

Guided Tours Events Exhibits
Plan Your Visit
The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is free and open every day.
Hunnewell Visitor Center
125 Arborway, Boston, MA 02130
Hours 10:00am 4:00pm daily
Seasonal, monthly behind-the-scenes greenhouse tour.
September 3, 1:00 1:45pm Greenhouse Staff
This program begins at the Leventritt Pavillion
Did you know you can eat staghorn sumac berries? What about autumn olive? Join a local foraging expert for a plant foraging walk to look for wild edibles in the Arboretum landscape, and learn how to identify and safely prepare a wide variety of wild edible plants.
September 1, 2:00 4:00pm
Tyler Akabane, Foraging Expert
This program begins at Centre Street Gate
Enjoy a brisk early morning walk along the inside perimeter of the Arboretum. This walk will be fast-paced, energetic, and will involve walking over hills and rough terrain. Note that this is not a traditional tour: you may hear some information about individual trees and history, but the main goal is to get outside and get some exercise! Bring good walking shoes, water, and walking poles if desired.
September 4, 8:00 9:30am
September 18, 8:00 9:30am
Lisa Gaquin, Docent
This program begins at the Hunnewell Building
How can you tell different goldenrods apart? How can you use shape and scent to identify a plant? And what exactly is that aster in your backyard? Join Horticulturist Brendan Keegan for a Native Wildflower Identification class to answer these questions and more, and find out which ones to plant in your garden along the way. This program takes place at the pollinator meadow at Weld Hill, a haven for native wildflowers at the Arboretum.
September 7, 2:00 3:00pm
Brendan Keegan, Arboretum Horticulturist
This program begins at the Weld Hill Research Building
In this experimental photography workshop led by local artist and scientist Jess Holz, participants create “paintings” using microscopic plankton collected from the Arboretum’s ponds. Participants use a microscope in combination with software which creates video akin to timelapse photography acting at the decisive moment, participants snap photos of the trails created by these microscopic creatures. Participants will learn basic identification of microscopic pond life while getting a fascinating glimpse into their dynamic behavior, such as the helical paths of flagellates and the water currents generated by rotifers as they feed.
September 8, 10:00am 12:00pm
Jess Holz, Artist and Scientist
This program takes place in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall
Slow down and awaken your senses on a guided therapeutic experience in the Arnold Arboretum. Forest Bathing, inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, is a restorative sensory exploration and part of a global effort to tend to the stressful conditions of living in modern industrialized civilization. All the prompts, invitations, sharing, and ways of participating are optional and open to interpretation.
September 8, 10:00am 12:00pm
Tam Wiley, Certified Forest Therapy Guide
This program begins at Bussey Street Gate
Meet Candy O’Terry and Colleen Esposito, mother-daughter coauthors of the illustrated children’s book Nelson’s Garden. Book readings at 2:15pm and 3:15pm will also include songs, a tablesized garden mural coloring project, and more. (Rescheduled from June 22.)
September 8, 2:00 4:00pm
Candy O’Terry and Colleen Esposito, Authors
This program takes place in the Leventritt Garden Pavilion
Unwind with this weekly evening meditation under the shade of the lindens. The group will be guided through 30 minutes of mindfulness and meditation designed to help you de-stress and connect with the natural world.
September 9, 5:00 5:30pm
September 16, 5:00 5:30pm
September 23, 5:00 5:30pm
September 30, 5:00 5:30pm
Bob Linscott , Meditation Facilitator
This program takes place near the Linden Trees
The Arboretum is full of plants that can be used to make alcohol. We have the classics like grapes, hops, and juniper, as well as ingredients for more obscure liquors and liqueurs like sweet birch, bamboo, and spruce. Join the Manager of Adult Programming and Events for a walk to explore these plants and the spirits they create.
September 14, 2:00 3:30pm
Sarah Nechamen, Manager of Adult Programming and Events
This program begins at the Hunnewell Building
Many of the plants grown at the Arboretum have been used as natural dyes for centuries: barberry for yellow, milkweed for green, madder or bloodroot for pink. Join Herbalist Iris Weaver for a workshop to learn about and practice some of these natural dyeing methods. After a short introduction, the class will embark on a walk to see and learn about the plants and the dyes they create; then participants will return to the Hunnewell Lecture Hall to try their own hands at dyeing, using dye baths and fabric prepared by the instructor. Participants do not need to bring their own fabric or other materials, and will go home with a dyed silk bandana and some smaller sample fabric provided by the instructor.
September 15, 10:00am 12:00pm
Iris Weaver, Herbalist
This program takes place in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall
Join a participatory read-aloud of Tree Lines, an anthology of 21st-century poems all about the wonderful world of trees. Come by to listen to poetry under the shade of beautiful cherry trees in the Bradley Rosaceous Collection, and maybe even take a turn to read a poem yourself. No need to stay for the full hour and a half: drop in and out as you please. We will have printouts of the poems selected for this reading, and copies of Tree Lines will be available for sale as well. This program will take place on the grass, so bring a blanket or camp chair to sit on!
September 15, 2:00 3:30pm
Sarah Nechamen, Manager of Adult Programming and Events
Jennifer Barber, Editor
This program takes place in the Bradley Rosaceous Collection
Nature has the power to evoke calm and beauty when we can step out of our hectic lives. This immersive experience in the Arnold Arboretum will invite participants to meander through the landscape, stopping for several guided mindfulness practices to deepen their connection with the natural world. This will be a guided experience with some periods of silence. No experience with mindfulness or meditation necessary.
September 21, 9:00 11:30am
Bob Linscott , Meditation Facilitator
This program begins at the Hunnewell Building
Hundreds of mushrooms hide beneath the Arboretum’s canopies, silently blossoming into unique forms then withering away again just as quickly. Join a local mushroom enthusiast to search for these fascinating organisms in the landscape, 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 how the Arboretum’s unique collections affect what mushrooms you might find here.
September 22, 10:00am—12:00pm
Maria Pinto, Mushroom Enthusiast
This program begins at Bussey Street Gate
Join us for a medicinal plant walk at the Arboretum. The walk will cover medicinal plants in the Arboretum’s collection as well as the medicine of common local species growing spontaneously throughout the grounds. Attendees will learn some basic techniques to identify local species, safely and ethically gather these plants, and process them for use as medicine. In doing so, we will consider the role we can make for ourselves in our local ecology: not only what the plants can do for us, but what we can do for them.
September 22, 2:00—4:00pm
Alex Klein, Herbalist
This program begins at the Hunnewell Building
Embark on a birdwatching walk in the Arboretum 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!
September 28, 8:00 10:00am
Michael Bryant, Birder
This program begins at the Hunnewell Building
In the 1800s, the Boston area was an exciting time for growing and breeding grape varieties. Pioneering New England horticulturists bred unique new varieties like Salem, Merrimac, and Concord, hybridizing existing varieties to maximize flavor and growability. As we discuss these hybridizers and their work, the class will get to see several of these vines in the nearby woody plant section of the Arnold Arboretum and may get to taste some wines made from these Heritage grape varieties.
September 29, 2:00 3:30pm
J. Stephen Casscles, autour and winemaker at Cedar Cliff Vineyards and Nursery This program takes place in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall
Seasonal, monthly behind-the-scenes greenhouse tour.
October 1, 1:00 1:45pm
Greenhouse Staff
This program begins at the Leventritt Pavillion
Enjoy a brisk early morning walk along the inside perimeter of the Arboretum. This walk will be fast-paced, energetic, and will involve walking over hills and rough terrain. Note that this is not a traditional tour: you may hear some information about individual trees and history, but the main goal is to get outside and get some exercise! Bring good walking shoes, water, and walking poles if desired.
October 2, 8:00 9:30am
October 16, 8:00 9:30am
October 30, 8:00 9:30am
Lisa Gaquin, Docent
This program begins at the Hunnewell Building
Join Director of the Caterpillar Lab Sam Jaffe on a walk around the landscape exploring for native caterpillars and other insects. Learn how the Caterpillar Lab finds all of their caterpillars, learn about host plants and parasitoids, and get all of the caterpillar-finding secrets from one of the foremost caterpillar hunters in the world!
October 5, 4:00 5:00pm
Sam Jaffe, Founder and Director of Caterpillar Lab
This program begins at the Hunnewell Building
Hemlock Hill is one of the Arboretum’s handful of minimally managed, natural areas, and there are dozens of plants and animals that make their home there. The hemlocks cast heavy shade and acidify the soil, creating a unique ecosystem for the resident flora and fauna. Join us for this walk around Hemlock Hill and take a deep dive into the site’s ecology, management, and history.
October 5, 2:00 3:00pm Brendan Keegan, Arboretum Horticulturist This program begins at Bussey Street Gate
Unwind with this weekly evening meditation under the shade of the lindens. The group will be guided through 30 minutes of mindfulness and meditation designed to help you de-stress and connect with the natural world.
October 7, 5:00 5:30pm
October 14 5:00 5:30pm
October 21, 5:00 5:30pm October 28, 5:00 5:30pm
Bob Linscott , Meditation Facilitator This program takes place near the Linden Trees
The maple collection in October is a rainbow of beautiful fall colors, and this diversity of color comes from the large diversity of species in this collection. Enjoy a tour of this colorful collection and learn what makes a maple a maple, discover how to identify different species, and see some of the Arboretum’s most unique maple trees.
October 12, 11:00am—12:15pm
Rachel Lawlor, Arboretum Horticulturist This program begins at the Hunnewell Building
The Arboretum becomes a riot of color in October, with leaves turning deep red, fiery orange, and bright yellow. Have you ever wondered why this happens every autumn? Our instructor will take us through the science of fall leaf color, including an exploration of pigments and abscission, a hands-on experiment to reveal the array of pigments present in every leaf, and a walk in the landscape to take a closer look at leaves in all phases of color change.
October 13, 1:30—3:30pm
Ana Maria Caballero, Outdoor Educator
This program takes place in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall
Did you know you can eat staghorn sumac berries?
What about stinging nettle? Join local foraging expert
Tyler Akabane for a plant foraging walk to look for wild edibles in the Arboretum landscape, and learn how to identify and safely prepare a wide variety of wild edible plants.
October 12, 11:00am—12:15pm
Tyler Akabane, Foraging Expert
This program begins at Bussey Street Gate
Nature has the power to evoke calm and beauty when we can step out of our hectic lives. This immersive experience in the Arnold Arboretum will invite participants to meander through the landscape, stopping for several guided mindfulness practices to deepen their connection with the natural world. This will be a guided experience with some periods of silence. No experience with mindfulness or meditation necessary.
October 19, 9:00 11:30am
Bob Linscott , Meditation Facilitator
This program begins at the Hunnewell Building
Join us for a guided tour of the Arboretum, designed for those with dementia and their caregivers. Connect with nature, view seasonal plant highlights, and enjoy the spectacular colors of the Arboretum in autumn.
October 27, 10:30 11:30am
William (Ned) Friedman, Arboretum Director
This program begins at the Weld Hill Research Building
Hundreds of mushrooms hide beneath the Arboretum’s canopies, silently blossoming into unique forms then withering away again just as quickly. Join a local mushroom enthusiast 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 how the Arboretum’s unique collections affect what mushrooms you might find here.
November 2, 2:00—4:00pm
Maria Pinto, Mushroom Enthusiast
This program begins at Bussey Street Gate
As we approach the end of the growing season, it’s time to start thinking about next year’s plantings! What trees or shrubs should you plant in your own yard? Which plants will fare best in your particular space and microclimate? Join a Horticulturist for a class on garden design for woody plants. We will begin in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall for a discussion on garden design techniques, and then move outdoors to see the design strategies used in the Leventritt Shrub and Vine Garden and the Bradley Rosaceous Collection.
November 3, 10:00am—12:00pm
Rowan Payne-Meyer, Horticulturist
This program begins at the Hunnewell Building
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!
This program is suitable for ages 5 to 105. Participants will need to bend down and navigate grassy paths.
November 3, 2:00 3:30pm
Sarah Nechamen, Manager of Adult Programming and Events
This program begins at the Hunnewell Building
Trees undergo and resist many different stressors throughout their lives: mechanical stress from twisting and bending, drought, insects, and even fire. These stressors and the tree’s response can be seen on a microscopic level, as the cells themselves change, compress, and elongate to react to and accommodate the stressor. Join researcher Sophie Everbach for a Research Spotlight to learn how trees respond to stress and see these responses up close. The group will walk to different trees in the landscape exhibiting various forms of stress and view microscopy images showing the response on a cellular level.
November 16, 11:00am 12:00pm
Sophie Everbach, Researcher
This program begins at South Street Gate
Smithsonian Trees of North America is a new, beautifully illustrated guide to more than 325 common trees on this continent. Come and explore this indispensable new guide, complete with hundreds of range maps illustrating where the trees can be found; thousands of photographs of the trees’ leaves, bark, flowers, and fruit; in-depth studies of the trees’ biology, ecology, and evolution; and fascinating discussions of the trees’ future in a world of rapid environmental change.
November 16, 2:00 3:30pm
W. John Kress, Author
This program takes place in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall
As we enter the cold winter months, it’s time to start thinking about next year’s garden! Learn how to make your garden as welcoming as possible for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The class will cover best pollen and nectar plants for bees, nesting habitat, best management practices, and how to ensure that your garden has pollinator-friendly flowers available all season long.
November 17, 2:00 3:30pm
Nicole Ball, Pollinator Expert
This program takes place in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall
Almost all of the plants in the Arboretum begin their lives in the Dana Greenhouses. Meet greenhouse staff for a behind-the-scenes look at the greenhouse growing process, from seed to sprout to seedling to tree.
Note that this tour is not wheelchair accessible due to narrow passageways within the greenhouses. This program begins at the Leventritt Pavillion.
April through October: First Tuesdays 1:00 1:45pm
Join us for a 90-minute tour through the Arboretum! View seasonal plant highlights and learn about Arboretum history from a trained docent. No pre-registration required. This tour begins at the Hunnewell Building.
September: Daily at 10:30
October - November 15: Daily at 10:30am and 1:00pm
A warming climate and increasing environmental pathogens pose an existential threat to Arboretum’s collection of some 16,000 woody plants, trees and shrubs that can survive in our climate. This one-hour walk will highlight the impact of climate change and increasing pathogens on key species in the Arboretum’s collection, describe some of the research initiatives underway to mitigate the effects of global warming and new pathogens, and identify the challenges and opportunities we face in improving our urban canopy. This tour begins at the Hunnewell Building.
September 7, 11:00am—12:00pm
September 21, 11:00am—12:00pm
November 16, 11:00am—12:00pm
The conifer collection at the Arnold Arboretum is a magical place to visit at any time of the year, as it is especially rich in history and diversity. Docent Cristina Squeff will lead participants through this collection explaining key identification features and sharing relevant stories about individual trees. This tour begins at Bussey Street Gate.
September 27, 10:30am—12:00pm
Autumn is one of the most beautiful times of year at the Arboretum, with leaves changing color and all sorts of unique seeds and fruits appearing on the branches. Join docent Vicki Amalfitano for a theme tour to learn about all the changes that happen in the Arboretum’s collections in the fall. This tour begins at the Hunnewell Building.
September 28, 10:30am—12:00pm October 6, 2:00—3:30pm
Cosmologies are ways of understanding the nature of the universe, of experiencing the world in all its variations including the visible and the invisible. Over millennia trees have served as the mythological archetype of the world’s axis (axis mundi), the pole through the earth’s center which connects the worlds above and below. Within a cosmic-magical model of the world (imago mundi), trees also evolved in various cultures to possess innate spiritual powers or as conduits for communication with the holy or sacred. This tour is interactive with stops for moments to reflect on specific trees and the stories/narratives associated with them: were they revered or feared? A home for deities or tricksters? This tour begins at Walter Street Gate.
September 28, 9:00—10:30am
October 20, 9:00—10:30am
November 9, 9:00—10:30am
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. This tour begins at Bussey Street Gate.
October 19, 10:30—11:30am
Join docent Paul Eldrenkamp for a visit to five groups of trees that each played a particularly significant role in shaping five very different civilizations: Eastern white pine, cedar of Lebanon, Western red cedar, oaks, and the five sacred trees of the Kiso Forest in Japan. This tour begins at Bussey Street Gate.
October 27, 2:00—3:30pm
Many are aware of Charles Sprague Sargent’s role as first director of the Arnold Arboretum, establishing it as the world-renowned institution it is today. Far fewer are familiar with the deep influence he had over how Americans have come to think about forests, forestry, and wilderness. Docent Paul Eldrenkamp will lead a tour that explores the history of the idea of the forest in America- and how Sargent helped shape that idea. This tour begins at Bussey Street Gate.
November 17, 2:00—3:30pm
This immersive, interactive exhibit will feature hundreds of native caterpillars at every stage in their life cycles. Visitors will be able to learn from the experts as they explore the displays. The Lab offers something for every age group, and will give new insight into the world around us.
October 5 and 6, 11:00am 4:00pm
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 ninth 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.
Experience in-depth demonstrations on the lathe in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall at 11:00am, 1:00pm, and 3:00pm on Saturday and Sunday, and throughout both days on the Hunnewell lawn.
October 26 and 27, 10:00am 4:00pm
Join us for an art reception celebrating the opening of Intimate Vistas: Images of Tree Bark. Photographer Marc Goldring’s work has always centered on finding the mysterious in the commonplace and bringing attention to objects and features which we otherwise might not have noticed at all. In this show, Marc attends to the bark of trees. He brings the camera in close to look at the details of the extraordinary variety of textures, colors and shapes of the bark of trees.
Opening Reception November 2, 1:00 3:00pm This exhibition will be on view in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall through early February 2025.
Ramble is a painted representation of tree and nature scenes from around the world: San Diego, France, Maine, and the Arnold Arboretum itself. The show embodies the awe and excitement that each encounter with nature inspired in the artist, and in countless other visitors to those same spots.
Opening Reception November 9, 1:00 3:00pm This exhibition will be on view in the Hunnewell Visitor Center through early February 2025.
Freda Shapiro seeks out visuals that resonate with her concerns around troubling environmental, political, or societal issues. Resilient Spirits reminds us of a time when the Arboretum lays cold and dormant, even as we see new growth and blooms in the heat of summer.
On view in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall through October 6, 2024.
This interactive, outdoor exhibition highlights important or beloved trees that are no longer a part of the Arboretum.
Explore the landscape to discover five small signs will where these iconic trees used to stand, each with the silhouetted image of the tree in question and an augmented reality QR code. Scan the QR code and a digital model of the tree will appear through your phone, superimposed on the modern landscape behind it.
Please join us for a reception celebrating the opening of Ghost Trees, with artist Sonia Ralston. September 21, 1:00 3:00pm
The Ghost Tree signs will be in the landscape through midDecember 2024
Our 281-acre landscape features nearly 16,000 accessioned plants. We are 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 offer something for everyone. 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.
F Learn about our plants and collections
F Print a map
F Get directions
The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University welcomes people of all abilities and is committed to facilitating a safe and engaging experience for all who visit. To learn more or for accessibility-related questions, please visit the accessibility page on our website or contact our Visitor Engagement team.
Here is just a small sampling of what is happening this season in the Arnold Arboretum.
Families are invited to the Arboretum for a monthly intergenerational workshop celebrating connection and creative expression in nature. Participants will create art with natural items, play yoga games, engage in mindfulness practices, and play with sound using both voice and the sounds of nature around us. The program will be different every month, but each session will work towards building community between different generations and engaging with nature in new ways. This program is open to all, but geared towards families with kids age 5+.
September 29, 10:00 11:00am
October 27, 10:00 11:00am
November 24, 10:00 11:00am
December 15, 10:00 11:00am
Mandy Slavik
This program takes place in the Bradley Rosaceous Garden
Outdoor Educator
Recommended Books
Open and free to all, every day of the year, the Arnold Arboretum is funded by the past and present financial support of individuals like you.
A public-private partnership between the City of Boston and Harvard University, the Arnold Arboretum is Boston’s premier garden of trees and one of Frederick Law Olmsted’s best preserved landscapes. Become a member and partner in our work to collect, study, and conserve plants here and around the world. View membership levels and benefits and join us today!
The Arboretum’s quarterly magazine Arnoldia has been the definitive forum for conversations about trees and their landscapes for more than a century. Only Arboretum members receive the beautifully redesigned print edition of Arnoldia by mail and enjoy exclusive access to the most recent volume online via our website. Become a member today and explore the past, present, and future of trees, horticulture, and plant conservation in Arnoldia!
Did you know that Arnold Arboretum members receive a special edition of our newsletter designed to highlight exclusive membership benefits, events, and opportunities? Member perks include receiving this quarterly program guide in advance of its release to the general public.