The Dawes Arboretum
This week we are continuing the saga of outdoor trails and parks to visit all around Central Ohio! We headed to Heath to check out Dawes Arboretum, as I have been only once and Josh had never visited. This is one of the few outdoor spaces that we have seen where you do have to pay an admission fee unless you choose to buy a membership! It was ten dollars for adults and five for children over five years. The admission fee and an endowment fund are the primary sources of income for the arboretum to continue to grow and educate the community.
Founded in 1929, Beman and Bertie Dawes bought a chunk of farmland in the heart of Ohio to encourage others to plant more trees. With the various soil types, Beman set out to grow foliage from around the world that would hold up in the Ohio conditions. Since then, the space has grown from 140 acres to 2,000! The park space has been split up into different wildlife sections like the “Conifer Glen” or “Holly Hill,” to name a couple. Not to mention the lake members can fish at or the all-natural outdoor kids’ playground! We decided to follow the Storybook path, which follows a story of a little girl with a tree as a pet. It was so cute to read, even without our own little ones. We then followed the trails around the entire arboretum. From beginning to end, the walk took us just over two hours. We even climbed the observatory tower to see the lettered hedges that spell out Dawe’s Arboretum from above. Different plants and trees are labeled along the path with random facts sprinkled about. Still, they also have a self-guided tour with even more information. To this day, they promote wildlife conservation and education in various ways!
We happened to visit during the Japanese Garden Festival. In the visitors center, the Columbus Bonsai Society had its annual show set up to display and educate the public about the art of the Bonsai. Meanwhile, Bonsai lovers were set up by the Japanese garden to sell trees to the public along with handmade pots and other accessories. It took a lot of self-control (and a “no” from Josh) to keep me from buying multiple of the complex plants. We agreed to wait until we had more time on our hands so we could properly care and dote on them!
In addition to daily visitation hours, the arboretum has several daily events and classes for all ages. Just this weekend, they have a kids’ event with stations all over to teach and get the kids moving during their visit, community volunteer time, a summer hydrangea tour, and a wildlife pop-up exhibit! The grounds also contain several historical buildings that are packed with more history and even more, you guessed it, information. For someone that loves random facts about anything and everything, I was in heaven. Josh even got in on the fun and pointed out every plaque and piece of reading material he could find!
I could go on and on about all the possibilities of spots to visit in the park and different things to do, but for the sake of the email length, I will stop here! If you want to learn more, check out their website; it has different ways to visit and other goodies! I will include the link below! We loved the many different foliage and only wish we had worn a little bug spray! Which part of the park is your favorite?
