Guided Group Tours
Interested in hosting a private event or wedding at Holden? Learn more.
In every season there is an opportunity to experience some beautiful aspect of Holden. Trained guides lead the way on tours of breathtaking gardens, special collections and natural areas.
Garden Tours
Holden Highlights Walking Tour: April - October - An overview of Holden history, gardens, collections and natural areas with special emphasis on seasonal highlights. (1 ½ hours)- Holden Highlights Tram Tour: May – October (1 hour)
- Lantern Court Garden Tour: April - October -tour the exquisite gardens of Lantern Court. Delight in the formal English borders, naturalized plantings along the wooded ravines, rock gardens and perennial beds. Pick up ideas for attractive plant combinations to incorporate into your home landscape. (1 hour)
- Arlene and Arthur S. Holden Butterfly Garden Tour June - September - Enjoy a leisurely 40 minute walk through the butterfly garden to observe pollinators in action. Learn about their importance and how easy it is to attract them. Whether you are a beginning or seasoned gardener you will be sure to pick up many ideas.
- Eliot and Linda Paine Rhododendron Discovery Garden Tour - June-September Take in the beautiful vista as you stroll and learn about the stunning new garden filled with rhododendrons, azaleas and a wide array of colorful and textural companion plants. Gather inspirational ideas for your home garden and see how easy it is to grow many of these plants once you understand their cultural requirements. Explore the wide palette of Rhododendrons and other closely related family members and discover what it takes for horticulturists and Holden staff to create a new rhododendron cultivar. (1 hour)
Natural Area Tours
For a more rugged view of nature, take a longer tour of our natural areas. Tours take about three hours. To preserve these fragile areas, tours are open to a limited number of guests each month.
- Stebbins Gulch
A wet walk through a tributary of the East Branch of the Chagrin River. Discover geologic formations and plant communities not found anywhere else.
- Little Mountain
Once a resort for those escaping summer’s heat, Little Mountain has once again become a woodland retreat. Learn the history of the area while touring geologically fascinating ravines and unique wooded areas.
(New) Treasures of the Rare Book Room Tour |
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Curious about what is hiding behind the locked doors of the Rare Book Room in the Warren H. Corning Library? There are 600-year-old books, mermaids, life-size paintings painted in the distant past that seem to have been finished yesterday and much more.
Let our librarian, Sue Swisher be your guide as you discover the treasures of the Rare Book Room on a guided tour.
Tours can accommodate groups of six to 12 people and take about one hour. |
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How to Register
Most tours can be scheduled for groups of 10 or more. Contact the Education Department at 440.602.3833 or educ@holdenarb.org three weeks prior to your preferred tour date and for pricing information. Cancellations must be made 48 hours before your tour date or a $15 processing fee will be charged. Facility rentals and catering options are also available.
Guided Tours for the Casual Visitor
Highlights Walking Tours
April through October, Saturday and Sunday, 2-3:30pm
Enjoy a slow-paced guided walk among the collections, gardens and natural areas while learning about Holden’s history and programming. Registration encouraged by calling 440.602.3833 weekdays or 440.946.4400 weekends.
Tram Tours
May through October
Reservations are strongly recommended for these popular one hour Holden Highlights tours for visitors. The $3 per person fee is payable at the information desk and must be made 15 minutes prior to the tour to confirm reservation. The tram seats up to five passengers and tours are offered:
Tuesday - 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm
Wednesday-Friday - 1pm, 2pm, 3pm
Saturday - 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm
Sunday - 1pm, 2pm, 3pm
For information and reservations, call 440.946.4400, ext. 224.
Arlene and Arthur S. Holden Butterfly Garden Tour
June through September, Saturdays and Sundays, 1:15pm, 2:15pm and 3:15pm.
Enjoy a leisurely 40 minute walk through the butterfly garden to observe pollinators in action. You will learn about their importance and how to attract them. Whether you are a beginning or seasoned gardener it is easy to attract them to your yard and you will be sure to pick up many ideas. Registration encouraged by calling 440.602.3833 weekdays or 440.946.4400 weekends.
Eliot and Linda Paine Rhododendron Discovery Garden Tour
June through September, Saturdays and Sundays, 2:30 - 3:45
Take in the beautiful vista as you stroll and learn about the stunning new garden filled with rhododendrons, azaleas and a wide array of colorful and textural companion plants. Gather inspirational ideas for your home garden and see how easy it is to grow many of these plants once you understand their cultural requirements. Explore the wide palette of Rhododendrons and other closely related family members and discover what it takes for horticulturists and Holden staff to create a new rhododendron cultivar. Registration encouraged by calling 440.602.3833 weekdays or 440.946.4400 weekends.
Self-Guided Tours for the Casual Visitor
Lantern Court Gardens: The gardens are open to the public Monday – Friday from April through October and included with admission to The Holden Arboretum.
Explore one of eight hiking and walking trails, which are part of Holden's more than 20 miles of path systems. Pick up a map at the Warren H. Corning Visitor Center.
1. Collection/Display Trail: (Easy) Sample a variety of highly prized landscape plants in the hedge, lilac, viburnum and rhododendron collections.
2. Highlights Trail: (Easy - 1 mile) First-time visitors will find this trail a great way to learn about what Holden has to offer and where major features, gardens and collections, and trails are located. Extension loop (Moderate - 2 miles).
3. Blueberry Pond Trail: (Easy - .5 mile) Gather landscape ideas and view seasonal qualities of plants. Discovery Packs to help kids explore the pond environment can be borrowed free of charge at the Corning Visitor Center.
4. Bole Woods Trail: (Moderate - 1.5 miles) A National Natural Landmark because of the beech-maple forest and associated plant and animal life.
5. Woodland Trail: (Moderate - 1.5 miles) Takes you on a journey through a young forest and a deep woods. This is also your best access to the boardwalk in the Pierson Creek Valley. A self-guided brochure is available at the Corning Visitor Center. Discovery Packs to help children explore Pierson Creek can be borrowed free of charge at the Corning Visitor Center.
6. Old Valley Trail: (Rugged - 2.8 miles) A secluded hike lets you get closer to nature. A spectacular view of beautiful terraced hillsides left behind from shifting streams.
7. Pierson Creek Loop: (Rugged - 1.9 miles) The continuously shifting creek channel flows through a valley filled with delicate wildflowers and ferns.
8. Corning Lake Trail: (Moderate - 1.5 miles) Explore the shoreline and wildlife of Corning Lake. The trail provides access to Bole Woods, the Warren Bicknell Sugarbush, the Helen S. Layer Rhododendron Garden and the Waterfowl Observation Blind.
