One of the more popular attractions in Dallas, Texas is The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. This garden complex is a 66-acre botanical garden located at 8525 Garland Road in East Dallas, Dallas, Texas, on the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake.
The arboretum is a number of gardens and fountains with a view of White Rock Lake and the downtown Dallas, TX skyline. Previously, the majority of the grounds were once part of a 44-acre estate known as Rancho Encinal, built for famous geophysicist Everette Lee DeGolyer and his wife Nell. Mrs. DeGolyer’s interests included her extensive flower gardens and collection of fountains. The DeGolyer Home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since 1976, the DeGolyer estate has formed the largest portion of the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. The addition of the adjoining Alex and Roberta Coke Camp estate increased the size of the grounds to sixty-six acres.
The 22,000-square-foot Spanish-style DeGolyer Home was completed in 1940. The DeGolyer Garden Cafe/Loggia, located at the back of the DeGolyer Home, overlooks White Rock Lake and the tiered fountains and formal landscapes of A Woman’s Garden. Also located on the grounds is an outdoor concert stage, picnic areas, and set of kid size replicas of dwellings and other structures depicting prairie life in the “Texas Pioneer Adventure.”
In September 2002, Arboretum facilities were expanded with the opening of the new visitor’s center named for Dallas developer Trammell Crow. The center consists of a gift shop, meeting room, gazebo, and a patio area overlooking White Rock Lake. At night, one may view downtown Dallas with the skyscraper lights reflecting upon the water. The gazebo is named for Gisela Rodriguez of Dallas, TX.
The Garden has over 66 acres of grounds. The Arboretum opened in 1984, combining the 44-acre DeGolyer Estate and the 22-acre Alex Camp House. There are 19 named gardens.
The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden Named Gardens are as follows:
The Trammell Crow Visitor Education Pavilion and Entry Plaza
Margaret Elisabeth Jonsson Color Garden
Jonsson Color Garden
A Woman’s Garden
The Nancy Rutchik Red Maple Rill
Martin Rutchik Concert Stage & Lawn
The Lyda Bunker Hunt Paseo de Flores
Paseo de Flores
Fogelson Fountain
Boswell Family Garden
McCasland Sunken Garden
The Eugenia Leftwich Palmer Fern Dell
Palmer Fern Dell
The Nancy Clements Seay Magnolia Glade
Nancy’s Garden
Crape Myrtle Allee
Chandler Lindsley Shadow Garden
Pecan Grove
Pumpkin Village in Pecan Grove
The Martha Brooks Camellia Garden
DeGolyer Gardens
Lay Family Garden
Rose Mary Haggar Rose Garden
Trial Gardens
Back in 2002, the Dallas Arboretum became the 31st “All-America Selections Trial Garden”. The Trial Gardens opened to the public in March 2003 in Dallas, TX. The Trial Gardens at the Dallas Arboretum were created for the purpose of expanding research efforts and providing information to the public. The focus of the trial program is to grow and evaluate many different plants in the drastic climate of the Metroplex and North Central Texas. Information generated from the trials is provided to commercial plant producers, retailers and home gardeners. A total of 3,000 and 5,000 plants are trialed every year from over 150 different plant breeding companies.
The Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden
The Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden was designed to connect children with nature and is the latest attraction in Dallas, TX. With over 150 individual kid friendly activities, the children’s garden features The Texas Skywalk, The Moody Oasis, a Walk in the Clouds. The Children’s Garden is funded with support from the City of Dallas and private and corporate donors. It was named by the family of Rory Meyers. The Garden encompasses several galleries, each designed to be age-specific.