willowwood arboretum

Willowwood is worth seeing in every season. 130 acres of gentleman's farm, now owned & maintained by Morris County and volunteers. Thousands of flowering plants, shrubs, ornamental trees, a little brook -- formal, woodland, cottage garden, and open field, and lovely farmhouse, barns, and outbuildings. Free! 365 days a year! Sit in the arbor and relax into the peaceful view. We haven't taken the cell phone tour, but plan to in early spring -- looking forward to seeing the hellebores.

An early 19th century setting of some well to do families, in this case two brothers, country home and garden.

We visited Willowwood on a beautiful, sunny fall day. We very much enjoyed the 1 hour cell phone tour, which provided brief facts and clear directions to the next spot. Each spot offered something a bit different and the flowers were gorgeous. There was a massive redwood tree. The walk is very contained so would be fine for someone who is not up to anything strenuous. Benches are plenty. As for driving here, it is off the beaten path but not far from route 78 and can be found with your GPS. There are many small brown signs to help you find the way.

Local and so lovely! Many plant and bird species. Trails easy but not for strollers. There are nice benches in the shade and a "cell phone" tour.

We took a morning day-trip to the arboretum while visiting relatives north of Chester. The grounds hold a wide variety of trees, flowers, and plants. Highlights included the Roserie (actually a Mediterranean-themed garden), walking through the wooded area beyond the lilac bushes, and the Japanese-themed area around the bamboo. The exotic plants in a small room off the side of the house was also very interesting. Many flowers were in bloom in mid-May; others appeared to be ready to bloom later in the summer. In all, wondering the grounds I walked about 2 miles.The grounds are very well-kept; I didn't see a speck of trash and the gardens were all well-cared for. The few park workers that I ran across were all very friendly (they're county park employees) and didn't seem to mind that we had well-behaved children in the group. There is no entrance fee, which is amazing considering the niceness of the gardens.One word of warning is the entrance road. Besides being well out of the way on roads that in anywhere but the country would be considered one-lane (and we met a full-sized garbage truck on one of them!), the graded gravel road begins with a very rough cattle guard (even rough by western US standards). The Camry did ok, but it was a good thing we went slowly.Overall, I'd go back some time; maybe at a different time of year to see a different display of flowers.

We were in the area and heard about this arboretum operated by Morris county. It was somewhat tricky to find, but when we did it was a great surprise. Beautiful gardens, flowers, landscaping on 130 acres--about 350,000 flowers and plants. There are a number of buildings, including a 1792 home, trails and many information panels about the history of the gardens. It was bought by the Tubbs brothers in the early 1900s who collected and grew plants here for over 50 years.The gardens are operated with great care by Morris county and are free to the public. We were the only visitors when we were there in early August. What a great find. Do yourself a favor and visit this beautiful place. They have special events and tours throughout the year.

Willowwood Arboretum consists of 130 acres of fields, meadows, and woodlands containing various structures, gardens, and walking paths. There are at least seven structures on the property with the main structures being the Tubbs Residence which dates from1792, and the Stone Barn (Myer Center). A public restroom is located in the Shingle Barn. Maps of Willowwood are available in the parking area. Depending on the time of year this arboretum offers an opportunity to see and photograph a wide variety of unusual and beautiful plants, flowers, butterflies, shrubs and trees. You’ll need at least several hours to explore and soak in all that Willowwood Arboretum offers. You can also take a trail from this location to the Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center, the Kay Environmental Center and Cooper Mill.