TABLE OF CONTENTS
Membership
Adult Programs and Tours
Horticulture & Botany
Nature & Wildlife
History & Culture
Health & Wellness
Events
Plan Your Visit
Visiting with Kids & Youth Programs
The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is free and open every day. All programs are free. Programs listed as Members Only are exclusive opportunities for current members of the Arnold Arboretum. Join or renew your membership to register for member-only programs.
Hunnewell Visitor Center
125 Arborway, Boston, MA 02130
Hours 10:00am–4:00pm daily
BECOME A MEMBER
The Arnold Arboretum is funded by people like you. Members and donors keep this landscape vibrant.
The Arnold Arboretum is Boston’s premier botanical garden and America’s first public museum of trees and other woody plants. One of Frederick Law Olmsted’s best-preserved landscapes and a jewel in the Emerald Necklace, the Arboretum operates only through income derived from philanthropic gifts and memberships. Join us as a member to partner in our work to collect, study, and conserve plants here in Boston and around the world. View membership levels and benefits and join us today!
FEATURED MEMBER BENEFIT
TREE MOBS
Our Tree Mobs are short, spontaneous learning opportunities inspired by ephemeral plant moments in the landscape. Members now receive exclusive access to in-person spots to experience these phenomena up close (the general public is welcome to join us via livestream). Did the magnolias just start blooming? Are the witch-hazels dispersing their seeds?
Members will take a deep dive into our plants with Arboretum experts at a time when they are their most beautiful and noticeable within the landscape.
Become a member today.
HORTICULTURE & BOTANY
Guided Tours
Join us for a 90-minute tour through the Arboretum! View seasonal plant highlights and learn about Arboretum history from a trained docent.
Visit the tour calendar for current tour schedule. No pre-registration required. This tour begins at the Hunnewell Building.
Tree Mob: The Trees that Shaped the Seas
As a lead-up to our Haunted Botany performance piece about the colonial histories of Eastern white pine, join Lorna Gibson for a Tree Mob on tree species that were used to build colonial ships. From dense oak hulls designed to withstand cannonballs, to tall, straight masts made out of towering pine trees, each tree species was selected for its own unique strengths—both in the forest and at sea.
September 6, 12:00–12:45pm
Lorna Gibson, Professor of Materials Science, MIT Members Only
This program begins at the intersection of Valley Road and Conifer Path.
Haunted Botany: A Performance for a Forgotten Forest
The towering Eastern white pine once dominated New England forests and served as an important symbol for Indigenous peoples, but the British Royal Navy’s thirst for tall, straight trees to use as ship masts eventually led to the destruction of the vast majority of old growth pines in Massachusetts. Join us for a performance piece highlighting Pinus strobus and dramatic colonial history in which American settlers fought back against King George’s large-scale destruction of their forests, leading to direct resistance, riots, and eventually revolution.
September 6, 1:00–2:30pm
Gwyneth Shanks and AB Brown, Assistant Professors of Performance, Theater, and Dance at Colby College
This program begins at Peters Hill Gate.
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.
September 6, 1:00–2:30pm October 18, 1:00–2:30pm
Marie Herbert, Docent
This program begins at Centre St Gate.
Caterpillar Walk
Join Caterpillar Lab staff on a walk around the property 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!
Two sessions available - one geared towards kids and families, and one for general audiences.
September 13, 10:00–11:00am (kids and families)
September 13, 4:00–5:00pm (all-ages, 12 and up recommended) Caterpillar Lab Staff
This program begins in front of the Hunnewell Building.
Spooky Plants: The Garden that Bites Back
As we ramp up to the spooky season of Halloween, join Sarah Nechamen for a walk focused on the most sinister plants in the Arboretum’s collections. Armed with spiky thorns, sticky latex, and chemical warfare, these plant species defend themselves from hungry herbivores—and sometimes from humans who wander too close.
September 14, 2:00–3:30pm
Sarah Nechamen, Manager of Adult Programming and Events
This program begins at the Hunnewell Building.
HORTICULTURE & BOTANY
Conservation in a Changing World
Part of the mission of the Arnold Arboretum is stewardship of the earth’s botanical diversity and promoting its essential value to humankind. This one hour tour through the landscape will highlight historical Arboretum 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 research initiatives, plant expeditions to preserve species in the face of global change, the Arboretum’s green initiatives and local collaborations to improve our urban canopy.
September 18, 1:00–2:00pm
Vicki Amalfitano, Docent
This program begins at the Hunnewell Building.
The Science of Fall Leaf Color
The Arboretum becomes a riot of color in the fall with leaves turning deep red, fiery orange, and bright yellow. Have you ever wondered why this happens every autumn? Outdoor Educator Ana Maria Caballero 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.
September 20, 10:00–12:30pm
Ana Maria Caballero, Outdoor Educator
Members Only
This program begins in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall.
The Cosmic Tree: A Universal Symbol of Life: Ginkgoes & Conifers
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. Join us for his interactive tour with stops for moments to reflect on specific trees and the stories associated with them.
September 21, 10:00–11:30am
October 11, 10:00–11:30am
November 8, 10:00–11:30am
Katrina Scott, Docent
This program begins at Walter Street Gate.
Bike Tour of the Arboretum
With a park as large as the Arboretum, a bike ride is one of the best ways to see the entire landscape in one trip. Join Director of Horticulture and Landscape (and bike enthusiast) Rodney Eason for a bike tour of the Arboretum. Be will begin in front of the Hunnewell Building and ride all the way to Peters Hill, stopping to learn about various collections along the way. Rodney will share his expertise on the maples, hickories, mountain laurels, ginkgoes, paw paws, and more, before getting back on our bikes and pedaling to the next stop!
September 28, 10:00–11:30am
Rodney Eason, Director of Horticulture and Landscape Members Only
This program begins in front of the Hunnewell Building.
Conifer Collection Tour
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.
September 23, 10:00–11:30am
October 17, 10:00–11:30am
Cristina Squeff, Docent
This program begins at Bussey Street Gate (on Flora Way).
Seed Propagation at the Arboretum
Many assume that growing plants from seed is as simple as opening a seed packet and sticking them in the dirt. However many of the trees and shrubs in the Arboretum’s collections require a complicated process of stratification, maceration, and dormancy breaking before they will sprout. Join us for a workshop on growing these plants from seed and get a chance to try your hand at germinating seed from Arboretum trees and shrubs. The program will cover the Arboretum’s propagation methods and particpants will sow some seeds to take home. We will round off the experience with a brief tour of our seed treatment facilities and seedling greenhouse.
October 5, 10:00am–12:00pm
Sarah Shank, Arboretum Propagator
Members Only
This program takes place in the Dana Greenhouses Classroom.
HORTICULTURE & BOTANY
Mushroom Hunt
Hundreds of mushrooms hide beneath the Arboretum canopy, silently blossoming into unique forms then withering away again just as quickly. We will search for these fascinating organisms in the landscape, both edible and poisonous alike. Along the way you will learn which mushrooms to look for in different habitats and seasons, how they move through ecosystems, and how the Arboretum’s unique collections affect which species you might find here.
October 5, 12:00–2:00pm
November 9, 12:00–2:00pm
Maria Pinto, Mushroom Enthusiast
This program begins at Bussey Street Gate (on Flora Way).
Autumn in the Arboretum
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 us for a tour to learn about all the changes that happen in our collections in the fall.
October 9, 1:00–2:30pm
October 16, 1:00–2:30pm
Vicki Amalfitano, Docent
This program begins in front of the Hunnewell Building.
Oak Collection Tour
More than any other genus of tree, oaks have been most closely associated with the development of human civilizations across the northern hemisphere. From the Royal Oak to the Charter Oak to the Emancipation Oak, from wine and whisky barrels to tall ships to the roof of Notre Dame, from King John to Shakespeare to Leonardo da Vinci, oaks have been inextricably entwined with the human experience. Learn more about the cultural history of oaks and explore what it is that makes them so useful, so distinct—and so essential.
October 11, 2:00–3:30pm
Paul Eldrenkamp, Docent
This program begins at Centre Street Gate.
Identifying Oaks and Maples
Most of us can point out an oak or a maple by their unique leaf shapes, but what about telling a black oak from a red oak, or a Norway maple from a sugar maple? This is a class on identifying oak and maple species using leaf shape, bark characteristics, form, and other key identification features. The class will focus on species common to Massachusetts streets and forests, so that you will be prepared to identify the trees around you on your next walk in the Arboretum or around town.
October 25, 12:00–2:00pm
Alex Klein, Herbalist Members Only
This program begins in front of the Hunnewell Building
Maples Up Close
The maple collection in October is a rainbow of beautiful fall colors, and this diversity of color results from the large diversity of species in our collection. Join us for a tour of this colorful genus 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 19, 11:00am–12:15pm
Rachel Lawlor, Horticulturist Members Only
This program begins in front of the Hunnewell Building
HORTICULTURE & BOTANY
Chainsaw Safety and Maintenance
Join John Del Rosso for a class on chainsaw maintenance and safety. Designed for professionals and gardeners with some chainsaw experience, you will learn how to best maintain your chainsaw, make effective felling cuts and tension cuts, use proper Personal Protective Equipment, and develop safe work habits.
Participants will not operate chainsaws during this class, learning instead through instruction and demonstration. You are encouraged to bring your own PPE (eye protection and ear protection) for the demonstrations. You are welcome to bring your own chainsaw if you have specific questions about it for the instructor, but chainsaws will be placed outside of the classroom during the class.
November 4, 12:00–4:00pm
John Del Rosso, Head Arborist
This program takes place in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall.
Research Spotlight: Climate Change and Root Exudates
Climate change is impacting every part of the plants at the Arboretum, from the buds down to the roots. Join researcher Nikhil Chari to learn how elevated temperatures and carbon dioxide are impacting tree roots and the carbon they send back out into the soil. Nikhil will demonstrate how he takes root samples and soil cores, discuss his research on carbon cycling, and compare the root morphology of various plants in the landscape.
November 8, 12:00–1:00pm
Nikhil Chari, Researcher, Taylor Lab at the Arnold Arboretum
This program begins at the Hunnewell Building.
Tree Mob: The Oldest Tree in the Arboretum
Long before anyone dreamed of this landscape becoming an arboretum, a white oak grew quietly on the slope of today’s Peters Hill. Years passed and Arboretum staff eventually incorporated this very old tree into the collections, making it possibly the oldest accessioned tree in the landscape. Join Assistant Curator Miles Sax for a Tree Mob to learn about this oak, what the landscape looked like before it was an Arboretum, the science of tree age, and how the Arboretum manages those trees that we never chose to plant but which are a treasured part of our collections nonetheless.
November 15, 10:00–10:45am
Members Only
Miles Sax, Assistant Curator
This program begins at Peters Hill Gate.
Built to Withstand: How Plants Resist Wind and Weight
How do trees, bamboo, marsh grass stems and cattail leaves stand so tall? Join us to learn how the internal structure of plants creates strength and stability in the face of howling winds or even their own crushing weight.
November 15, 12:00–1:15pm Lorna Gibson, Materials Science Professor This program takes place in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall.
Reading the Forested Landscape
The forest is a constantly changing landscape where tree species dominate and then fade away, to be replaced by other species in the ongoing process of succession. See these dynamics at play on Hemlock Hill: learn about forest species structures, succession dynamics, and how the topography of the earth itself affects the species living there.
Note: This program involves climbing relatively steep slopes.
November 23, 12:00–1:30pm
Brendan Keegan, Horticulturist
This program begins at Bussey Street Gate (on Flora Way).
NATURE & WILDLIFE
Birding Walk
Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum landscape. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders.
September 13, 8:00–10:00am
October 11, 8:00–10:00am
November 8, 8:00–10:00am
Donna Sullivan, Docent and Birder
This program begins at the Hunnewell Building.
Caterpillar Lab
This immersive, interactive exhibit will feature hundreds of native caterpillars at every stage in their life cycles. Learn from the experts while you explore the displays. The Lab offers something for every age group, and offers new insight into the world around us.
September 13 and 14, 11:00am–4:00pm
Caterpilllar Lab Educators
This program takes place in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall.
Fall Birding Nature Man Mike
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!
September 27, 8:00–10:00am Mike Bryant, Birder
This program begins at Bussey Street Gate (on Flora Way).
Owl Observations
Dusk is a perfect time to look and listen for great horned owls, often heard calling throughout the Arboretum’s collections. Join us to hear about the owls’ breeding and nesting behavior, learn how to go owling ethically, and potentially hear and see a few owls as well.
November 16, 4:00–5:00pm
Brendan Keegan, Arboretum Horticulturist
Matt Kamm, Associate Director of Field Conservation at Zoo New England
This program begins at Bussey Street Gate (on Flora Way).
HISTORY & CULTURE
The Trees are Speaking
The old-growth forests of Oregon and Washington play a vital role in the ecosystems there, supporting a wide diversity of life and sequestering carbon in enormous, long-lived trees. By contrast, the east coast has been logged and clear cut for generations and has precious little old-growth forest left. Join Lynda Mapes for a talk about her book The Trees Are Speaking: Dispatches from the Salmon Forests. In this thought-provoking new book, Mapes interviews scientists, loggers, and Indigenous activists to answer deep questions about the importance of old-growth forests, the conflicting desires around how to manage them, and how we can protect these forests into the future.
September 21, 2:00–3:15pm
Lynda Mapes, Environmental Journalist and Bullard Fellow at Harvard Forest This program takes place in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall.
Charles Sprague Sargent and the
American Forest
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. Your guide will lead a tour that explores the history of the idea of the forest in America—and how Sargent helped shape that idea.
September 27, 2:00–3:30pm Paul Eldrenkamp, Docent
This program begins at Bussey Street Gate (on Flora Way).
Olmsted and The Arboretum
Frederick Law Olmsted, considered the father of American landscape architecture, designed some 500 public spaces in North America. TThe Arnold Arboretum, a National Historic Landmark, is the only arboretum he designed and a model for others around the world. Your docent will identify the elements of the Arboretum that best reflect Olmsted’s philosophy and approach to landscape design.
October 5, 11:00am–12:00pm
Bill Beizer, Docent
This program begins at Bussey Street Gate (on Flora Way).
Sketching Trees with Erica Beade
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.
September 27, 2:00–4:00pm Erica Beade, Artist This program begins on the Hunnewell lawn.
HISTORY & CULTURE
Paint Printing with Fallen Leaves: A Walk-Up Program
Drop by the Arboretum to make some beautiful paint prints with fallen leaves. This is a walk-up program so no registration is necessary, just stop by any time between 12pm and 2pm!
October 19, 2:00–4:00pm
Sarah Nechamen, Manager of Adult Programming and Events
This program takes place on the Hunnewell lawn.
Make Nature Art Like Andy Goldsworthy
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!
November 1, 12:00–1:30pm
Sarah Nechamen, Manager of Adult Programming and Events Members Only
This program takes place on the Hunnewell lawn.
Trees that Shaped Civilizations
Join us 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.
October 25, 2:00–3:30pm
Paul Eldrenkamp, Docent
This program takes begins at Bussey Street Gate (on Flora Way).
Writing in the Company of Trees
In our perilous times, trees offer examples of resilience and precariousness, growth and generosity. How do we invite them into our writing? Join the editor of the Arboretum’s quarterly magazine for an immersive workshop to practice writing under, about, and in collaboration with trees. Participants will engage trees in the Arboretum’s collection while writing, reflecting, and sharing their discoveries.
November 1, 2:00–4:00pm
Matthew Battles, Editor of Arnoldia Members Only
This program takes begins in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Full Moon Meditation
Take in the sights and sounds of the arboretum under the light of a full moon. Facilitator Bob Linscott will lead the group through mindfulness in nature practices and a meditative sound bath as we meander along the paved road to our final nighttime viewing location on top of Bussey Hill.
September 7, 7:30–8:30pm
Bob Linscott, Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher
This program begins in front of the Hunnewell Building..
Forest Bathing
Slow down and awaken your senses on a guided sensory experience in the Arnold Arboretum. Forest Bathing, inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, is a restorative sensory exploration that supports health and healing for all beings. From increased cerebral blood flow to stronger immune defenses, come discover for yourself what happens when we unplug, slow down, and open our senses to notice more of our natural surroundings. All the prompts, invitations, sharing, and ways of participating are optional and open to interpretation.
September 21, 10:00am–12:00pm
October 19, 10:00am–12:00pm Members Only Tam Willey, Forest Therapy Guide
This program begins at Bussey Street Gate (on Flora Way).
EVENTS
Caterpillar Lab
The Caterpillar Lab is returning to the Arboretum!
This immersive, interactive exhibit will feature hundreds of native caterpillars at every stage in their life cycles. Learn from the experts while you explore the displays. The Lab offers something for every age group, and will give new insight into the world around us.
September 13 and 14, 11:00am–4:00pm
Caterpilllar Lab Educators
This program takes place in the Hunnewell Building.
Art of the Woodturner
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 tenth 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 25 and 26, 10:00am–4:00pm
Artisans from:
The Association of Revolutionary Turners, Central New England Woodturners, and Massachusetts South Shore Woodturners This program takes place in and in front of (weather permitting) the Hunnewell Building.
MassQ Ball 2025: Color is an intergenerational, cross-cultural celebration of the arts and culture of Boston’s many communities of color. A co-production between multidisciplinary artist Daniel Callahan and Black arts organization Castle of our Skins, The MassQ Ball will feature a star-studded lineup of artists, performers, activists, and culture bearers from a wide range of artistic traditions and backgrounds. Through sound, sculpture, movement, and spoken word, MassQ Ball 2025: Color will showcase the beauty, diversity, and color of our Commonwealth and wider world amidst the breath-taking backdrop of the Arboretum’s conifer collection.
October 4, 10:00am–4:00pm
(Rain Date October 18)
PLAN YOUR VISIT
WELCOME TO THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM
Our 281-acre landscape features more than 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.
F Learn about our plants and collections
F Print a map
F Get directions
F Take a guided tour
Accessibility
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 accessibilityrelated questions, please visit the accessibility page on our website or contact our Visitor Engagement team.
SEASONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Here is just a small sampling of what is happening this season in the Arnold Arboretum.
Virginia stewartia (Stewartia malacodendron)
Sargent crabapple (Malus sargentii)
Fruit of Tianmu magnolia (Magnolia amoena)
Spicebush (Lindera umbellata)
Japanese winterberry (Ilex serrata)
VISITING WITH KIDS
Family Activity at Caterpillar Lab!
Experiment with Eric Carle’s distinctive art style using vibrant paper to create your very own caterpillar collage!
September 14, 1:00am–4:00pm
Autumn Scavenger Hunt
Stop by the Visitor Center for a copy or print-at-home!
Little Explorers, a preschool-age program
Join us at the Arboretum as we read and discover new things about the natural world. During this onehour 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. Each week’s theme is inspired by what is happening seasonally at the Arboretum. This program primarily takes place in the landscape. (Geared toward ages 3-5) FREE
Now on select Mondays, 10:00–11:00am
Fall dates:
September 8
September 22
October 6
October 20
November 3
November 17
Registration not required but encouraged as location of program might change and registrants will receive an email update if the program location changes.
Youth Education Staff
This program begins in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall.
Anywhere Artist by Nikki Slade Robinson
Outdoor Educator Recommended Books
Sun Wishes by Patricia Storms and Milan Pavlovic
Let’s Go for A Walk by Ranger Hamza and Kate Kronreif
Of Words & Water the Story of Wilma Dykeman by Shannon Hitchcock and Sophie Page
