Just eight miles from the Philadelphia campus of the Barnes Foundation, you’ll find the Barnes Arboretum at Saint Joseph’s University in Merion, home to a horticulture school. Visitors are invited to explore the grounds and learn about their rare plants and gorgeous flowers.

The 12-acre arboretum is quite diverse for its size, with more than 2,500 varieties of woody and herbaceous plants of which many are rare. The peony and lilac collections, which date from the early 1900s, are important genetic resources for conservation and study. An herbarium started in 1968 by John Fogg, a longtime instructor at the school and director after Mrs. Barnes, contains more than 10,000 specimens that supplement teaching and research.

The Barnes Arboretum Hours

The Barnes Arboretum at Saint Joseph’s University is open every Monday – Friday 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM except when the University is closed. Beginning on April 30, 2022, and running through October 30, 2022, the arboretum will also open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 AM to 4 PM. 

• No reservations or tickets are required to enjoy the grounds. We do encourage a donation to the Arboretum, which can be done here.
• Cold bottled water and other beverages are available for purchase in vending machines outside of the service building.
• Restrooms are available for the use of guests in the service building.
• Arboretum map-guides are available at the Welcome Center.

Barnes Arboretum Etiquette

The Barnes Arboretum at Saint Joseph’s University is a space that is designated for quiet reflection, personal decompression, and enjoying the beauty of nature. With this in mind, please be considerate of others by:

Respecting the Garden

• Please do not climb our trees. 
• Refrain from entering garden beds.
• Please do not collect any material from the garden
• Please do not litter, trash receptacles are provided near the service building and welcome center.
• Please do not bring pets on the grounds with the exception of service animals.
• Please refrain from sporting activities without prior approval.
• Saint Joseph’s University is a smoke-free campus, no smoking is permitted on the grounds.

Photography

• We encourage our guests to take photos for personal use and post them on social media. The arboretum can be found on Instagram @barnesarboretumsju