Arboretum Botanical Gardens and Exhibits
Regardless of the time of year, the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens offers unique and unexpected pleasures. From the wildflowers draping the hillsides to the fiery hues of sumac and persimmon, peruse our botanical gardens and take in their seasonal splendor:
| Garden Name | Detail |
| Welcoming Garden |
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This garden is at the entrance of the Arboretum on 179th Street. It beckons visitors with a colorful array of shrubs, ornamental grasses and flowers gracing our beautiful hackett and limestone walls. |
| Erickson Water Garden |
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The first of the botanical gardens, the Erickson Water Garden is home to bird and butterfly plants, wildflowers and ornamental grasses. Spring brings out more than 40 varieties of daffodils along with other spring bulbs. Relax on benches and enjoy the sound of water tumbling over falls and along the streamways. |
| Legacy Garden & Ailie's Glade |
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The Legacy Garden and Ailie's Glade showcase plants that may have been seen on Kansas homesteads. The Grape Arbor offers a quiet spot to enjoy the garden while listening to a babbling brook. Four time capsules that are opened every 25 years reside in this garden. |
| Monet Garden |
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The one-acre Monet Garden, attempts to capture the subtle blending of soft colors and shapes typical in the original Monet gardens. Willow trees, perennials and annuals surround ponds, creating a colorful palate that will make you feel as though you are in one of Claude Monet's paintings. Relax on benches and enjoy the bridge that spans the upper and lower water gardens.
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| Children's Discovery Garden |
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In this garden, young visitors can climb to the top of the Sky Watch, a spiraling walkway, and visit the inhabitants of the frog pond. They also can conquer the grass maze, run through the shrinking tunnel, explore the fossil dig and enjoy the shade of our Story Tree and Puppet Theater.
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| Marder Woodland Gardens |
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The three-acre Marder Woodland Garden features regional native trees, shrubs and wildflowers, woodland hybrids and a variety of ferns near a koi pond. Massive stone pillars support wooden arbors at the garden's entrance. Numerous water features provide the sound of falling water that resonates through towering trees.
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| Xeriscape Garden |
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Xeriscape (zer-i-scape) gardens are based on key principals demonstrating that water-efficient gardens are not only practical and functional, but also visually pleasing. Plants are selected for and grouped by their water needs. This garden is located next to our Visitors Center. |
| Cohen Iris Garden |
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This new garden is designed to showcase Irises as well as provide interest throughout the year. As do all our gardens, water is an integral part of the experience.
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Train Garden
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This year-round garden includes a life-size train including a caboose and box car, and seven G-Scale (1/22nd of the actual size) model train tracks that will wind through 9-foot tall mountains, over lake and streams, and along Strang Line through a replica of Downtown Overland Park.
Plans are for a "Depot" for birthday parties and other outings as well as landscaping.
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| Lakeside Amphitheater |
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A beautiful location for a wedding or celebration. Available to reserve. |