Here at Cypress Lawn Arboretum, the most memorable moments are those we share together, in kinship with both the trees and the people of this remarkable home for Bay Area and California history.

The tales of times gone by, and those still growing, like that of our namesake Monterey cypress and so many other noble trees throughout the living collection, are just waiting here for you to discover.

To share in that learning and the celebration of life histories with all of you, I’ll be hosting Tree Tours of the Arboretum on a regular basis in the seasons to come. Hop on the famed Cypress Lawn trolley, and join me for a journey through this one-of-a-kind outdoor museum!

So far, tours of the Arboretum have featured our historic East Campus, founded in 1892 and home to many of the most remarkable trees living here today, with dozens of original plantings dating back to the days of Hamden Noble himself.

General public tours on our trolley showcase the oldest and most interesting trees of our Memorial Park, as we take a walk together and visit individual specimens and learn about some of the proactive tree care we implement, to protect the heritage of our growing past.

Lunches in the shade of our champion cork oak are a great way to connect and grow a community spirit with other tree-lovers here at the Arboretum!

To nurture the next generation of arborists and nature enthusiasts, tours for young students and their families will also be hosted at Cypress Lawn. Hands-on learning opportunities are everywhere you look!

Kids’ tours will include scavenger hunts, to see who can find the most tree-themed monuments scattered throughout the sections of the East Campus! The “Woodmen of the World” life insurance company and non-profit fraternal society, founded by Joseph Cullen Root in 1890 to support the families of California’s foresters, is another part of the rich shared legacy of people and trees at Cypress Lawn.

Book readings and other immersive learning activities await, as well, in the outdoor classroom and education center that we’re growing here at the Arboretum. Reimagining our cemetery as a place for kids and students to grow and branch out is a special part of our shared future at Cypress Lawn. A field trip for your elementary school class this fall is ready to be planned, and we are happy to host!

Senior groups, too, may share in the diverse and rich storytelling of the trees of Cypress Lawn. Trolley tours will give older visitors of our Memorial Park the chance to see many areas of the landscape here, including parts of the West Campus and our historic property of Olivet. All aboard!

Special event tours, such as the recent Trolley Tour in collaboration with the Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture 88th annual conference, will be an opportunity for a unique experience of our living collection. Small group tour reservations for your organization are available, so please reach out! Planting trees for the next generation of the Arboretum may be a special moment in time, that grows onward and gives meaning to come back and visit the seeds of tomorrow that we’re planting today.

All in all, Arboretum tours are meant to help people like you connect with trees in a meaningful way, and grow relationships and memories that may last for a lifetime, and beyond…

So, in the spirit of sharing what we’re growing, I truly hope you are able to join us soon, for a Tree Tour here at the Arboretum. There are many more stories to be told, and with each telling, we’ll all grow closer together, in kinship with the trees. See you then!