A place of quiet tranquility. A place of healing. A place of research. A place of history.

The Ambler Arboretum of Temple University is a living treasure that provides experiences and resources as diverse as the people who study, conduct research, or simply stroll through them.

“The Arboretum and gardens that we enjoy today at Ambler are the result of many hands and minds over the last century,” said arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey. “We’re promoting a love and knowledge of horticulture in not just our students and faculty but our visitors. We’re Temple’s living laboratory; we’re promoting an awareness of both the need for and means to achieve greater environmental responsibility.”

Established as the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women in 1910 and opened to students in 1911, the 187-acre Ambler Campus represents a mix of natural and designed landscapes. The Ambler Arboretum has a diverse range of learning gardens including the formal perennial garden, an herb garden, a ground-cover garden, a native plant garden, a rock wall, a woodland garden, a sustainable wetland garden, a green roof garden, a winter garden, a healing garden and a conifer garden.

“There is a lot to see — a lot of diversity,” said Carey. “Each season has something new and different to discover, and we try to make all of those discoveries people-friendly — most everything you see in our gardens can be replicated in a home garden. While our focus is sustainability and history, we primarily want everyone to simply enjoy this unique part of Temple’s heritage.”