Winter Wonders Walk, Avian Avatars, and more at Dawes Arboretum in Newark

Head to Licking County to enjoy acres of nature at Dawes Arboretum in Newark, Ohio. Home to over 5300 different types of plants with more than 15,400 plants on grounds, you’ll find new things to explore every time you visit.

Located about 30 minutes east of Columbus, Dawes Arboretum features 2,000 acres with 12 miles of trails, an informative Auto Tour,  Japanese Garden, lakes, or take in breathtaking views from the Observation Tower, and more.

There’s also an indoor and comfortable bird-watching sitting area, and children’s exploration area in the basement of the visitor center.

Take a drive through to explore the various gardens. There are parking areas throughout the Auto Tour so you can get out and explore. 

There are so many landscapes to choose from, with lakes, bridges, woods, beautiful flowers, Japanese garden, walking paths, Red Barn, and more. You’ll want to pack a picnic and stay for awhile.

Exhibits and Events at Dawes Arboretum

The Turkey Trail Challenge

Friday, November 25 | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Bring your pedometer, register at the Visitor’s Center, and take in as much of The Dawes Arboretum as you can. It’s the perfect chance to walk off your Thanksgiving meal(s).

Guests who walk 2,500, 5,000 or 10,000 steps will be eligible to receive a prize (while supplies last). Details. 

Winter Wonder Walks

Fridays and Saturdays, Dec 2 – 17 | 6 pm – 9 pm

Take a stroll through a winter wonderland during The Dawes Arboretum’s Winter Wonders Walk! There is something for everyone in the family to enjoy, with illuminated trees, food trucks, live music and a special appearance from Santa Claus!

Head to Dawes for one of the nights of lights and experience the magic of The Arboretum in winter.

Admission is free to members and $10/adults, $5/children ages 5-15 and free/children under 5 years of age. Registration is required. Both members and non-members must pre-purchase a ticket or reserve a time online.

Tickets will not be sold at the gate. Please arrive during your designated arrival time. The walk is approximately one mile.

Thursday, Dec. 1 (for members only)
Friday, Dec. 2
Saturday, Dec 3
Friday, Dec. 9
Saturday, Dec. 10
Friday, Dec. 16
Saturday, Dec 17

Winter Solstice Night Hike

Wednesday December 21, 4:30 PM  –  5:30 PM
 
Celebrate a modern version of an ancient holiday with a guided hike through The Arboretum’s main grounds. Guests and guides will keep an eye out for any nocturnal animals that are enjoying the longest night of the year!

Tickets are $8; members get discounted rate.

“Avian Avatars” by The Myth Makers

May 27 – Spring 2023. The Dawes Arboretum welcomed six monumental sculptures from artists The Myth Makers – and they are so cool!

The bamboo birds— some standing more than 20 feet tall—were built for The Dawes Arboretum by The Myth Makers, Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein, in New Jersey at an industrial scale artist residency, Gardenship. These are the tallest art pieces ever shown at The Dawes Arboretum.

Made from natural materials, the sculptures are site-specific and are meant to slowly disappear into nature over the course of their life.

Preschool Storybook Science

Thursdays through May 4, 10 am – 11 am
45 minute sessions may include songs, games, crafts, creative movement, outdoor exploration and hands-on science discovery suitable for children ages 3-5 and their caregiver. Details here.

StoryTrail™ 2022

This year’s trail features We Planted A Tree by Diane Muldrow. Each engaging sign on the trail tells a portion of a children’s story about two families and the power of trees. 

DAILY HOURS MARCH – OCTOBER

• Members’ Hours: 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
• Non-Members’ Hours: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm

DAILY HOURS NOVEMBER – FEBRUARY

• Members’ Hours: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Non-Members’ Hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Find additional information on programming and events at the website. 

CLOSED: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, After 1p.m. Christmas Eve, After 1p.m. New Years’ Eve
ADMISSION IS FREE ON VETERANS’ DAY

The Dawes Arboretum Visitors Center is open daily from 10am to 4pm.

Admission for Dawes Arboretum

Buy tickets online! Non-members to pre-purchase admission at this time.

• Adult: $10.00
• Child (Ages 5-15): $5.00
• Children Under 5: Free

If you are unable to visit during the date you purchased your ticket for, please call The Arboretum to reschedule your visit within 30 days of purchase.

Discounts and Free admission for Dawes

Free admission passes are available for check out at Licking County Library, the Muskingum County Library, the Granville Public Library, Alexandria Public Library, Homer Public Library, Perry County District Library, Fairfield Library and Pataskala Library.

Please check your library for availability.

Free admission passes for foster care families will be available through Licking County JFS.

Those with a SNAP card will be offered discounted admission, daily.

Free admission days are offered throughout the year. Check the website or scroll down for events to see if any are coming up!

Columbus Member Advantage Program

If you’re a member of select Central Ohio attractions, you can save $3 on general admission to local attractions through the Columbus Member Advantage program.

No coupon is necessary. Simply show your valid participating membership card when you visit! Limited to 4 discounts per membership per day; can’t be combined with other discounts.  

Member Advantage partners for 2022 include

• Columbus Museum of Art and Pizzuti Collection (see our article)
• Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (see our article)
• Dawes Arboretum (see our article)
• Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (see our article)
• LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Columbus (see our article)
• National Veterans Memorial and Museum (see our article)
• Ohio History Center & Ohio Village (see our article)
• Wexner Center for the Arts (see our article)
• COSI (advanced tickets required)
• The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art and Technology (also qualifies for ASTC reciprocal admission) 

Membership at Dawes Arboretum

Membership for Dawes supports the programs, while it gives you discounts, Free catch-and-release fishing at Dawes Lake, Reciprocal benefits at more than 300 gardens in North America, and more. Plus member-only hour from 8 am – 9 am.

• Individual +1: $40 per year
• Family Membership: $60 per year
• Photographers who use The Arboretum for business purposes (including photo shoots and nature photography), are required to purchase a photography membership. Photography memberships come with 60 individual shoot passes. $100

Dawes Arboretum
7770 Jacksontown Rd.
Newark, OH 43056
website | Facebook

About Dawes Arboretum: Founded in 1929 by Beman and Bertie Dawes, The Dawes Arboretum is a living museum celebrating the history and beauty of trees and nature. Located in Newark, Ohio (30 miles east of Columbus), The Dawes Arboretum offers paths, trails and boardwalks to explore along with historical and art exhibitions and educational programming.

The Dawes Arboretum is recognized by the National Registry of Historic Places

Past events at Dawes Arboretum

Maple Syrup Days at Dawes Arboretum  
February 26 and 27, 2022 from 1-2:45 pm

Learn the history and process of maple sugaring as you meander down the paved trail toward The Arboretum’s Log Cabin. The 45 minute guided tours of the Maple Syrup Trail will begin every 15 minutes. 

Photo: Dawes Arboretum

Free Admission on EARTH DAY! April 22.  Spend the day enjoying nature and celebrating Earth Week by exploring the beautiful grounds of The Arboretum. Make your way to the Red Barn Reserve between 12-2pm for a tree giveaway, while supplies last! Due to COVID protocols, Earth Day attendees are asked to reserve a ticket on the website before visiting. Use promo code EARTHDAY21 when reserving tickets. Details here.

Spring Star Party
Friday, April 22 | 8:30 – 10pm
In collaboration with local astronomy experts and The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art & Technology, search for stars in the spring sky. Telescopes and star guides will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own. Tickets are $12. Members can log into account to receive member discount. 

Arbor Day Events
Saturday, April 30 | 11am – 3pm. Celebrate all things trees with hands-on activities for kids, mini-talks from our plant experts, tree climbing, live music and more! They are giving away tree seedlings (while supplies last) and food trucks will have food for purchase. Plus, visitors will get a sneak peek at the new History Center exhibit. 

Admission to The Dawes Arboretum is free on April 30 courtesy of presenting sponsor, Park National Bank. See details here. 

Spring Cherry Blossoms

Dawes Arboretum, located just 35 minutes from Columbus in Newark, Ohio. You’ll find plenty of flowering cherry trees in the Japanese Garden this Spring. The Zen garden features bridges, a meditation house, pond, stones, hills, and more, creating a serene backdrop.

Park at the Japanese Garden to start, and then drive around the south end of the Auto Tour to see additional individual trees.

Go Public Garden Days, May 7-16: The Arboretum is celebrating all the ways public gardens better our lives by offering $2.00 off the general admission price.

Little Buckeyes Imagination Station

Wednesdays, May – August 12, from 10-11 am. Let the creative educators of the Dawes Arboretum bring your family closer to the wonders of the natural world. Stop by the Education Center to get everything you need for self-guided exploration.

Little Buckeyes Imagination Station activities, geared toward children ages 3-8, will give curious youngsters an opportunity to get moving as they observe and create in nature!

See full schedule here.

Camp Dawes

The Dawes Arboretum is hosting six nature-filled summer camps this year for LOTS of ages! Camp Dawes will take place throughout June and July and focus on everything from survival skills and fairy houses, to water and wildlife. 

Little Sprouts: Forest Friends, Ages 5-6: Wilderness exploration and crafts
Wilderness Survival, Ages 12-14: Outdoor survival with lessons in wild edibles, shelter building and navigation
Wizarding Wonders, Ages 6-8: Studies of real life creatures (and some magical ones) and their habitats 
Art in Nature Camp, Ages 6-8: Exploration of colors and textures to create unique artwork 
Wet ‘n Wild, Ages 9-11: Exploration of water environments throughout the Arboretum

Find out all of the details on the website. 

Fall Foliage at Dawes

Dawes Arboretum is a perfect choice to explore fall foliage – whether you plan to walk or drive (or a little of both). The paved trails (open to cars and walking) through the arboretum lead to a variety of ecosystems and gardens. 

Park at the beginning and spend a couple of hours walking, or drive from parking area to parking area and explore the nearby gardens. 

My top picks include the overlook over the valley, just past the visitor’s center, Dawes Lake and the Observation tower overlooking the hedge lettering, Garden Gateway (including the Japanese Garden), and Hikes through the Woodlands. 

Fall Fun Wagon Tour

Saturdays in October | 11am and 1pm
Take a tour of The Dawes Arboretum’s collections with an Arboretum expert. Enjoy the end of summer and the start of fall in an open air wagon while learning about the collections and Arboretum history as the leaves change color.

Tours are $5 per person for 5 and up, and can be purchased at the Visitor’s Center

Build Your Own Ex-STRAW-Dinary Scarecrow!

Saturday, October 8 | 9am – 12pm
You’re invited to create your own Ex-STRAW-Dinary Scarecrow! Bring the whole family for this free hands-on activity and create a scarecrow to display this fall at The Arboretum.

Each scarecrow will be featured on the Parkwoods Trail and guests will be able to vote for their favorite! The Dawes Arboretum will provide the straw (while supplies last) and participants are encouraged to bring supplies to help the scarecrows come to life. Details.

Ex-STRAW-dinary Scarecrows

October 15 – 30, 2022
Ex–Straw–Dinary Scarecrows are returning to The Dawes Arboretum from October 15-October 30. More than 50 custom-outfitted scarecrows will line the Parkwoods Trail and guests will be able to vote on their favorite one.

The scarecrows include superheroes, like Batman and Spiderman, along with a variety of other costumes. Details.

Trick or Trees

October 26 | 5:30 – 7pm
Come dressed in costume and walk the Parkwoods Trail to experience fall color, get a sweet treat and enjoy the spooky season. Those 15 and younger will receive free admission for the event! Details.