Escape the cares of everyday life and find your peace at the Cylburn Arboretum, a 207-acre nature preserve and public garden located off Greenspring Avenue in Baltimore, Md. As you enter, you’ll sense that you have crossed over into a more peaceful world. Surrounded by trees and flowers, you will find it easy to let go of the tensions of the day and relax. 

If you like to try your hand at painting, this is the place to be. You can set up your easel in any number of places to capture the surroundings and convey the intricacies of the leaves or the curve of a flower petal. If you just like to relax, you can do that, too. The spaciousness of the lawn will beckon you to sit awhile and enjoy the sun on your face and the breeze in your hair. You can also sit on benches under the trees and mentally drift to other places. And, if you are feeling ambitious, you can hike the trails (there are seven to choose from) through the woods to view rare trees, native plants and wildflowers or amble through myriad gardens, each with its own theme and plenty of color to entice you to stay and enjoy. 

Among the gardens are Victorian-style Formal Gardens with two Lady Baltimore statues watching over the entrance; the nearby Rose Garden featuring over two dozen Heritage Roses (Heritage Roses existed before the introduction of hybrid tea roses); the Shady Garden containing shrubs and other plants that will survive in a shady area. This garden demonstrates the use of shrubs, rocks and various paving materials in a small space. You will find the shade welcome on a warm day. Another example of the use of a small space is the City Garden, which shows how to have interesting plants and flowers in a small city plot for all seasons. The Garden of the Senses stimulates all the senses. It is planted in raised beds so that it is accessible to physically challenged visitors who can touch and smell the plants easily. There are many other gardens to visit, and a number of the gardens are dedicated in memory of individuals who have given years of service to the Arboretum. You will enjoy the variety of trees and shrubs, including magnolias, weeping cherries, bamboos, hollies, conifers, Japanese maples, and viburnum found on the grounds of Cylburn Arboretum.

Make sure you visit the mansion while you are there. The Victorian Italianate Cylburn Mansion, built in the 1800s by Jesse Tyson as a summer home for himself and his mother, was constructed of stone from Tyson’s quarries. Tyson made his fortune from chronmite mines in Baltimore County. As you enter the mansion from the wrap-around porch, you will pass through a wide doorway with Italianate mosaic scenes on either side. Inside the mansion, Belgian tapestries grace the walls of the entrance hall, which offers a history of the Tyson family in showcases along the wall. Visit the various rooms on the first floor and enjoy the ornate plasterwork, marble fireplaces, original mantels and ceilings. The mansion is open to the public Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m..     

Behind the mansion is the Carriage House, which houses the Natural History Museum. The museum contains a collection of Maryland birds, most mounted in habitat arrangements; collections of bird eggs from the late 1800s; butterflies and moths; rocks and minerals; games; and habitat dioramas. It provides accessible, hands-on learning for students and the public. The museum is open Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Tours, Courses

and Reservations

Trail tours and garden tours for school classes, scout troops, garden clubs and other interested groups are led by the Cylburn Arboretum Association’s volunteers. The Cylburn Arboretum Association and cooperating groups also present a series of open houses with lectures, demonstrations, exhibits and workshops on horticultural and related topics. To learn more about guided tours, visit www.cylburnassociation.org or contact Glenda Weber at 410-396-7839.

Visit www.cylburnassociation.org, for courses being offered this summer and fall, including Cooking From Your Garden; Identify, Remove and Avoid Weeds; Installation, Renovation and Care for Your Lawn; and Basic Garden Design.

The spacious rooms on the first floor of the mansion are available for reservation by garden clubs and other groups for meetings, receptions, retreats, flower shows, lectures and workshops. The mansion and its grounds make lovely settings for weddings and other celebrations. All reservations are handled by the City of Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks — Horticultural Division on the second floor of the Mansion. For information, call 410-396-0180 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Cylburn Arboretum is located at 4915 Greenspring Ave., Baltimore, MD 21209, on the east side of Greenspring Avenue, between Northern Parkway and Cold Spring Lane, both accessible via western exits off I-83. The entrance is marked by stone pillars and a wooden sign. Cylburn is accessible by car and bus and is open 365 days a year from dawn to dusk. 

E-Mail:
Choose which list(s):