Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

Absolutely wonderful experience! We walked about 4 miles and saw most of the arboretum. There is also an option to drive through it and parking spots near the major sights. We were there for about 4-5 hours in total, so it’s definitely worth the money. The iris portion was one of my favorites, the flowers were incredibly beautiful. The walk was also very fragrant and smelt amazing! Highly recommend to visit this place, but I suggest doing some research to see when your favorite flowers bloom so that you can see them here. I also suggest buying the tickets online, as they are 5$ cheaper than in person, so you save a lot getting them online, especially with a large group.

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska is a true treasure. Every visit feels like stepping into a living, breathing work of art. The tulip displays in spring are simply breathtaking, and the wildflowers scattered throughout the grounds are a quiet reminder of nature’s effortless beauty. The sculpture garden adds a unique, creative touch that blends seamlessly with the landscape. It’s peaceful, impeccably maintained, and one of those rare places where you can really breathe, reflect, and just be. A must-visit, no matter the season.

Embarked on this floral & arbor journey with Mom & Sis-in-Law on Mother’s Day Eve. We only stayed for three-ish hours but next time we’ll be packing a picnic and staying the whole day for sure. So much to see. So gorgeous. A true Minnesota gem. Might even have to get a yearly pass! 😊

The arboretum is a place you can go and walk at own pace alone or with friends. Parking may appear full, but the gardens over 12,000 acres allow lots of people to wander multiple trails and see minimum interactions. First time go in building and buy tram ride to get feeling for the space.

Online tickets only: $20 non-members (16+) – needed barcodes are emailed to you.
Parking: lots of parking, ♿ handicapped located in the first row.
Tours: 🛺 rides are offered for outside grounds.
Leon C. Snyder building: automatic entrance doors, visitor info booth by west entrance, bathrooms beyond visitors info booth next to the art displays that are for sale $$$$, cafe is located on the top floor accessible by stairs or elevator, gift shop located first floor east side, library has a gorgeous wood interior but is open certain times of day, and gardens accessible by multiple exits of the building.
Educational building: down the road from the parking lot is a building dedicated to the youth including learning exhibits and educational classes.
3-Mile drive around the rest of the property where you’ll find a maze (see photo), Chinese garden (see photo), sculpture garden, and much more.
The gardens: they have a Japanese garden, Chinese garden, rose garden, kitchen herb garden, shrub garden, waterfalls, picnic areas, fountains, and much more.

Open all year, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is such a beautiful place to go! No matter what season it is, they have flowers and plants to display in the Leon C. Snyder building or grounds. If you go in the spring, you’ll see blooming flowers and art vendor fairs; autumn, you’ll see foliage, pumpkins and a hay building on the grounds; winter, you’ll see tons of Christmas lights outside and inside as well as the largest Christmas trees I’ve ever seen next to served hot coco/cider. They also offer moonlight walks along the trails.
There is so much to see and do here. I 100% recommend this to anyone and everyone.
There is almost nothing to complain about. However, I only have 2 things that bother me hence the minus 1 ⭐. 1) the Chicken Cranberry Salad is bland BUT the Chop Chop Salad is delicious! 2) the Chinese Garden is lacking and looks uncared for.

I was blown out by the planning of the arboretum, especially the 3-Minute mile walk and the 3-Minute drive. It was interesting reading about plants from other locals, including from mine. The atmosphere is cool, and there are parking points at different intervals of the 3-minute drive. The spaces of relaxation by most of the segments enable one to rejuvenate and appreciate the environment. I loved the scents at the spices section. The bee section is equally informative.

It was a great place and beautiful!! But easy to get lost, especially if you’re directionally challenged like me. We visited during mother’s day so it was crowded and hot, but the employees were helpful. And we could bring our own stuff in. The only inconvenience was that there weren’t any trash cans on the walking paths between gardens. But we just carried them until we got back to the welcome center.

There were lots of tulips by the buildings, but many of the spots were still empty. Honestly, the way people talked about it, I thought there were going to be fields of tulips and flowers for a truly magnificent display of colors. It’s not that. The best part was the 3 mile drive through the cool trees and art. There are lots of places to park and get out for amazing family and nature pictures. Don’t forget the people watching. The people were singing, dancing, acting, and just basically having fun, which added to the experience. My family and I enjoyed our time. Don’t just drive through the 3 miles. Get out and enjoy it.