Arboretum at Penn State | State College

The Arboretum at Penn State — Detailed Overview

Setting and Vision
Stretching across more than 370 acres on the northern edge of campus, the Arboretum at Penn State was conceived as both a living museum of plants and an outdoor classroom. The first major phase opened in 2009; ongoing master-plan projects will eventually link themed gardens, research plots, and woodland trails into one continuous landscape that extends toward the Mount Nittany backdrop.

H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens
This central, intensively cultivated area greets visitors with the Hosler Oak Allee, a graceful double row of swamp white oaks that frames the main walk. Radiating from this spine are specialty gardens: the Rose and Fragrance Garden, bursting with hybrid teas and old-garden roses through summer; the Pollinator and Bird Garden, showcasing native plants, nesting structures, and a small wetland that hums with bees and dragonflies; the Strolling Garden, where broad sweeps of ornamental grasses and perennials change texture and color from spring bulbs to autumn seedheads. Sculptures by regional artists punctuate the beds, blending art with horticulture.

Childhood’s Gate Children’s Garden
Designed as a miniaturized journey across Pennsylvanian ecosystems, this interactive garden invites climbing, scrambling, and imaginative play. Children can crawl through a limestone cave, pump water into a rill that feeds sandstone channels, or explore a hollow log “bear den.” Native plants—from hemlocks to mountain-laurel—reinforce a sense of place while providing habitat for butterflies and songbirds. Seasonal programs include story hours, nature crafts, and citizen-science insect counts.

Pollinator and Bird Garden
Opened in 2021, this four-acre section is laid out as a series of habitat “rooms”: meadows of goldenrod and milkweed, hedgerows of elderberry and serviceberry, an orchard of heritage apple varieties, and a demonstration apiary. More than 200 nesting boxes, brush piles, and pollinator hotels create sheltered micro-habitats, while a solar-powered pavilion offers shaded seating for workshops on backyard ecology. Researchers monitor bee diversity, migratory bird use, and the effectiveness of native plant corridors that connect to surrounding woodlots.

Hartley Wood and Hawthorn Orchard
Beyond the manicured core, footpaths enter a remnant oak–hickory forest known as Hartley Wood. Spring ephemerals—trillium, bloodroot, Virginia bluebells—carpet the understory before the canopy leaf-out. Adjoining glades hold one of the region’s oldest documented stands of hawthorn, whose white blossoms peak in early May. Quiet benches and interpretive signs encourage contemplation of the site’s pre-agricultural history and ongoing restoration.

Seasonal Highlights
• Late March to early April: thousands of daffodils and early tulips flank the main promenade.
• Mid-May: peak bloom for deciduous azaleas and flowering dogwoods; fragrant lilies emerge in the Rose Garden.
• July: towering prairie plants—compass plant, cup plant, purple coneflower—dominate the Pollinator Garden; fireflies glitter over the Great Lawn at dusk.
• October: maples, oaks, and sweetgums blaze around the Event Lawn; ornamental grasses reach full plume.
• December: the Winter Celebration lights outline paths and sculptures, complemented by cold-season container plantings of red twig dogwood, holly, and evergreen boughs.

Programs and Research
The Arboretum partners with Penn State colleges for studies on climate-resilient landscapes, invasive-species management, and sustainable storm-water design. Public outreach ranges from guided bird walks and plant-identification classes to outdoor yoga and evening concerts on the Overlook Pavilion stage. Volunteers contribute thousands of hours mulching, labeling specimens, leading tours, and propagating native seedlings in the greenhouse complex.

Visitor Practicalities
Admission is free year-round from dawn to dusk. A small parking lot sits at the end of Bigler Road, with overflow in adjacent campus decks on weekends and evenings. Restrooms, drinking fountains, and shaded picnic tables cluster near the pavilion. Bicycles are permitted only on perimeter paths; dogs must remain leashed and are restricted from formal garden beds. Peak visitation occurs on mild weekends in April–May and October, so consider weekday or early-morning visits for quieter exploration.

Why It Matters
Much more than a pretty garden, the Arboretum at Penn State functions as a dynamic intersection of education, conservation, art, and community gathering. Whether watching monarch butterflies glide over milkweed, sketching a bronze sculpture framed by October foliage, or attending a twilight jazz concert on the lawn, visitors experience a living tableau that evolves with the seasons and reflects central Pennsylvania’s botanical heritage.