Bickelhaupt Arboretum

Bickelhaupt Arboretum is a 14-acre botanical garden with labeled trees, shrubs, ground covers, and flowering plants spread across its grounds. The collections are arranged along maintained paths that wind through the entire property.

Robert and Frances Bickelhaupt created the arboretum in 1970 centered around their home. They donated the property to Eastern Iowa Community Colleges in 2014, which operates it today.

The place serves as a learning center where visitors discover how plants grow and thrive through guided walks and hands-on workshops. These programs help people understand nature and develop their own gardening skills.

Admission is free and the grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset for visitors to explore at their own pace. Wear comfortable shoes as you will be walking along various paths throughout the property.

The conifer collection holds hundreds of cultivated varieties from different hardy genera found nowhere else together in one place. What makes it special is the Witches' Brooms section, featuring twisted natural growth forms that rarely occur in the wild.

Location: Iowa

Inception: 1970

GPS coordinates: 41.84080,-90.21940

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:43