Bernheim's Arboretum

The arboretum at Bernheim is a place of tranquil beauty that has long been sought out by people from near and far.  In 1931, the Frederick Law Olmsted firm of Brookline, MA, began work on a major site plan for the landscape arboretum at Bernheim. They created an original landscape design that was adopted in 1935.

Following the Olmsted plan, workers built three small lakes and a road through the arboretum before any of the collections were planted. The entrance road began at State Highway 245 (formerly called "Poor Farm Road") and led to the fire tower, a distance of 3.1 miles. Originally dirt, it was blacktopped in 1948 in preparation for the public's arrival. The Cedar Lakes and Mac's Lake were created in 1939. Lake Nevin, a 32-acre fishing lake near what is now the main entrance, was impounded in 1949 and named in honor of Mr. Hugh L. Nevin, President of the Board of Trustees for many years.

Bernheim first opened to the public in July 1950. Several thousand people visited the first year to see a small nature museum; animal, game and turtle pens; a labeled nature trail and a waterfowl refuge. Twenty-five miles of trails led to such places as Wolf Pen Hollow, Wildcat Hollow, Spiceland Flat and Rice Orchard Ridge. Fishing and picnicking were popular leisure activities.

The arboretum collections have been growing and developing since the early 1930's. Some of the earliest collections at Bernheim, the large conifers and old pecan trees at the Visitor Center, are remnants of old forestry plantings from the 1930's. Virginia pines were transplanted to the area in the mid-1960's.

The beech, ginkgo and nut sections began in the 1950's. The renowned American holly collection was significantly expanded in 1976. It has become the largest collection of American hollies in North America, probably the world.