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Arnold Arboretum, Boston, MA

Photo: Daderot, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorFreeOutdoor AdventureLocal Gem

Arnold Arboretum

125 Arborway · Boston, MA

Why you should go…

Founded in 1872 and run by Harvard, the Arnold Arboretum is the oldest public arboretum in North America, spread over 281 acres of Jamaica Plain and Roslindale. Frederick Law Olmsted helped design the grounds, which form the second largest link in Boston's Emerald Necklace. You can wander among more than 15,000 accessioned plants, including bonsai, conifers and the Explorers Garden. In May, Lilac Sunday brings tours, children's activities and picnics.

  • #arboretum
  • #botanical garden
  • #walking trails
  • #emerald necklace
  • #lilacs

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Arnold Arboretum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Eat & Drink
    Local Gem

    Samuel Adams Boston Brewery

    $25–$50

    Sam Adams' working Jamaica Plain brewery, with tours, tastings, and a look at small-batch experimental beers.

    1.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Eat & Drink

  • Attractions
    Family favorite

    Franklin Park Zoo

    $25–$50

    Zoo New England's 72-acre flagship in Olmsted's Franklin Park, gorillas, lions, and giraffes just a few miles from downtown Boston.

    1.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Museums
    Local Gem

    Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

    Under $25

    A Venetian palace of art wrapped around a flowering courtyard, and home to the world's most famous art heist.

    3.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Boston Public Garden & Swan Boats

    Free

    America's first public botanical garden, weeping willows, the Make Way for Ducklings statues, and famous Swan Boats.

    4.7 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Local Gem

    Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park

    Under $25

    Ferry from Long Wharf to Civil War-era Fort Warren on Georges Island or Spectacle Island's beaches and skyline-view trails. Ferries run mid-May to October.

    5.7 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Walden Pond

    $25–$50

    Swim, hike the shore and visit a replica of Thoreau's cabin at the pond that inspired Walden.

    15 mi awayMore like this