the arboretum at penn state

avelinof2015

The place is beautiful. I attended a brunch and it was wonderful. The garden was colorful, the weather was nice, everything was perfect.

1947Carlo

The H O Smith Botanical Gardens at Penn State (more commonly referred to as The Arboretum) is truly a delight for all ages. I walk there everyday as part of my daily 6 mile exercise trek. I see toddlers with their parents or grandparents enjoying The Children's Garden, an interactive fun, learning environment which is as much a joy to the adults as to the kids. Couples stroll hand in hand, planning their weddings to be staged in the pavilion. Birders and serious gardeners share space with Red Hat ladies and university students in onsite classes. Master gardeners and horticulture employees share their expertise with novice explorers who are simply on a walk. It truly is a special place to explore, comtemplate, learn, and rejuvenate.

ccent817

Was here last fall for the pumpkin contest and all the beautiful fall foliage ... absolutely beautiful...!!

bnb5007

BEAUTIFUL!!Well taken care of garden!Just added a child's section and it's wonderful! People of all ages should come visit. Beautiful fountain when the weather is nice. Defiantly a must see when visiting Penn State. It's free to visit too! No stairs or hills, all flat surface

207sandyp

This is where I always take visitors from out of town. I graduated from penn state in horticulture so a visit here for me isn't exactly a stretch, but I think all who visit find it beautiful.

444MichaelS

I walked my dog here daily for about four years every summer. I'd play frisbee with him in the dog walking field and then he would jump into the fountain to cool off. I never let him inside any dog prohibited areas, he was never once inside the gardens. The laborers enjoyed his company, however I did get into an altercation once with a supervisor. It ended with me telling him to "go through the proper protocol with the university to put a sign up that my dog isn't allowed inside the fountain and you won't have to see it anymore. Otherwise, call the cops because my hundred thousand dollars I've spent on tuition ensures this type of use." This past summer though, my dog began to get sick. After about two months of vet visits, I finally put two and two together and realized they are now using a new chemical inside the fountain. No signs were displayed anywhere. No emails sent out. Nothing was published in the paper. The arboretum is probably the most beautiful spot on campus and ensures a photogenic atmosphere. Just don't bring your dog.

SKNJ

The Arboretum is a great place for a quiet stroll or a photo op (during the right season). The paths are beautifully landscaped, and there are fun activities for young children. The variety of flowers, plants, and veggies is quite impressive.

Richdowg

We take our 16 month old daughter to the Arboretum to play several times a month. It is a beautiful location just north of campus. Plan on spending about 1-2 hours with a young child.

rustyfankathie

It was pretty in the fall; I can't wait to return to see it in the spring/summer. Area for kids; water features, etc. Almost all plantings are identified so you know what you're looking at.Even on a rainy day, it was a nice place to visit.

19Kukla66

Upon my first trip to the Penn State Arboretum, I thought that we would only be seeing trees, which is fine with us, having worked together with bringing back the American Chestnut. However, the diversity of the gardens left me speechless. There were amazing plants from all over the world arranged according to habitat: wetland, desert, tropic, to name a few. The colors, fragrances and textures of the plants were astounding. The settings were a photographer's dream, hence the many weddings that are photographed there. There were a couple of plants I was interested in growing myself, so I called the arboretum the following day. They happily gave me genus and species of each plant about which I had inquired, so now I can grow them in my own garden. Even the grandchildren enjoyed the gardens with all the interesting niches and water features, in addition to visiting butterflies and other insects. If you like to garden and are looking for great ideas and impetus, this would be the place!

Hogandoc1

Finally, a venue that has nothing to do with sports. Nice job on labeling the species, very scenic place. Would I continue to go if there was admission charged? Doubt it. But for now, a very pleasant sanctuary to visit.

TravelingCritiquer

We liked the variety of flowers and plants and the original areas of the gardens.. We were alittle disappointed in the new area, that just opened in the last year. It seems like it does not fit with the rest of the gardens. It is too man made an not natural or nature y like a garden should be. We also stopped by to see the jack o lanterns ands felt the judges must have judged with there eyes closed for the most part. We did like the best of show.

Londonjack

if you like gardening this is spectacular. Although I visited off season, I could still tell this would make a wonderful visit during warmer climates.

Cac1234

The Arboretum is just lovely in the fall. We visited during the pumpkin festival over Columbus weekend. The display of carved jack-o-lanterns by people from children to adults was beautiful. The flowers and arrangements were gorgeous.

Observer1

Looking at the Arboretum’s website it currently spans 35 acres, with plans for future expansion.This fee-free Arboretum, located on the outskirts of the Penn State campus, was a delightful surprise and well worth the visit.We didn’t see all of the Arboretum but, on this cold and windy day, we walked around a thick circle of plantings which included many species, encircling a large area planted with grass, and noted what was apparently a setup for a wedding among a few buildings off the circle, that had a beautiful panoramic view of the landscape, with the Allegheny mountains in the background. But, it was the delightful adjacent Children’s Garden that was the most impressive, with its plantings, artificial cave and water features, and the sound of bells chiming in the background.