The Arboretum at Penn State

Across Park Avenue, you see phase one of the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens, completed in 2009 through the generosity of Penn State alumnus Charles H. Smith. The Smith Botanic Gardens, still under development with support from private donations, feature several theme gardens with over 700 species and cultivars of plants, a lotus pool, a fountain, and a pavilion at the top of the rise. There is no admission fee, and the gardens are open from dawn until dusk. The remainder of the 370-acre Arboretum includes a 1.3-mile pedestrian and bicycle trail, an historic old-growth woodlot, an air quality learning and demonstration center, and the Childhood’s Gate Children’s Garden, which opened in July 2014.