iowa arboretum

It has been several years since we'd visited the Iowa Arboretum and to make a brief stop primarily to observe a couple of tree varieties we want to plant at our new house. The day was cool, cloudy and blustery but the visit was really nice and we were able to see mature varieties of the trees we were looking for.

The Iowa Arboretum is a beautiful place but also an educational one. You can go there and see many species of plants and trees and decide if something you are thinking of planting will be right for your spot.

My husband and I were here on a Sunday morning and there were only 2 other couples. You are able to get to the arboretum on paved roads. Beware of GPS it may want to take you on gravel roads-the arboretum's website gives directions that will keep you on pavement. There's no cost and there's a gift shop but it wasn't open when we were there; however there were restrooms that were open. There is a very nice variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers. Across the road the arboretum also has hiking trails through the woods. This would be a great spot for a picnic and to get ideas for your own garden. Its a great gem just south of Ledges State Park.

It is a good place for picnic,pleasant walk and enjoy the nature.There are unique plants, shrubs & trees with small name boards next to it. The daylilly flowers are awesome.Great for photography.The office staff was very kind and helpful. Maps are available in the office.Umbrellas are available for internal use at arboretum during sunny days.We appreciate & thank for that during hot day. We will come again for hiking.

They have a very nice layout for the arboretum and another 300+ acres of woods with hiking trails to explore.

We like to go there for a pleasant outing from time to time, and see how our plants, trees, and shrubs are doing compared to theirs. They have a really nice plant sale in the spring, and the workers, wheather paid or volunteer, are always very nice and helpful. Great gift shop also!

It was a very hot day, I need to visit again next year. It was nice but I wasn't in the right frame of mind.

The arboretum is a great place to visit...beautiful. We had our wedding there, and could not have been happier! Not only was the scenery gorgeous, but the venue worked out nicely for ceremony and reception, and the staff went above and beyond to make our day perfect! They gave us all the time we needed the night before and morning of the ceremony to decorate, and helped by setting up chairs, tables, and anything else we needed. We were just so impressed by their kindness and flexibility. The fee was also the most reasonable of all we found. Would recommend the facility to anyone. 5 stars!

Beautiful, peaceful. Fantastic for picnics, relaxing.

We drove the 25 minutes from Des Moines through Grimes, and followed the signs for the Arboretum and 4-H Camp all the way (the camp is just past the Arboretum). There is a good size parking lot and plenty of seating benches and informational signs for everyone to find a way around. The grounds are well kept and there are small signs next to every plant and tree. This is a great learning tool for a class study or for those of us that want to plant wonderful plants in our yards. We loved walking around the children's garden and looking at how the vegetable plants are coming along. We made a small donation before we left, but there is no charge to visit this calm, beautiful location.

This place is a bit tricky to find, if you don't know where it is. (There are signs to direct you. However, still a bit tricky to see.) This is an oasis in the farm lands, quite a nice surprise.

Somewhat isolated, in good weather this provides pleasant walks and a nice small gift shop if you are in ther Madrid IA neighborhood.