Connecticut College Arboretum is open to the public every day from sunrise to sunset, free of charge. We strive to offer monthly, seasonal and annual programs to the College and surrounding communities. Our annual Native Plant Sale kicks off the academic year along with educational programs and tours. Autumn astounds us with her beauty and our annual Smaller American Gardens Today (SALT) conference, more tours and programs. We celebrate the spring semester with Arbor Day, announcing our photo contest winners, begin our free tour season, and culminate with the popular Music in the Meadow. Join us and learn about the natural world around you!
Programs
Summer 2026: Due to our annual Music in the Meadow successes, we kicked off June with our 2026 Summer Concert Series. Multiplier performs Tuesday, July 21 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for a nominal fee. Shakespeare in the Arboretum runs July 9 - August 2 beginning with Twelfth Night Or What You Will and then Romeo and Juliet. In Our Gallery, Vivian F. Zoe artwork can be viewed June 17 through July 31. Our free guided tours of the Native Plant Collection, Caroline Black Garden and Campus Tree Collection run June through October and details can be found in the link below.
Photo Contest
Our annual photo contest is open to Connecticut College students, faculty, staff and members of the local community. Photographs must be taken within the Connecticut College Arboretum which includes the Native Plant Collection, Caroline Black Garden, Greenhouse, Campus Landscape, Natural Areas and Managed Meadows (See Arboretum map). This year's deadline is 11:59 P.M. Sunday, March 28, 2027. Winners will receive a complimentary one-year membership to the Arboretum. Please see link for more details.
Publications
Arboretum Bulletins (1-45) are available as pdfs at Connecticut College Digital Commons free of charge and print publications can be purchased by emailing us at arbor@conncoll.edu or using our secure online payment system. Our Annual Reports are our historical accounts of each academic year and are also available on Digital Commons. Members receive a print copy in the mail prior to year end. We also offer many other publications and posters. Please use the link below for details. If you have any questions, call our office at 860-439-5020.
Resources
The Arboretum encourages ecological landscaping, an approach that emphasizes the environmental consequences of plant choices and management procedures used in creating a landscape. We encourage and strive to educate our community on the proper techniques of invasive plant removal. We strongly encourage native plants and decreasing the size of your lawn. Our new demonstration garden at 33 Gallows Lane will soon be flourishing and we will be hosting many programs for our community members to learn these techniques.
Connecticut Notable Trees, established in 1985, collects and distributes information about Connecticut's largest and most historic trees, both native and introduced.
Arboretum Office
Mailing Address
Connecticut College Arboretum
270 Mohegan Avenue
New London, CT 06320
Main office
33 Gallows Lane, Suite 114