About the Acton Arboretum

The Acton Arboretum is situated on 65 acres of town conservation land in the heart of Town Center, Acton, Massachusetts.

The Arboretum boasts a trail system through open meadows, beside woodland ponds, along a glacial esker, and through a bog. A handicapped accessible trail provides access to the herb garden, butterfly garden, hosta garden, daylily garden, rhododendron garden, lilac fragrance garden, and a pond planting. The Wildflower Trail provides access to a wide range of woodland habitats.

Parking is available at the Arboretum’s main entrance, off Taylor Road. Much of the area adjacent to the parking lot is handicapped-accessible, and is open, with graveled paths, gardens, bridges, and picnic tables. Trails and paths crisscross the entire area.

Friends of the Acton Arboretum

We are a group of citizens who care about the natural world and share a vision of preserving and enhancing our natural resources for educational purposes. Friends contribute time, money, plants, and other gifts and talents in support of the Acton Arboretum in order to achieve these goals.

The Friends of the Acton Arboretum was incorporated in 1991 “to raise and donate funds, materials, and services to the Town of Acton for the development and maintenance of the Acton Arboretum; to educate the community about the unique environmental, horticultural, geological, and historical qualities of the Arboretum property, [and] about the process of wetland and field succession.”

Educational Materials

As part of our many educational activities, the Friends applied for and have received significant funding through a $6400 grant from the William P. Wharton Trust of Boston to produce a set of integrated printed and electronic educational materials focusing on unique features of the Arboretum. Among them are the Self-Guided Tour of the Upper Grounds and the Self-Guided Tour of the “Back 40” each of which include a map and descriptions of the points of interest. Electronic versions are available for download from this site.

Tree & Plant Identification Labels

The Friends also donated new tree and plant identification labels for the Arboretum. The Friends dedicated their gift of tree labels in tribute to Dr. Richard A. Howard, who passed away September 18, 2003, to honor his enormous contributions to the Acton Arboretum. Former Director of the Arnold Arboretum, Dr. Howard retired to Acton and became one of the founders of the Acton Arboretum and helped immensely in acquiring the significant tree collection we enjoy today. The crabapple allee at the entrance to the Arboretum is a prominent example of his generous plant contributions.

20th Anniversary Celebration

The Friends helped celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Arboretum by sponsoring Discover the Acton Arboretum Day on Sunday, May 21, 2006, and inviting the community to enjoy the day and participate in activities planned to educate visitors about the Arboretum’s unique qualities, an important part of the mission of the Friends.