Morris Arboretum

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Public park, University of Pennsylvania, USA

title: "Morris Arboretum" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1889-establishments-in-pennsylvania", "arboreta-in-pennsylvania", "historic-districts-in-philadelphia", "national-register-of-historic-places-in-philadelphia", "parks-in-montgomery-county,-pennsylvania", "parks-in-philadelphia", "protected-areas-established-in-1978", "university-of-pennsylvania", "chestnut-hill,-philadelphia", "historic-districts-on-the-national-register-of-historic-places-in-pennsylvania"] description: "Public park, University of Pennsylvania, USA" topic_path: "society/education" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Arboretum" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Public park, University of Pennsylvania, USA ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox park"]

FieldValue
nameMorris Arboretum & Gardens
imageMorris Arboretum - DSC00540.JPG
typeArboretum
location100 East Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia and Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania
mapPhiladelphia#Pennsylvania#USA
map_labelMorris Arboretum
map_width208
coords
area92 acre
opened
operatorUniversity of Pennsylvania
website
embedded{{Infobox NRHP
nameCompton and Bloomfield
nrhp_typehd
nocatyes
area175 acre
built1889
embedyes
architectTheophilus Parsons Chandler Jr.; Wilson Eyre Jr., et al.
architectureClassical Revival, Late Gothic Revival
addedDecember 22, 1978
refnum78002445
::

| name = Morris Arboretum & Gardens | alt_name = | image = Morris Arboretum - DSC00540.JPG | photo_caption = | type = Arboretum | location = 100 East Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia and Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania | map = Philadelphia#Pennsylvania#USA | map_label = Morris Arboretum | map_width = 208 | manager = | coords = | coords_ref = | area = 92 acre | opened = | operator =University of Pennsylvania | visitation_num = | status = | website = | embedded = {{Infobox NRHP | name = Compton and Bloomfield | nrhp_type = hd | nocat = yes | area = 175 acre | built = 1889 | embed = yes | architect = Theophilus Parsons Chandler Jr.; Wilson Eyre Jr., et al. | architecture = Classical Revival, Late Gothic Revival | added = December 22, 1978 | refnum = 78002445

The Morris Arboretum & Gardens of the University of Pennsylvania (37 ha / 92 acres) is the official arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Arboretum is open daily except for major holidays. It is located at 100 East Northwestern Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

History

The Arboretum was formerly the estate of John T. (1847-1915) and Lydia T. Morris (1849-1932), a brother and sister who purchased and landscaped much of the arboretum's current site beginning in 1887. John Morris was interested in growing plants from around the world, including those collected in China by E. H. Wilson around 1900, and many of today's specimens date to Morris' original plantings. The estate became a public arboretum in 1933, after Lydia Morris' death.

Collection

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Dawn_Redwoods_Morris_Arboretrum_in_Philadelphia,_PA_summer_2025.jpg" caption="''[[Metasequoia glyptostroboides]]'' (dawn redwoods)"] ::

Today the arboretum contains more than 11,000 labelled plants of over 2,500 taxa, representing the temperate floras of North America, Asia, and Europe. Significant collections include native azaleas, conifers, hollies, magnolia species, maples, roses, and witch-hazels.

The arboretum has identified 15 trees in its collection as outstanding specimens: Abies cephalonica, Abies holophylla, Acer buergerianum, Aesculus flava, Cedrus libani var. atlantica 'Glauca', Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Fagus sylvatica f. pendula, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Pinus bungeana, Platanus × hispanica, Quercus alba, Tsuga canadensis f. pendula, Ulmus glabra 'Horizontalis', Ulmus parvifolia, and Zelkova serrata.

Features

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Compton_from_SW_(cropped).jpg" caption=""Compton" (Lydia & John Thompson Morris mansion), (1887-88, demolished 1968), by [[Theophilus Parsons Chandler Jr.]], architect. The grounds are now the Morris Arboretum & Gardens of the University of Pennsylvania."] ::

The arboretum is set within a fine, mature landscape, primarily designed in the English park style but with Japanese influences. It includes winding paths and streams, a swan pond, formal rose gardens, and large sweeps of azaleas, rhododendrons, and magnolias. Notable aspects of the arboretum are as follows:

  • Compton Mansion (aka Morris House, 1887-1888, demolished 1968)
  • Dawn Redwoods - Species of trees once thought to be extinct now found.
  • English Park (circa 1912) - mainly planted with species collected in China, with significant collections of maples, witch hazels, dogwoods, cherries, and stuartias.
  • Fernery (1899) - an 8-sided glass house said to be the only remaining free-standing Victorian fernery in North America. Morris "hired Japanese garden makers Kushibiki and Arai to arrange one hundred tons of local Wissahickon schist into rockery formations resembling a cave or mountain cliff accented by delicate waterfalls, a flowing stream bed, and a goldfish pond." He ordered his ferns from London experts William and John Birkenhead and botanically grouped and labelled the 523 fern and 47 Selaginella (club moss) varieties.
  • Garden railway - G scale trains and trolley cars running on 45 mm track (1¾"), and representing railroads throughout history, including freight and passenger models.
  • Greenhouse - closed to the public; little now remains of Morris' original structure.
  • Hillcrest Pavilion - Restrooms, drinking fountains, and picnic benches with Hillcrest Avenue running behind it (hence the name).
  • Japanese Overlook (1912) - a hybrid of English rock garden with Japanese garden, landscaped with fudo stones, stone lanterns, and Japanese maples, conifers, and smaller acid-loving plants.
  • Japanese Hill and Water Garden (1905) - Tsukiyama-niwa style garden with hills, rocks, water, trees, bridges, paths, shrines and lanterns.
  • Key Fountain - Key-Shaped decorative fountain in English Park
  • Log Cabin - rustic log cabin with working hand-operated water pump
  • Mercury Loggia and Ravine Garden (1913) - classical loggia housing a sculpture of "Mercury at rest", with grotto and a picturesque rock garden within the valley below.
  • Meadow Parking Lot - Overflow parking lot located at bottom of the hill.
  • Oak Alee - walkway lined with oak trees on both sides.
  • Out on a Limb - metal walkway for close-up view of trees
  • Pennock Garden - exotic flower garden with large rectangular fountain.
  • Rose Garden (1888) - a buxus-edged rose garden in four quadrants with a fountain in the middle.
  • Rock Wall Garden (1924) - alpine plants on a six-foot-high wall.
  • Swan Pond (1905) - a small lake created by digging and damming the East Brook.
  • Sculpture Garden
  • Step Fountain - Staircase-shaped fountain in English Park
  • Visitor Center & Gift Shop - Restrooms, Drinking Fountains, & light snacks for sale.

Morris Arboretum also owns Springfield Mill, which is located opposite the main entrance and not generally open to the public. The grist mill has been restored and is open for tours by request only.

Gallery of features

File:Visitor Center Morris Arboretum November 2025.jpg|Visitor Center. Morris Arboretum - DSC00208.JPG|A greenhouse. File:Swan_Pond_in_Morris_Arboretum_-_2016_01.jpg|Swan Pond. File:Log Cabin at the Morris Arboretum late Autumn 2025 in Philadelphia, PA.jpg|Log Cabin. Morris Arboretum - DSC00151.JPG|Seating area near a pond. File:Step Fountain at Morris Arboretum in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania.jpg|Step fountain.

Morris Arboretum - DSC00233.JPG|Rose garden.

Gallery of plants and wildlife

File:Rosa 'Winter Sunset', Morris Arboretum 08.jpg|Winter Sunset, one of the rose species in the Rose Garden. File:Blue Atlas Cedar at Morris Arboretum Summer 2025 in Chestnut, Hill Pennsylvania.jpg|Blue Atlas Cedar tree. File:Katsura-tree Cercidiphyllum japonicum at Morris Arboretum, late November summer 2025.jpg|A Katsura tree. File:Dawn Redwood at Morris Arboretum in Chestnut Hill, PA, Summer 2025.jpg|A Dawn Redwood. File:Female Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) at the Morris Arboretum late November 2025.jpg|Mute Swan (Cygnus olor). Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus), Morris Arboretum 01.jpg|Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus).

References

References

  1. {{NRISref. 2007a
  2. George E. Thomas. (August 1978). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Pennsylvania SP Compton and Bloomfield". National Archives and Records Administration.
  3. Anne S. Cunningham, Crystal Palaces: Garden Conservatories of the United States (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Architectural Press, 2000), 49-50.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1889-establishments-in-pennsylvaniaarboreta-in-pennsylvaniahistoric-districts-in-philadelphianational-register-of-historic-places-in-philadelphiaparks-in-montgomery-county,-pennsylvaniaparks-in-philadelphiaprotected-areas-established-in-1978university-of-pennsylvaniachestnut-hill,-philadelphiahistoric-districts-on-the-national-register-of-historic-places-in-pennsylvania