The Dawes Arboretum
Nearly 2,000 acres combine a historic home landscape, Japanese garden, cypress swamp, conifer glen, native habitats, and an eight-mile driving tour east of Columbus.
Artwork inspired by Emerson Burkhart
Beman and Bertie Dawes founded the arboretum in 1929 around their family farm with a goal of planting and testing trees from around the world. Today the living collection stretches far beyond a formal garden: wetlands, prairie, woodlands, research plots, memorial plantings, a hedge lettering “DAWES ARBORETUM,” and historic structures turn the property into both archive and landscape.
First-time visitors can use the auto tour to understand scale, then leave the car for the Japanese Garden and one ecological trail. The paved accessible trail is the strongest low-barrier option, while forest paths can be wet and uneven. Seasonal hours change with daylight, and the eight-mile drive closes before or during hazardous weather, so the live conditions notice matters.
- Founded
- 1929
- Property
- Nearly 2,000 acres
- Driving tour
- About eight miles
Quick guide
- Drive for structure
- Use the auto route to understand how collections and habitats connect.
- Walk one collection deeply
- Study labels, bark, fruit, and form instead of counting gardens.
How to sample 2,000 acres without rushing
- Drive for structure
- Use the auto route to understand how collections and habitats connect.
- Walk one collection deeply
- Study labels, bark, fruit, and form instead of counting gardens.
- Contrast planted and wild
- Pair a designed garden with swamp, prairie, or forest.
- Check seasonal closing
- Daylight, storms, and road conditions can shorten the driving tour.
Good to know
The property is much larger than a neighborhood garden. Download the map, bring water, and allow driving time between areas. Drones, collecting, and off-route access are restricted to protect the living collection.
Notice these
- Japanese Garden
- Cypress swamp boardwalk
- Daweswood and historic landscape