Gardens

Regardless of the time of year, the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens offers unique and unexpected pleasures.

The botanical gardens offer year-round color, from the wildflowers draping hillsides to the fiery hues of sumac and persimmon throughout the grounds.

Map

Plan your visit to the Arboretum ahead of time. Use the map to locate each garden.

Arboretum Map

Address

8909 W. 179th Street
Overland Park, KS 66013

Phone

913-685-3604

Hours

Admission

Children ages 5 and under are free.
$2 ages 6-17
$5 ages 18+

Free admission on the first Tuesday of each month.

Legacy Garden

The legacy garden showcases plants that may have been seen on Kansas homesteads. There are four time capsules in this garden that are opened every 25 years.

Nestled within the legacy garden, Ailie's glade offers a quiet spot to enjoy the garden next to a babbling brook.

Josh's story garden is a serene, secret space within the legacy garden.

Stous Promenade

Located just north of Margaret’s Pond, rolling hills and a paved path lead visitors through our specially-selected trees. Varieties are unique and chosen for suitability in Kansas gardens. The Haake Celebration Terrace is nestled in the center of the garden and offers a place to rest and to gather with other visitors.

International Sculpture Garden

The international sculpture garden is a series of sculptures on permanent display along a nearly half-mile loop through a dry oak savanna ecosystem.

Erickson Water Garden

The Erickson water garden is home to bird and butterfly plants, wildflowers and ornamental grasses.

Spring in the Erickson water garden brings more than 40 varieties of daffodils and other spring bulbs.

Relax on benches in the Erickson water garden and enjoy the sound of water tumbling over the falls.

Marder Woodland Garden

Beautiful all year round, the Marder woodland garden offers a shaded walk along a babbling brook.

Walk among paw-paw ferns, dogwood, hickory, jack-in-the-pulpit, mayapple and many other woodland plants in the Marder woodland garden.

Children’s Garden

Young visitors can climb to the top of a spiraling walkway, visit the frog pond, explore a shrinking tunnel and study fossil and animal footprints. Or, enjoy the story tree and nature play area.

Monet Garden

The Monet Garden captures the subtle blending of soft colors and shapes typical in the original Monet gardens.

Xeriscape Garden

The Xeriscape Garden demonstrates best water practices by grouping plants according to their water needs. Plants are rated as high, medium or low water users.

Byrd’s Grove

Byrd’s grove is a peaceful place to sit and enjoy the water, birds, and amphibians of Margaret’s pond.

Herb Garden

Cohen Iris Garden

The Cohen Iris Garden is home to over 300 varieties of iris, including the well-known Tall Bearded Iris, plus a selection of Louisiana, Siberian, Pseudata, Reticulatas, and more.

Train Garden

The train garden delights children and adults alike. Shrubs and flowers complement a real railroad caboose, full-size railroad crossing gate and model trains that wind through mountains, bluffs, streams, and a model of Downtown Overland Park.

Guests can climb up on the caboose deck to get a feel for life on the railroad.

Trains travel through a model of Downtown Overland Park during its early days when it included horse-drawn carriages, an interurban railroad, gravel streets, a dance hall, restaurant, dry goods store, blacksmith shop, an aviation park and more.

Leatherwood depot at the train garden is a lovely spot to stop for a picnic lunch or to sit in the shade.

Margie’s Serenity Point

Margie's serenity point is a beautiful place to overlook the west side of the Arboretum property and woods.

Environmental Education Visitors Center

Located just beyond the entrance to the Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, the environmental education visitors center is the starting point for guests and includes its own seasonal plantings and pots.