City: Chaska, MN

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (952) 443-1400

Address: 3675 Arboretum Dr.

Description: Minnesota is a fertile place—and not just because of all the German Catholics. The diversity of flora that thrives in the cool northern climate is simply astonishing, and one of the best places to go to get a feel for the woodsy, prickly, shady, pretty, and pungent side of the Twin Cities is the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Minnesota’s largest public garden, the arboretum is maintained by the University of Minnesota. But it is not the outdoor equivalent of a musty plant textbook, although an industrious sort could probably research one here. From the Three-Mile Drive and its sampler of trees, flowering plants, grasses, and shrubs to the new Maze Garden, the arboretum is an intriguing and fun place at which both adults and kids will find much to love.The arboretum is open daily (except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day) at varying hours depending on the season and the day of the week; call for details.To get to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, follow MN 5 west from I-494 in the southwest part of the Metro. After approximately 10 miles, you’ll reach the intersection with MN 41. Continue straight ahead on Highway 5 and follow the directional signs to the arboretum.