The University of Illinois Arboretum is a wonderful place to spend a few hours. This special location offers much more than just a standard park, since it is not only a welcoming green space, but also an important scientific asset for the university. Stroll amid a huge range of species of trees and other plants, many of them grown here specifically to help support the research carried out on campus.
The vision behind this magnificent arboretum took well over a century to fully realise. In the original plans for the campus, drawn up in 1867, the arboretum was in an entirely different location, on the site of what is now the College of Engineering. It was not until the late 1980s and early 1990s that an arboretum of this great scale was developed in the current spot. Visit today and see how approximately 160 acres (65 hectares) of the university’s grounds have been turned into a nature-filled wonderland.
Explore multiple different themed sections of the arboretum, each featuring carefully selected species of vegetation drawn from all over the world. Walk along paths surrounded by flowers at the beautiful Noel Welcome Garden and see blossoms falling like snow in the Sen Cherry Tree Allée. Lounge in a pretty pavilion beneath giant oaks in Oak Grove and go for a waterside stroll at The Ponds. The gardens surrounding Japan House offer an Asian flavour. Other features to look for include the neat and regimented flowerbeds of the Miles C. Hartley Selections Garden, the winding path of the Dr. Frank Kari Walkway and the quirky triangular pavilion of the Idea Garden.
The University of Illinois Arboretum is located at the Urbana-Champaign campus and is one of the scenic highlights of this area. Enter the arboretum for free. Donations toward the work conducted here are very welcome. Many different outdoor events take place here throughout the year, so check the schedule of activities when you plan your visit.
