The Frelinghuysen Arboretum
Specimen trees, formal gardens, meadows, and short trails surround a historic mansion outside Morristown.
Artwork inspired by Asher B. Durand
Frelinghuysen is a plant collection on a generous scale, with nearly 2,000 specimen trees and plantings across formal and less formal spaces. The historic mansion supplies a visual center, but the outdoor collections are the public draw. Choose a tree walk or one garden area rather than trying to identify everything on a first pass.
Season transforms the visit: spring bulbs, summer beds, autumn color, and winter structure each reveal different features. County maps can guide a big-tree or conifer route. The grounds are open year-round, while classes, indoor rooms, and private events follow their own arrangements; do not assume mansion entry comes with a garden walk.
- Scale
- About 124 acres
- Collection
- Nearly 2,000 specimens
- Operator
- Morris County Parks
Quick guide
- Pick a theme
- Try the big-tree or conifer route.
- Return by season
- Plant structure changes the whole visit.
Know before you go
- Find labels
- Compare age, form, and origin.
- Read the lawn
- Formal plantings contrast with meadow.
- Bring the map
- Twenty-plus garden areas invite selection.
- Separate indoors
- Mansion events are not ordinary garden admission.
Good to know
The official county pages list slightly different street numbers for facility rentals versus garden arrival. Use the reviewed main arboretum entrance at 353 East Hanover Avenue.
Notice these
- Specimen trees
- Great Lawn
- Historic mansion