51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ

The main entrance to the Native Plant Collection is directly across the street from the Williams Street entrance to 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ at Harkness Chapel. Look for the double wrought iron gates with large golden leaves.  Tour buses may let passengers out at the main gate on Williams Street, but then must park in the south end of the South Parking Lot on the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ campus.   Our new north entrance across from 33 Gallows Lane offers more parking and a level entrance into the Native Plant Collection.

The Caroline Black Garden is located across the street from the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ main entrance.  It is just off Route 32 at 4 Winchester Road; best accessed by taking the road to the College Athletic Center and an immediate right onto Winchester Road. Take a right at the first driveway, which leads to Vinal Cottage. When visiting the Caroline Black Garden, cars can usually fit in the parking lot behind Vinal Cottage.  Buses may let passengers out at the entrance to the parking lot, and then must park at the south end of the South Parking lot on the main campus.

The Greenhouse is located on the south side of New London Hall, this historic William H. Lutton Co. greenhouse contains tropical plants for teaching and research.

The oak and hemlock forested Bolleswood Natural Area is located west of the Arboretum Pond; the Goodwin Natural Area is north of Gallows Lane; and the rocky, wooded, 40-acre Mamacoke Island on the Thames River is attached to the mainland by a small tidal salt marsh.

Self Guided Tour Brochures

Brochures may be found on the sign board inside the main entrance to the Native Plant Collection on Williams Street, at our North Entrance gate across from 33 Gallows Lane and the Caroline Black Garden on Mohegan Avenue/Rt. 32.  We also have tour brochures in our 33 Gallows lane lobby.  Please see the Maps and Guides section below for more information.

Guided Tours

Private guided tour destinations include the diverse Native Plant Collection, the exquisite Caroline Black Garden, or the beautiful campus international trees on campus.  The cost is $100 for a group of 20 or fewer (add $5 for each additional person).  The tours take approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes but can be tailored to meet the group's needs.

ArboProject Tours

Students from 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ lead environmental education tours for school-aged children in the Arboretum from mid-September to early November and from the last week in March until the first week in May.  Tours are offered free of charge. We prefer to keep groups to a maximum of forty students with one 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ student guide for every ten students. Please plan on giving at least three weeks notice to schedule your tour.  For more information and/or to schedule a tour, contact the Arboretum at 860-439-5020.

Guidelines for a safe and enjoyable visit

• Dogs are welcome and must be leashed at all times. Owners are responsible for removal and disposal of their dogs’ wastes. Bags are provided at the entrance to the Native Plant Collection on Williams Street, at the Outdoor Theater and inside our North Entrance.
• Jogging, organized sports, biking, camping, hunting, creating fires or driving vehicles within the Arboretum, are prohibited, as these activities are damaging to the ecology of the landscape.
• Jogging is permitted ONLY on the designated jogging trails between Rt. 32 and the Thames River or the paved roads on campus. Please limit jogging to the areas marked on the Arboretum Jogging Trails.
• Please Do NOT disturb or remove plant labels, they are used to educate the public and are essential for tracking specific trees throughout their lives.
• Please Do NOT dump ice from coolers or other containers in grass areas or planting beds as this will harm the grass/plants. Please dump ice in roadways or storm drains.
• Do NOT remove plant material without permission from the Arboretum office.
• Do NOT bring glitter, confetti, balloons or temporary signs into the Arboretum.
• Alcoholic beverages may not be brought into the Arboretum.
• Private groups with more than 10 people wishing to visit the Arboretum are required to inform the Arboretum office of their visit at least one week in advance in order for us to plan accordingly.

Thank you and please enjoy your visit!