Convene in our collections to celebrate what makes us both unique and unified. A MassQ is a ritual application of paint to the face in order to reveal one's inner state of being. MassQing derives from the ancient tradition of body decoration practiced by nearly every indigenous culture on earth. Join us for this intergenerational, cross-cultural exhibition of the arts and interact with the landscape in new, creative ways.
Hemlock Hill and Conifer Collection, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston
Led by Bengali culture worker Pampi, this audience participatory workshop allows attendees to weave love letters into hand-crafted ceremonial vessels for their loved ones. Vessels will be fashioned out of natural materials sourced from the Arboretum grounds and displayed in the MassQ Ball on July 9.
Harvard Museums of Science & Culture, 11 Divinity Ave., Cambridge
After a long hiatus, the annual Summer Solstice Celebration at the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture is back—in-person! Join us on the longest day of the year from 5:00–9:00 PM to explore—free of charge—the galleries and new exhibitions at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the...
Join artist Daina Swagerty and poet Joyce Swagerty for a conversation about Stoneroot Epistle, their artistic collaboration now on view at the Arboretum's Hunnewell Visitor Center. Their show invites us to contemplate our capacity for wonder through the lens of an acorn through the seasons. Select pages of vivid imagery and inspirational poetry offer a layered landscape exploring the movement of universal journey.
Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston
Enjoy a multimedia glimpse into how plants use visual signals to communicate with the world around them with Wendy Clement’s multimedia exhibition using the design initiatives of Chris Ault’s Interactive Multimedia class at The College of New Jersey. Now on view at the Arnold Arboretum’s Hunnewell Building.
Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston
On Saturdays and Sundays in April, join us for a 90-minute walk through the Arboretum! Tour seasonal plant highlights and learn about Arboretum history from a trained docent.
Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston
On Saturdays and Sundays in April, join us for a 90-minute walk through the Arboretum! Tour seasonal plant highlights and learn about Arboretum history from a trained docent.
Arnold Arboretum (Hunnewell Building), 125 Arborway, Boston
Join a docent tour through the Arboretum looking for the vibrant colors of the witch-hazel flowers. Learn about plants native to China and Japan, those from the Ozarks and Mississippi, and even one that was introduced right here at the Arnold Arboretum!
The walk is geared toward adults, and starts from the kiosk in front of the Hunnewell Building at 125 Arborway. This tour is limited to 15 participants. We ask that you only register if you are sure you will attend, and only register one person per form submission. Masks are required if you are unvaccinated.
Make a difference as an Arnold Arboretum Field Study Guide! Training for the spring season of school programs at the Arboretum begins March 29. We are looking for outgoing and mature adults who can commit to two years of volunteering. You do not need to know about plants, but experience working with children is preferred. If you are interested, please complete an application by March 11 for an interview.
Arnold Arboretum (125 Arborway, Boston) & American Repertory Theater
Visitors are invited to experience the natural beauty of the Arnold Arboretum on an outdoor, self-guided journey that centers resilience, healing, wellness, and joy. This collaboration between the American Repertory Theater and the Arboretum features multi-genre audio plays for various ages, interactive movement maps, and pop-up performances, all set against the 281-acre backdrop of one of the jewels of Boston’s Emerald Necklace.
The Arboretum is open daily, sunrise to sunset. Visitors entering via the Arborway, Bussey Street, Forest Hills, Centre Street, Walter Street, Peters...
Bussey St. Gate, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston
Docent Robbie Apfel leads this winter walk in an exploration of the Arboretum's conifer collection. Beginning from the Bussey Street Gate, you will be introduced to the Arboretum's grand gymnosperms, learn the botany of conifers, and hear about Hemlock Hill's evolving ecosystem. This tour will also introduce you to native and non-native conifers in the winter landscape.
Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston
Great scenery and exercise, who could want more? Take a brisk walk this winter and stay healthy and connected to the Arboretum at a time when the landscape is pared down to its beautiful bones. This walk emphasizes fitness, with a healthy dose of information on seasonal highlights. Winter tours are geared to adults and led by trained Arboretum docents.
After your tour, stay on for a warm drink and more conversation with your guide and staff in the Visitor Center.
Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston
Join the Arnold Arboretum for an opening reception for their newest exhibition, The Path Taken: Photography by Lawrence Mullings.
On any given day, Lawrence Mullings can be found exploring the paths and hidden corners of the Arboretum. While walking in the landscape to regain his health, his joy in photography was rekindled. He saw how the Arboretum was many different things to him, and to the many different people who come here from around the neighborhood and around the world. To Mullings, the Arboretum is its trees, as well as the myriad ways visitors enjoy them...
Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston
Do you love the Arnold Arboretum? Are you looking for a way to get involved? Come to an informal meet-and-greet and learn about the Arboretum's volunteer opportunities. Representatives from volunteer groups will be available to share their experiences and answer your questions.
Please call 617.384.5209 for additional information.
Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston
Families need nature at all times of the year! Meet inside the main gate at the Visitor Center. We’ll make paper chickadees and go on a StoryWalk to learn how a little bird can bring back the Sun! Free and open to all, most suitable for children ages four through ten.
Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston
Families need nature at all times of the year! Meet inside the main gate at the Visitor Center. We’ll learn how Arboretum animals get ready for winter. Go on a StoryWalk, get a tattoo, and make a winter home for your favorite animal!
Free and open to all, this event is most suitable for children ages four through ten.
Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston
Fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year to visit the Arboretum. Explore the less-traveled paths of the Arboretum on informative walks designed for enjoyment, health, and learning about this special landscape. Pause to hear about interesting plants and unique collections. Please dress appropriately and bring water.
Join the Harvard Museum of Natural History for a public lecture with Susan Alberts, Robert F. Durden Professor of Biology and Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University.
The social environment—both in early life and adulthood—has major effects on human health and survival. But how and why does the social environment get “under the skin” to also affect our physical health? Susan Alberts pursues this question by studying wild baboons in Kenya. Baboons, like humans, evolved as savannah dwellers. They rely on social relationships to solve problems and—like humans...
Harvard Art Museums, Menschel Hall, 32 Quincy St., Cambridge
Voices of the Rainforest is an experiential documentary about the ecological and aesthetic coevolution of Papua New Guinea’s Bosavi rainforest region and its inhabitants. The film immerses viewers in the rainforest, making myriad connections between the everyday sounds of the rainforest biosphere and the creative practices of the Bosavi people who sing to, with, and about it.
Following the screening, Steven Feld will discuss the film with Amahl Bishara, an associate professor of anthropology at Tufts University.
Bradley Rosaceous Collection, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston
Join the Arnold Arboretum for tours, family activities, and festivities inviting you to discover the diversity of the rose family (Rosaceae) which includes more than four thousand species. Many of the rose family taxa are of great importance to humans and the agricultural economy, and are vulnerable to extreme weather that is becoming the new norm. Come learn more about the many fruits of the rose family, a welcome buffet for our local wildlife.