Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore, MD, is located at 4915 Green Spring Avenue, just south of the Sinai Hospital. It is between the Northern Parkway and Cold Spring Lane, both of which can be reached from I-83. The Arboretum can also be visited by bus.
This 207 acre park is administered by the Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks. A Victorian Mansion sits amidst the gardens and spacious lawns populated by a variety of trees and flowering plants and grasses. Native plants, wild flowers and rare trees can all be seen along the arboretum's trails.
Twenty two different gardens can be explored, including the Victorian style garden at the mansion. This has been a popular location for weddings held in the park. Fourteen varieties of trees and shrubs can also be seen on the grounds.
The Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore, MD's trails, stretch through 2.5 miles of wooded areas here where more than 20 species of wildflowers can be found.
Although the greenhouses here are not open to the public, their overstock is put on sale every May and on other specifically programmed dates. Schools and horticultural groups can schedule visits through the Horticultural Division of the municipal Department of Recreation an Parks.
The Victorian mansion dates back to 1863 when its construction was initiated by Jesse Tyson, a businessman and importer. Much of the original ornate interior design has been preserved.
It was in 1954 that the park was founded for environmental and horticultural education.
The Arboretum Association and the Department of Recreation and Parks have offices on the second floor of the mansion. The Association organizes volunteer to participate in gardening and trail maintenance. It also organizes music events and lectures at the Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore, MD.
The Association leads guided tours of the mansion and the gardens as well.
The large first floor spaces are available for rental for meetings, events and receptions.
A new visitors' center is scheduled to be open as from 2009 onwards. It is a state-of-the-art "green'' facility. Composting toilets and geothermal heating and cooling systems were planned for the building. It was also designed with a 250 seat auditorium and a new central parking lot.
Other improvements to the location were also being made to enhance visitor's experiences as well as improve the maintenance and greenhouse facilities.
A variety of volunteers are always being sought by the Clyburn Arboretum Association to assist in gardening, watering, planning activities and special events and office help.
A Nature Museum is housed in the Carriage House. It gives an interactive, hands-on learning experience to visitors. There is a collection of taxidermy preserved Maryland birds arranged in displays that demonstrate their natural habitats. There are also bird eggs dating from the 1800s, as well as other specimens such as butterflies, fossils and minerals and seashells.
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