New Hanover County Arboretum | N.C. Cooperative Extension

Super cute (& FREE) spot to visit while in Wilmington. Our dog was staying in the hospital across the street and this place gave me a little bit of peace during that stressful time. Many places to just sit and enjoy the views and honestly a lot to see even though it’s not super big. Plenty of parking, we visited mid day on a weekday though so it could be busy weekend days. Overall, it’s a very nice place to visit and it’s well maintained!

It was my first time visiting an Arboretum since I moved back to NC and it was a bit smaller than what I was used to in KY but it was so beautiful as soon as you walk in a big beautiful pond with a ton of fishes that swam right up to the surface. They also have plant sales on Saturdays. The day I visited sadly wasn't a Saturday, I may go back to visit just to get the Mother of Millions succulent.

So peaceful and quiet. Lovely place for some meditation or to clear your thoughts. The garden layout is very nice and there are plenty of spots to sit in the shade and enjoy a book or just sit there contemplating nature and if you forgot to bring a book then you can pick one up at one of the free book boxes on the property. The koi fish are gigantic and fun to watch.

Lovely little "hidden gem". There is a lot packed into this small arboretum. It seems to be a popular spot for families as there were lots of kid voices (NOT a bad thing). Even in winter there was plenty to see, especially all the camellias. Free admission is amazing! Would love to be here for one of the monthly plant sales.

Fantastic Arboretum in the Wilmington area of NC. The garden area is small and filled with various areas to explore. There is a butterfly garden that was filled with various butterflies on the day we visited in October. There is also a beautiful Japanese Garden which is pretty impressive for such a small space. The Japanese Garden has a large Koi pond with the very typical red bridge to cross over along with some beautiful plantings. The garden also has many quiet areas to sit and rest as you make your way through the garden area. Some of the areas are shady with art work scattered throughout and other benches are positioned in the sun. Many of the perennials were finished blooming for the summer. The annuals though, were in full bloom and just bright and colorful. Great way to spend a few hours

It was a pretty garden. Easy to walk around. I appreciate the time and effort the volunteers put in. The dragon and the gnome were cute touches.

Beautiful place to visit with the family, completely free! Had a wonderful time.

Beautiful Arboretum! I enjoyed looking at all the beautiful flowers! Makes you forget you are in a city for a little while! 🪻🌼🌹🌸