Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

If you have never been to the Minnesota Arboretum in Chaska, Minnesota, this is your sign that you need to visit! Growing up, I lived very close to the Arboretum and was beyond spoiled on the number of visits we took there. Fall has always been one of my favorite times to explore all they have to offer. Not only is the fall foliage beautiful, but their seasonal exhibits are always unique and exciting to see. A few weeks ago, we took an impromptu visit there on a stunning fall day. I’m sure the leaves are really starting to show off there now that it’s been a few more weeks into the fall.

When we visited, the Scarecrows in the Garden exhibit had just begun. This was a favorite for our kids. Many different unique scarecrows are on display and you are able to vote for your favorite one. My son loved a dragon scarecrow and my daughter loved a Cinderella scarecrow. Another favorite part of seeing the scarecrows was visiting the pumpkin house and also, seeing a variety of small houses. I have many memories of seeing the pumpkin house in all different forms and themes for different times of the year. On the particular weekend we visited, the Arboretum was also, having their annual Arb Glass Pumpkin patch. Artists sell handblown glass pumpkins and they did not disappoint! Each one was unique and beautiful.

After walking through the Scarecrows in the Garden exhibit, we headed to the gardens. I could spend hours in all of the gardens and love that my kids enjoy walking through too. One thing that I love about the arboretum is that despite being stunning gardens, there are kid-friendly places of interest throughout the entire arboretum. This makes it such an easy destination for a family adventure as all members of the family can become not only immersed in the beauty of the arboretum, but interested and entertained by what they see. The arboretum’s gardens include a wide variety of different spaces such as : a Japanese garden, a Chinese garden, a fern walk, a rose garden, a sensory garden, a fruit & vegetable garden, and even an herb garden. It seems like every time we visit, we all find a new favorite garden. On this particular day, we loved the sensory garden. My kids could not stop smelling the assortment of plants.

When we finished walking through some of the gardens, we took a few trails through the back of some of the gardens to explore. The kids were pleasantly surprised when we ended up next to some paths with rocks across little streams as rock jumping is one of their favorite activities while hiking. Despite countless hours spent at the Arboretum over my lifetime, I can truly say that we find new paths every time we visit. A full day could easily be spent walking around the grounds and there would still be uncovered areas to explore. We ended our hike through the gardens in the area closest to the buildings. In this area, our kids enjoyed the fountain, the observation deck, and the waterfall.

Unfortunately, the day we visited, our time was limited, so we headed inside the main building and walked through the conservatory for our last activity. Walking into the conservatory, you were hit with aromas of plants and a slight humidity. We don’t usually walk through this area, but if you have kids, I would recommend it. At some times of the year, there are butterflies in the conservatory and it’s a beautiful sight. Sadly, we had to leave after just scratching the surface of the Arboretum on this trip.

If you are visiting with kids, here are a few other places within the arboretum that I highly suggest visiting:

• Small play houses in the Shade Tree Exhibit
• Green Play Yard- a natural play area for kids (this is a favorite for kids of all ages. The people who are usually working in this area have always been such kind people who go out of their way to make sure the experience is great for my kids)
• Chinese Garden
• Japanese Garden- my kids love seeing the koi.
• Maze Garden
• Sculpture Garden
• The Bog at Green Heron Pond- my kids love walking through this area and experiencing the bog and boardwalk.
• Walk or drive the three mile loop and stop to see things that look interesting to your family
• The gift shop is also, a fun stop! There are unique nature gifts that my kids love to look at.

If you go inside, make sure to check out their seasonal decorations around the building. They have a stunning Poinsetta tree around Christmas time and fun pumpkin decorations for the fall. I highly recommend bringing a lunch and having a picnic somewhere or getting a lunch at the Eatery. Their food is so delicious and it’s such a relaxing atmosphere.

Overall, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is definitely a must-visit location. Ideally, it’s best to visit during every season as the beauty there is stunning year-round. Often when I think of the Arboretum, I think of going with other adults. Yet, it truly is the perfect family location and the staff have mixed in a variety of kid-friendly experiences that your kids are sure to remember. The best part is kids 15 and under are free! If you’ve never experienced the Arboretum, this is definitely a time of year that you should. Go see all the beautiful fall foliage and crunch your way through leaves on some hikes. You won’t regret it!

Address is 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, MN 55318

Admission is ages 16 and up: $15, youth ages 15 and under: free, and members: free.

Hours: 8 am- 7 pm

Oswald Visitor Center and Gift and Garden Store is open 9 am-6 pm.

The Arboretum is open daily, besides Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. It also, closes at 3 pm on Christmas Eve.