive map and view a printable PDF map.
- Accession Number
- The alpha-numeric value assigned to a plant when it is added to the living collection as a way of identifying it.
- Accession Date
- The year the plant’s accession number was assigned.
- Common Name
- The non-scientific name for the plant.
- Scientific Name
- The scientific name describes the species of an organism. The first word is the plant's scientific genus and the second is the specific epithet. This two-word binomial is sometimes followed by other taxonomic descriptors, including subspecies (denoted by "ssp."), variety (denoted by "var."), form (denoted by "f." or "forma"), and cultivar (denoted by single quotation marks).
- Plant Family
- The family to which the plant belongs.
- Propagation Material
- The first part (material code) describes the material used to create the plant. The most common codes are "SD" (seed), "EX" (existing plant), "PT" (plant), "CT" (cutting), "SC" (scion), "SG" (seedling), and "GR" (graft). The second part describes the lineage the plant is derived from. The last part describes the year of propagation.
- Collection Data
- The first part indicates provenance (place or source of origin) using a letter code ("W" = wild, "G" = garden, "Z" = indirect wild, "U" = uncertain). The second part lists the plant source. For wild-collected material, the collector, collection number, and country are given.
- Location
- The location of the plant on the landscape.
CHENG, W.C.
NATL. CTRL. UNIV., NANKING, CHINA
Visiting with Kids
Explore more family activities →
Walks
See All →-
![Dawn Redwood foliage by Ned Friedman]()
Introductory TourThis half-mile Introductory Tour features stories about the Arboretum’s history, mission, and research endeavors. If you’re at the Arboretum, click here to take a version of this tour with Expeditions, our mobile web app.
-
![Ned Friedman]()
Director’s TourExperience the Arnold Arboretum’s world-class living collections from Director Ned Friedman’s perspective. Take this tour online or use the page for self-guided exploration while visiting the Arboretum in person.
-
![Dove tree (Davidia involucrata)]()
Dove tree (Davidia involucrata). Explorers Garden TourThis quarter-mile tour through the Explorers Garden features stories from the Arboretum’s century and a half of collecting plants around the world. If you’re at the Arboretum, click here to take a version of this tour with Expeditions, our mobile web app.
-
![Michael Dosmann]()
Michael Dosmann Keeper’s TourTake a virtual walk with Michael Dosmann, the Keeper of the Arboretum’s living collections. Take this tour online or use the page for self-guided exploration while visiting the Arboretum in person.
