Mac Rating: 0.00 | Votes: | Date: 03/06/2026 13:52:00

Spread across sixty-six acres on the eastern shore of White Rock Lake, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden has grown from a modest park founded in 1984 into one of the most visited botanical attractions in the southern United States. The gardens were created on the grounds of the historic DeGolyer and Camp estates, two adjoining residential properties whose previous owners had spent decades cultivating sweeping lawns, woodland walks and formal terraces. The grounds today encompass nineteen distinct themed gardens that flow gently together. The Jonsson Color Garden offers seasonal bursts of millions of annuals, perennials and bulbs, the Lay Family Garden features waterfalls and a sequence of intimate garden rooms, and the formal Boswell Family Garden carries the European tradition of geometric parterres into the Texan sun. A celebrated trial garden, designated as an official All-America Selections testing site, evaluates new ornamental species each year. The most family-friendly stop is the Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden, an eight-acre interactive garden with more than 150 hands-on exhibits exploring earth science, ecology, water and life cycles, designed to introduce younger visitors to plant science in a playful, accessible way. Year-round, the arboretum hosts some of the largest seasonal displays in the country. The autumn pumpkin village features tens of thousands of squashes and gourds arranged in elaborate themed scenes, the holiday Twelve Days of Christmas displays draw enormous crowds and the spring Dallas Blooms festival paints the grounds with half a million tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other spring bulbs. Tickets are moderately priced, with combination passes for the main grounds and Children's Adventure Garden offering good value. With lakefront views, beautifully maintained grounds and an inventive calendar of seasonal events, the arboretum offers visitors one of the most rewarding outdoor experiences in north Texas. Open every day with extended hours during peak seasonal displays, the arboretum is best enjoyed in the cooler hours of morning or evening during the long Texas summer. Self-parking is available on site, and visitors are advised to wear comfortable shoes for the substantial walking required to cover the full sixty-six acres.