Building a Better Arboretum

Rendering of the new gatehouse. Image courtesy of MVVA

Building on a legacy of horticultural excellence rooted in cold-hardy plant breeding, research and education, we’re embarking on a historic multiphase transformation to build a better Arboretum that will enhance the overall experience for our members, visitors and future generations of gardeners, researchers, horticulturists and nature lovers.

Plans include a new, safer arrival experience and a new Apple House. Improvements to circulation, parking and landscape in the Arboretum’s main visitor arrival areas are planned for a second, future phase. This historic project, breaking ground this year and continuing through 2027, will redefine how visitors experience the Arboretum from the moment they arrive. Given the location of these projects, much of the work will take place away from our existing entry, visitor buildings and garden areas, allowing the Arboretum to remain open throughout the project – and accessible to the 700,000 who visit each year.

Check the project updates section further down this page regularly for updates as the project unfolds.

Rendering of the drive into the Arboretum with lush trees

Safe stoplight access: The Arboretum’s main entrance will move west on Highway 5 to Minnewashta Parkway, with a new four-way traffic signal.
Beautiful new views: Visitors will discover new views and landscapes along the drive in, focusing on the Arboretum’s beautiful natural topography, woodlands and wetlands.
Quicker entry: A new gatehouse with improved lane configurations will aid in traffic flow and reduce traffic backups.
Easy bicycle and pedestrian access: The existing gatehouse will be repurposed to create a separate dedicated pedestrian and bike entry connected to the Highway 5 Regional Trail.
Multiple exit options: In addition to being able to exit at the new Minnewashta signal, our existing entrance drive will become an exit/right merge only onto Highway 5.

Completion of the new arrival experience is anticipated to align closely with the completion of the adjacent Highway 5 improvements.

Betty’s Apple House

At its heart, the Arboretum is a place of learning. Through this transformation, we are deepening our commitment to education, sustainability and community engagement. Named in honor of longtime Arboretum supporter Betty MacMillan, the new Betty’s Apple House will be built near the Farm at the Arb, just down the road from the existing location at the other end of the Arboretum. This new space will be more than just a market — it will be a place to learn, taste and connect with Minnesota’s rich agricultural heritage. It will feature:

Birds eye view of the new Apple House building

Expanded offerings: Betty’s Apple House will replace the current Apple House. It will remain free and open to the public and continue to be a destination for apples and more with added new programming.
Learning opportunities: Interpretive exhibits will share the fascinating science and history behind the University of Minnesota Department of Horticultural Science’s fruit breeding research at the Arboretum’s Horticultural Research Center since 1908 – including the Honeycrisp and beyond.
Local and University products: The retail space will offer expanded product offerings, including ice cream and other goods from the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS).
Landscape vistas: Primary access to the new Betty’s Apple House will be from 82nd Street off Highway 41. Visitors to Betty’s Apple House will travel north along a new access corridor featuring beautiful natural landscapes. Access from the Highway 5 Regional Bike Trail and an internal connection drive from the Arboretum’s Oswald Visitor Center area to the new location is planned for the future.
School opportunities: The Arboretum continues to cultivate inclusive outreach programs, connecting students with the joys of horticulture and food science. By providing dynamic spaces for visits, workshops and collaborations, we are ensuring that future generations of gardeners, scientists and nature lovers have a place to grow.
Remaining open: The existing Apple House will open seasonally as always until we can open in our new location, currently scheduled for the 2027 apple season.

Easy parking: Expanded main parking areas will better accommodate visitors through a more efficient use of space.
Safety: Circulation improvements will reduce vehicle and pedestrian interactions to reduce conflicts and improve safety.
Access: Road changes will provide more intuitive vehicle access to Three-Mile Drive.
Beauty: Expanded arrival garden spaces at the “front doors” to the Oswald Visitor Center, Snyder Building and Andrus Learning Center will provide a warm welcome to visitors, ensuring they feel embraced by nature from the moment they arrive.

Project Updates

Dog Commons Closure

The New Entry Experience starting at Minnewashta Parkway will replace the existing road to our overflow parking and Dog Commons area. As a result, we have had to close the road and main walking trail from the Andrus Learning Center to overflow parking during construction. The overflow parking lot will also be closed and used by construction crews for staging equipment and materials. These closures will continue through project completion in 2027.

Walkers can still use Wood Duck Trail to hike to the Dog Commons area, but regretfully dogs (with the exception of service animals) will not be able to visit the Arboretum during this time. We are working on plans for the Farm at the Arb parking lot to handle overflow visitor parking as needed during construction – this is anticipated to be first needed for the fall 2025 season.

Tree Removal (July 2025 update)

Construction on our New Entry Experience has begun with the strategic removal of trees along the new entrance drive. This work is a necessary part of creating a new, safer and more efficient entry and gatehouse experience for our visitors. Many of the trees being removed near the new entry at Highway 5 and Minnewashta Parkway are invasive species or are in decline. They consist mainly of invasive buckthorn, dying ash and early succession box elders. We are taking many steps to mitigate the effects of removing trees and vegetation, including:

Evaluating trees: We have partnered with our horticulture and curation experts to understand significant trees and how to safely protect them during construction.
Limiting impacts to wetlands: The new entry was designed to limit impacts to adjacent wetlands. Locating the gatehouse closer to the Learning Center and minimizing lane widths allows us to protect the wetland just south of Highway 5.
Restoration: As we finish the new entry project, we plan to plant roughly:
- 450 new trees
- 4,000 new shrubs
- 50,000 new grasses and forbs
- 300,000 square feet newly seeded with understory ground cover

Project Partners

We’ve partnered with a team of professionals with expertise in developing thoughtfully designed indoor and outdoor spaces that prioritize function while maintaining the character and quality of the landscape and existing buildings and spaces.

Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc (MVVA)
Bolton & Menk
Alliiance
Loeffler Construction & Consulting
Miller Dunwiddie
University of Minnesota Capital Project Management (CPM)
Carver County
Arboretum Board of Trustees & Staff

Building a Better Arboretum

Project Partners

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum serves as a research center and extension of the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS).

VISIT

SUPPORT

ABOUT