Arboretum Public Guided Tour

Visitors are welcome to join one of the Arboretum's knowledgeable docents for a free guided public tour the first and second Sunday of each month May through October. The first Sunday will be a tour of the Native Plant Collection and the second Sunday will be the Caroline Black Garden. Tours start at 10 a.m. and are generally 1 to 1.5 hours long.

Private Docent-Guided Tour

The cost of a private docent-guided tour is $80 for groups of 20 or less. Groups of more than 20 will be charged $5 for each additional person. Please note that our private tours can be tailored for each group. Arboretum destinations for private tours include the Native Plant Collection or Caroline Black Garden. Private tours regularly start on weekdays at 10 or 10:30 a.m., but can start later or on Saturdays as needed. The private tour generally runs 1 hour and 15 minutes and cannot be booked for Sundays. Arboretum members at the Garden Club and Organizations (non-profit) level receive one free private tour per year. A minimum of 2 weeks notice is required to schedule a private tour.

ArboProject Youth Group Tour

Through the ArboProject, Connecticut College students lead tours for school-aged children in the Native Plant Collection, mid-September through early November and from the last week in March through the first week in May. A student tour guide can be booked for ArboProject tours from May through September.

ArboProject tours cover the changing seasons, plant life cycles, ecology and environmental conservation, and may be able to include specific topics discussed in school classrooms. ArboProject tours are free for student groups with a maximum of 30 participants, and include one Connecticut College student for every ten students. (If your group is larger than this, please contact the office to discuss details.) Tours regularly start at 10 or 10:30 a.m. and generally runs for 1 hour. A minimum of 2 weeks notice is required to schedule ArboProject tours.

Group Visit (NO TOUR)

Visiting groups with more than 10 people are required to inform the Arboretum office of their visit at least one week in advance. In addition to the general policies, the activity must have no impact on the Arboretum grounds or plants.