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Tours

  1. The Arboretum at Penn State

    Take in the sights of the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens.

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    1. Overlook Pavilion

      Welcome to The Arboretum at Penn State and, specifically, the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens!  Only the botanic gardens, located adjacent to campus, are featured in this short tour. But the entire 370-acre Arboretum also includes woodlands, a 1.3-mile walking/riding trail on a former railroad bed, a prairie restoration site, an American chestnut breeding orchard, and livestock and agricultural fields used by the College of Agricultural Sciences.

       

      The botanic gardens are a comparatively new (2009) addition to campus that has rapidly become a regionally favorite destination. The gardens are continually added to and improved upon as private donations permit.

       

      Our tour begins at the Overlook Pavilion. The pavilion sits at the highest point in the gardens and provides views of Bald Eagle Ridge and the Allegheny Plateau in the northwest and the Event Lawn and campus toward the southeast. It contains restrooms, water fountains, an office, and visitor information. It is a popular event space that can be rented for weddings and other special occasions. 

    2. Hosler Oak

      The Hosler Oak was planted as the Arboretum’s “witness tree” in 2005 when there was nothing here but an open field. Now it is an Arboretum landmark. Located along the Kathryn Bower Smith Strolling Garden next to the Childhood’s Gate Children’s Garden, it will witness the development of the entire Arboretum as the decades pass. As a white oak, now about 50 years old, it could live to the year 2400 or longer. 

    3. Childhood's Gate Children's Garden

      The children’s garden is a one-acre space that celebrates the plants, animals, history, culture, and geology of central Pennsylvania in a microcosm of the regional landscape. Don’t let the name fool you- it is as popular with adults as it is with children. To view individual features in the children’s garden, use the interactive story map.

    4. Joan Milius Smith Esplanade and the Display Garden

      Not far from the Hosler Oak, the Display Garden bordering the Esplanade showcases plants throughout the fall, spring, and summer seasons. Planted with over 30,000 flowering bulbs annually, this is a must-see spot on campus during spring commencement. Take a seat on a stone at the Joel N. Myers Sundial, which is notable as both a piece of sculptural art and a highly accurate timepiece.

    5. Pollinators' Garden

      Stroll along the crushed stone path to watch butterflies, birds, and bees doing their work in the Pollinators’ Garden. Swaths of blooming and fruiting plants fill this garden with color and texture that are attractive to both pollinators and people, and in the autumn to foraging migrant birds. There is a plan in the works to expand this garden to nearly triple its current size.

    6. Rose and Fragrance Garden

      The Rose and Fragrance Garden has year-round appeal, beginning in early spring with the exceptional beauty of tree peonies and irises in bloom and extending even to late winter when the early-blooming witch-hazels produce masses of yellow flowers.  Look up to see climbing roses and clematis vining across the trellises, and the wisteria atop the Rose Garden Bower.  A series of pathways invite intimate contact with the colors and fragrances of this romantic cottage-style garden.

    7. Oasis Garden

      Enclosed by tall walls and airy trellises, the Oasis Garden features one of the most popular spots in the gardens- the Lotus Pool. Filled with the brilliant blooms of waterlilies and lotuses contrasted against dark water, the pool is always worth seeing during the warm months of the year. Notice also the large, dish-shaped planter on the terrace along the outside wall. It features a different planting design each season.

    8. Margery Enes Smith Soaring Waters Fountain and Dr. James J. and Lynn D. Ramage Marsh Meadow

      Overlooking the Ramage Marsh Meadow at the forefront of the gardens, the fountain is a serene destination where you can enjoy a cool mist on a hot summer day. Get to this Arboretum landmark from campus by crossing the boardwalk, a gift from the Class of 2010. The fountain, with campus as a backdrop, is a favorite location for graduation photographs.

    9. North Terrace

      Continuing with the tropical theme in the Oasis Garden, the North Terrace is bordered by bold-colored tropical plants installed each spring and year-round plantings of some of their hardier, temperate-climate relatives. The North Terrace and the adjacent Poplar Court are popular with many students as places to study or relax.

    10. Event Lawn and Kathryn Bower Smith Strolling Garden

      The Strolling Garden encircles the garden’s largest open space, the Event Lawn, which stretches out in front of the Overlook Pavilion. Visit in October when the lawn is illuminated with hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns for our annual Pumpkin Festival, which attracts around 10,000 visitors during the two-day event.