BNHA Cylburn Arboretum
Interpretive Framework
Shaping a Monumental City: The City’s Growth in the 20th Century
Resource Type
Points of Interest
Parks/Green Spaces
4915 Greenspring Ave
Baltimore, Maryland 21209
Cylburn Arboretum is a 200-acre public garden and nature preserve located north of the city’s downtown area. Three miles of trails wind through a mature piedmont forest. A variety of gardens (formal woodland, shady, and seasonal) feature displays of roses, daylilies, annuals, and other flora.
The crown jewel of the arboretum is the Cylburn Mansion. Designed by George A. Frederick for Jesse Tyson, the mansion was built between 1863 and 1888 of gneiss from the local Bare Hills quarry in Baltimore County. In 1942, the City purchased the mansion and surrounding property for use as a park. (The mansion is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is also designated as a city landmark).
The arboretum’s 10,000-square-foot Vollmer Center features a green roof, composting toilets, and geothermal heating and cooling. The Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland and the Horticultural Society of Maryland have their statewide headquarters in the Vollmer Center.