On a surprisingly-comfortable June Sunday – 68°F/20°C, sunny, slight breeze, not a cloud in sight – my wife and I visited the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum to spend the afternoon walking around the grounds looking at plants, trees, flowers, etc.
I’ve lived in Minnesota for 35 years but have never visited before and had no idea what to expect. We’ve visited other gardens and arboretums – e.g., the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Kew Gardens, Keukenhof, Como Park Conservatory, Schönbrunn Palace Gardens – and each is different and special in its own right. My wife has been there previously, probably 10+ years ago, but she knew it was worth the trip.
tl;dr
From their website:
- Founded in 1958
- More than 500,000 annual visitors
- Over 1200 acres (485.6 hectares)
- 5,900 unique species, cultivars and hybrids
- 28 specialty gardens, 44 plant collections, more than 150 permanent works of art
…and that doesn’t even begin to describe what you’re getting into…
After Parking
The Oswald Visitor Center is a good starting point before heading out: pick up a map, hit the restrooms, buy a bottle of water, whatever. You’ll pass it on your drive in and you’ll walk by it as you start your visit.
What to Do And See
Plants of every type
First and foremost, it’s the plants. The Arboretum has organized like or related plants together in a single area: azaleas, lilies, day lilies, arborvitae, annuals, shrubs, different types of trees, etc. If it can survive Minnesota winters (other than the annuals), there’s a good chance it’s here. Every species seemed to have its name, genus, etc., displayed so you knew what you were looking at.
My wife, who has never seen a hosta she didn’t desire, loved the Hosta Glade.
Speciality Gardens
Art
There is a Sculpture Garden, working fountains, and a smattering of other art works.
Relax
Benches are readily available, encouraging you to just sit and soak in the beauty. There are also grassy areas to lounge about in. The web site mentions picnicking but it isn’t clear whether you can bring outside food or if it much be purchased at the cafe.
Maze
A living maze garden can be found about half-way through the Three-Mile walk or drive, probably to help kids enjoy the experience. I believe there are other kid-friendly activities as well.
Events
The Arboretum has events that occur throughout the year, including music, yoga, ceramics exhibition, etc.
Getting Around
There is plenty to see within a short- or medium-walk from the visitor center, but the large size of the Arboretum requires other options, depending on what you want to do.
Three-Mile Drive
The Three-Mile Drive is a one-way paved road that takes you farther afield to see the tree groves, the Chinese Garden, the prairie, and the Maze Garden (great for kids). At points there are pull-offs and parking that allows you to explore on foot. You shouldn’t expect any walkers on the road, but nevertheless the speed limit is 15mph.
I believe bicyclists are allowed, though we didn’t see any on our visit. On Saturday they had a Bike The Arb event.
Bee-Line Shuttle
The Bee-Line is a free, slow, hop-on/hop-off shuttle that the Three-Mile Drive with a side-trip to the Education Center. It has stops in places where you can start exploring but without the hassle of walking or driving there in the first place. It run approximately every 20 minutes.
Narrated Tram Tour
The Tram Tour also loops the Three-Mile Drive with an Arboretum guide explains and discusses the Arboretum and, I assume, answer your questions on plants or trees or prairies or whatever else might be of interest.
Note: A separate ticket is required to ride, which can be purchased at the visitor center.
Three-Mile Walk
Roughly following the drive, the Three-Mile Walk is a dedicated trail walking farther away from the central section of the arboretum without the worry of a car. And if you’re tired and don’t want to continue, find the nearest stop and wait for the shuttle.
Hike
For the really ambitious, the Arboretum has over 12 miles of hiking paths that are isolated from the walks, drives, shuttles, and trams. I don’t really hike and didn’t care to search them out, but the map shows extensive paths on both the west and east side of the visitor center.
Cross-Country Ski and Snowshoe
Not only are the hiking paths and Three-Mile Walk open for winter activities, the Arboretum also grooms other paths specifically for skiing because … Minnesotans embrace winter! Separate tickets are required and current conditions determine whether it’s open or not, but for those whom live nearby it’s a way of seeing some beautiful scenery as you work out.
Basic Logistics
The Arboretum is located in Chaska, MN and is open year-round except Thanksgiving and Christmas. As far as I know, there is no public transportation. Plenty of on-site parking is provided.
At the time of my visit, non-member tickets are $15 for those 16 and above; children under 16 are free. Tickets are purchased online and then scanned when when arriving at the gate house.
Only registered service dogs are allowed except Dog Commons On-Leash trails.
