A Facility for the Future
On May 18, 2007, University President Graham B. Spanier announced to the Board of Trustees that Mr. Charles H. "Skip" Smith has provided the Arboretum's lead gift of $10 million to honor his late father, Harry O. "H. O." Smith, a 1920 graduate of the College of Engineering, a member of the Engineering faculty, and a local real estate developer and entrepreneur. It is Mr. Smith's wish that we use his generosity to build the first phase of what will become the most frequently visited facility in the Arboretum - the botanic gardens.

The long-awaited construction of the first phase of the H. O. Smith Botanic Gardens in The Arboretum at Penn State is under way. The project site, a tract of approximately 35 acres fronting on Park Avenue, has become a rapidly changing landscape, and many people have been wanting to know what, exactly, is being built.
I would like to share with you some highlights from the project schedule so that you can join us in the countdown to our grand opening. (The planting schedule will be a fluid process and could begin as early as fall 2008.)

• September 2007 through July 2008 – A contractor removed and stockpiled topsoil to install utilities, and did bulk grading to prepare the site for construction. We also moved a great deal of fill from the Dickinson Law School site to the Arboretum, at a great savings to both projects. Fine grading and spreading the topsoil will continue through October.
• August and September, 2008 – The foundations will be laid for the walled gardens and the overlook pavilion, and concrete will be formed and poured for the lotus pool.
• October, 2008 – Work will begin on stone and stucco for the garden walls, masonry and steel for the pavilion’s portico and two wings, and plumbing for the fountain.
• November, 2008 –The rose arbor, a major structure, will be built and the fountain will be completed. Work will commence on the irrigation system and on the roof of overlook facilities.
• December, 2008 – Garden structures, event lawn irrigation, and aggregate walkways will be finished, and planting beds prepared. The roof and windows of the pavilion will be installed and work will begin on interior walls.
• January, 2009 – Light fixtures for the event lawn walkway will be installed and interior work in the pavilion’s two wings will continue.
• February and March, 2009 – Work on the pavilion structures will be finished.
• April, 2009 – The parking lot’s final bituminous surface will be laid.
• May, 2009 – Planting will be completed.
Concurrently with these activities, the Arboretum will begin planning and fund-raising for the Children's Garden.

Visit the Arboretum Web site

The Arboretum will be a unique facility for teaching, research, and outreach, with the mission of finding solutions, through interdisciplinary scholarship, to the challenge of maintaining healthy and appealing landscapes in the presence of a growing human population.  It will include themes such as gardening, conservation, environmentally compatible uses of landscapes, and the restoration of degraded forests and fields.

The Arboretum will be located on a 370-acre tract north of campus between Park Avenue and the Mount Nittany Expressway, the last undeveloped piece of land adjacent to the University's main campus. Features will range from curated collections of trees, shrubs, and other plants to the development of natural plant communities and agricultural research and demonstration areas. A 20,000-square-foot education center will include classrooms, meeting rooms, an auditorium, and an outdoor patio garden for gatherings, displays, and arts performances. (Large Aerial View)

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Dedication Ceremonies

• Friday, November 2, 2007, at University Park, PA
• Wednesday, September 28, 2005, at University Park, PA

The Hosler Oak
A 37-year-old white oak, some 33 feet tall, which is believed to be the largest tree planted on the University Park campus since 1933, is destined to bear witness to Penn State's history over the next 400 years. ...more information.