Cultivated flowerbeds, hiking trails and spacious gardens make this beautiful park a favourite with walkers, wildlife enthusiasts and sun worshippers alike.
Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens was created in 1996 making it a relatively new addition to Kansas’ tourist offerings. Located just outside Kansas City it spans 120 hectares of rolling hills, lush plant life and many kilometres of nature trails. Enjoy the peace and tranquillity of eight delightfully preserved natural ecosystems.
As you enter the park you will notice a variety of beautifully cultivated themed gardens. A popular one is the Monet Garden with its subtle water features that serve to enhance the charm of the surrounding natural beauty. This area of the gardens is favourable to wander if you don't have time to spare as the trails and paths here are quite short. See how many frogs the kids can spot in the frog pond, or how about a game of hide and seek in the grass maze!
If you fancy a more challenging walk, there are longer, unpaved trails which bring you around the park and through the forest, totalling approximately 1.6 kilometres in length. There are 800-metre paved trails that are suitable for wheelchairs and prams as well.
Check out the Sculpture Garden and Train Garden for a look at some life-size sculptures as well as model train track that meanders through the garden.
In spring the Erickson Water Garden is in bloom with over 40 varieties of daffodils lighting up the park with explosions of colour. If you are feeling peckish drop into the Arboretum Café for some light bites.
Only a 30-minute drive south of Kansas City, the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is open daily. Entry is free on Tuesdays otherwise a small fee applies.
