Hilltop Arboretum

Activity Overview

Hilltop Arboretum is a 16 acre public garden space owned by Louisiana State University (LSU). It is located in the Oak Hills Place district of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, six miles south of the LSU campus. The arboretum used to be a private residence but was donated by the owner, Mr Emory Smith, to the university to help promote more about the natural world and to be used as the students as as extension of their classroom.

Things to Do

• Attend an adult program aimed to teach more about garden tips and design or attend a symposium with talks from various experts in horticulture and landscaping.
• Let your children attend the youth program, joining the junior master gardener program or the summer sprouts camp.
• Join a tour around various gardens hosted during various times of the year
• Walk around the arboretum and see the different plants that grow during different times of the year (best to go online and download a map for your reference)
• See various exhibits and join a tour
• Buy a plant from the nursery or books from the shop.
• Volunteer your time as a tour guide or to be part of the PlantFest event!

Hilltop Arboretum Insider Tips

• Most of the tours are only ticketed admission so if you are in town for only a short period of time, best to combine your arboretum visit with a tour to appreciate the grounds more.
• You can donate a plant to the arboretum - you just need to email them first to make sure that there is room for your donation!
• There are various events happening within the arboretum at different times so check out their website to find out the dates.