Just five miles from downtown Boston, The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is more than a peaceful escape for Bostonians - it's a living laboratory, home to over 2,000 plant species from around the world as of 2025. The Weld Hill Research Building, a fully equipped scientific laboratory for plant biologists, hides in plain sight. The Arboretum uses its exceptionally well documented plant collections and these high-tech onsite facilities to attract a global scientific community, from local staff researchers to visiting scholars.
This picturesque loop trail will take you on two of the best off-road bike paths in Boston. Starting from Kenmore Square’s Bluebikes Station, the majority of your ride to the Arnold Arboretum will be via the Emerald Necklace , a beautiful chain of parks designed by Frederick Olmsted of Central Park fame. Olmsted also designed the Arnold Arboretum itself!
Before merging onto the Emerald Necklace, a pitstop at Fenway Park right near the start of this route might be of interest to Boston visitors.)
Once you arrive at the Arboretum, a bike rack is available in front of the Hunnewell Visitor Center . Alternatively, you can also elect to ride along its paved roads to explore the park (expect some hills). For those who arrived via Bluebike, there are a couple of stations outside the park, including one right at the Forest Hills Orange Line stop. When you're finished enjoying the Arboretum, zip back to downtown Boston via the Southwest Corridor linear park.
The Arnold Arboretum is the oldest arboretum in America, and has a rich 150+ year history. Research has been central to the Arboretum's mission from its earliest days - by the early 20th century, discoveries in botany were chronicled in an eponymous journal - Journal of the Arnold Arboretum. The Arboretum was founded by combining a financial bequest and land donation by Benjamin Bussey. (His controversial history inspired the Arboretum in October, 2024 to rename one of its paths). The Arboretum celebrated its 150th year in 2022 by kickstarting a revitalization project and by significantly rethinking how it welcomes in community.
Entrance to Emerald Necklace on Park Drive near start of route
As you travel along the Emerald Necklace, Olmsted Park and Jamaica Pond are two particularly scenic pitstops to consider.
Olmstead Park in winter
Jamaica Pond in winter
Weld Hill Research Building is the epicenter of scientific activity at the Arboretum. Currently, entry is not allowed by the public. Maybe that will change one day! In the mean time, there are general tours of the Arboretum available daily, and you can get a taste of scientific activity by looking at exterior facilities. For instance, meteorological instruments spread across 18 microstations have been collecting detailed weather data since 2008 (the base station has been active for nearly a century). This data is used to track climate patterns overtime, including microclimates across the garden, in order to contextualize research in plant genomics and flora resiliency.
Research at the Arboretum has led to a substantial collection of scientific publications. To give you a taste of recent research in climate science at the Arboretum: Blumstein et al. (2025) found that plant phenology, or the timing of life cycle events such as leaf-out and blooming, is more susceptible to the urban heat island effect than previously anticipated. Brunn et al. (2025) investigated how trees transfer carbon to their root systems via root exudates, which has implications for carbon storage, soil health, and drought resilience.
Meteorological instruments viewed from a public trail on the hill behind the Weld Research Building
Solar Panels within the Arnold Arboretum
You'll also notice a solar panel farm behind Weld. As of 2022, this hybrid solar collector array and pollinator meadow is at the frontier or research in horticulture - creative experiment in dual-use of land. These panels supply 30% of the arboretum's power.
Stop by Hunnewell Visitor Center at Arborway Gate on your way out, where you ask the staff any questions and grab a free postcard.
This route was contributed by a student team at Boston University as part of the 2025 edition of Bike2BU, an academic course taught by
Dr. Sal Genovese and
Prof. Nathan Phillips. This post was written in direct partnership with CycletoScience.
Thanks to Team Velocity (Christopher Hyon, Nayoung Kwon, Jessica Lee, and Violet Paiva)
