Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden Travel Guide
Nestled along the eastern shore of White Rock Lake is the 66-acre, nationally acclaimed Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, featuring 11 display gardens with year-round beauty and inspiration. Over 1,000,000 visitors a year enjoy the gardens and events at the Arboretum.
The Arboretum opened its doors in 1984, combining the 44-acre DeGolyer Estate and the 22-acre Alex Camp House to create a horticultural masterpiece in North Texas. Today, 19 named gardens and numerous areas combine to create a premier Dallas landmark and visitor attraction.
And the Arboretum continues to expand, with new features such as the Children's Adventure Garden and "A Tasteful Place".
 Entrance sign at the Dallas Arboretum |
Parking is located in front of the main entrance, or at a new parking garage two blocks to the north. A general admission fee is charged, along with an additional ticket fee for the Children's Adventure Garden.
There are so many gardens to explore, such as the Woman's Garden, DeGolyer Gardens, Crape Myrtle Allee, Nancy's Garden, the McCasland Sunken Garden, the Marthan Brooks Camellia Garden and so many more!
There are several dining options and drink machines on site including a seated restaurant. Sandwiches, soups, salads and snack items are available to order. Guests can also enjoy indoor and outdoor seating at the Children's Garden Cafe. Visitors may also picnic anywhere on the grounds, except in dining areas.
A recent addition at the Arboretum is "A Tasteful Place". Here visitors can enjoy three free daily tastings made with seasonal produce, cooking demos and more. This new, 3.5-acre, ornamental garden, pavilion and kitchen is inspired by the movement toward growing and eating fresh, sustainable, locally-grown food.
The Arboretum also offers the Hoffman Family Gift Shop, a dining terrace and facilities for workshops, lectures, receptions, weddings and other special events.
Wagons are allowed at the Arboretum and are available for rent at the Information Booth. Bicycles are not allowed.
 Purchase your tickets online in advance of your visit, or upon arrival at the Visitor Education Pavilion |
Wheelchairs and strollers are allowed throughout the gardens including the Children’s Adventure Garden. Wheelchairs are available for rent at the Information booth. There is no fee for renting wheelchairs, but they are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Only licensed service animals are permitted in the Garden. Smoking is not permitted, nor is the grilling of food.
The Dallas Arboretum is open 362 days a year, closed only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. During inclement weather or snow days, be sure to check out The Arboretum on Facebook for potential closures.
Actually, any time of the year is a great time to visit the Arboretum ... below we have highlighted in a series of photographs our trips and experiences in the spring, fall and at Christmas time at the Arboretum.
Spend a day, or more, and explore and enjoy the Dallas Arboretum. We highly recommend it!
| White Daffodils lining the walkway at the Dallas Arboretum |
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Dallas Arboretum ... in the Spring
In the spring, the Arboretum comes alive, with over 500,000 bulbs and 3,000 azaleas, along with cherry blossoms! It's a fantastic time to visit, and enjoy the tulips, hyacinths, pansies and other vibrant spring flowers. Our most recent visit was in the Spring of 2018, and the Arboretum was spectacular!
| Pink Tulips with violas and hyacinths at the Dallas Arboretum in Spring of 2018 |
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| Springtime at the Dallas Arboretum |
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| Pink Hyacinths with violas and daffodils blooming at the Dallas Arboretum |
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| A delicate white Daffodil with orange fringe at the Dallas Arboretum |
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| Thousands of pink tulips in full bloom in spring at the Dallas Arboretum |
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| Garden sculpture amidst spring blooms at the Dallas Arboretum |
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Autumn at the Dallas Arboretum
In autumn each year, the Arboretum features Pumpkin Village, built with over 90,000 pumpkins, squash, gourds and cornstalks. The walkways are also lined with pumpkins, and the fall colors in the trees and shrubs are amazing! Included here are some of the highlights of our recent visits to the Arboretum in the fall.
| Tranquil scene at the Dallas Arboretum in the Fall |
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| Pumpkins, squash, gourds and more ... at Pumpkin Village at the Dallas Arboretum in the Fall |
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| A house of pumpkins and squash at the Dallas Arboretum in the Fall |
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| Pumpkins and orange & yellow marigolds at the Dallas Arboretum in the Fall |
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| Garden art with pumpkins and squash at the Dallas Arboretum in the Fall |
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Dallas Arboretum ... at Christmas
The Christmas season is a magical time at the Arboretum! Holiday at the Arboretum features the magnificent The 12 Days of Christmas outdoor exhibit, as well as 500,000 lights throughout the garden at night, trimming the architecture of the historic homes and lighting the canopies overhead including a 30-foot-tall tree at the center of property.
The 12 Days of Christmas includes a series of 25-foot Victorian style gazebos filled with costumed characters, whimsical animals and music made famous by the beloved Christmas carol. Each gazebo is encased in glass and decorated on all sides to provide a dramatic, three-dimensional experience for visitors to the Arboretum.
| The "12th Day" Gazebo ... Christmas at the Dallas Arboretum |
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The Twelve Days of Christmas at the Dallas Arboretum (1:22)
The Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden at the Dallas Arboretum
A recent addition to the Arboretum is the 8-acre Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden. The garden is designed to connect children with nature, and teaches life and earth science with 17 indoor and outdoor galleries, and 150 interactive activities.
| Entrance to the Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden at the Dallas Arboretum |
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| Texas Skywalk at the Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden at the Dallas Arboretum |
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Other Scenes Around the Dallas Arboretum
| The "frog fountain" at the Dallas Arboretum |
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| The Dallas Arboretum Container Trials |
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| Overlooking White Rock Lake and the downtown Dallas skyline from the arboretum |
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| Welcome to International Crossroads at the Dallas Arboretum |
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| Shakespeare taking a break at the Dallas Arboretum |
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| The library inside the DeGolyer House at the Dallas Arboretum |
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Chihuly at the Dallas Arboretum
One of our visits to the Dallas Arboretum was on a beautiful, blue-sky day. We enjoyed the exquisite glass works of Dale Chihuly, on display through out the gardens of the Arboretum. A few photographic highlights are shown below.
| Overlooking the lake at the Dallas Arboretum during the Dale Chihuly Exhibit |
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| Spires of red in a green pond at the Dallas Arboretum during the Dale Chihuly Exhibit |
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| Chihuly garden art at the Dallas Arboretum |
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| Bold, bright red "flowers" in the gardens of the Arboretum during the Dale Chihuly Exhibit |
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| Bright yellow and red Chihuly art glass against the brilliant blue Dallas sky at the Arboretum |
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The Elegance and Color of Roses
This YouTube video lasts only a couple minutes, and has some easy-listening music. So turn up your volume, and enjoy some beautiful roses!
A Garden for Pollinators and People
Pollinators like butterflies, birds, hummingbirds, bees, moths, bats, ants, beetles, and small mammals pollinate plants and are responsible for helping plants reproduce. Pollinating creatures travel from plant to plant carrying pollen on their bodies via a process that allows the transfer of genetic material critical to the reproductive system of most flowering plants.
This video showcases common pollinators found around the home, and some of the many flowers they help reproduce.
It runs about 6 minutes, so sit back and enjoy ... and turn up your volume for some easy-listening music!
Like all YouTube videos, you can click to run it full screen, and mute the music if you like.