Hours of Operation
The Arboretum grounds are open 7 days a from dawn until dusk.

The Jewett Interpretive Center & Tree House Gift Shop are open from 9am to 5pm, Monday through Saturday, and by appointment.

There is no charge to visit the Yakima Area Arboretum. Donations are welcome.

Dogs on leashes are welcome at the Arboretum as long as they are accompanied by a responsible human. Please pick up after your pet.

Accessibility
The Jewett Interpretive Center and its restrooms are wheelchair accessible.

The majority of the Arboretum grounds are covered with turf grass and except for parts of the Japanese Garden, is relatively flat. There are also two mostly wheelchair accessible 5 foot wide pathways consisting of compact 5/8 minus gravel or topcourse.

Members and supporters want the Arboretum to be accessible to everyone. Therefore, a golf cart is available by reservation or first come first serve basis at the Jewett Interpretive Center for senior citizens and folks with physical disabilities.

Tours
SELF-GUIDED TOURS - Each season brings new beauty, from the blooming fruit trees in April to the golden leaves of Autumn. The tour begins at the Jewett Interpretive Center where you can pick up a Self-Guided Tour Map in the Tree House Gift Shop (outside the visitor center door when the center is closed) or you can download a map here.

PRIVATE AND GROUP TOURS - Private and group tours are free of charge but must be scheduled in advance. Please contact us or call 509-248-7337 to schedule your tour.

SCHOOL TOURS/FRESH SCIENCE - Fresh Science is a self-guided, interactive field experience designed to help children interact with nature. The activities are designed to involve children in the learning process as they experience the living laboratory. The program consists of a habitat-oriented curriculum and lab backpacks containing all of the materials needed to conduct the on-site tour. Pre- and post-tour activities are also provided in order to enhance the learning units. Six stations are set up on the grounds of the Arboretum and each station takes approximately 30 minutes to do. You can do as many stations as you wish and in any order. There are eleven backpacks available, and up to eight students can work from one backpack. Click here to visit the PDFGallery and download the Fresh Science curriculum.

ORIENTEERING COURSE - Two courses have been developed on the Arboretum grounds, a short half-mile course with 9 compass bearings appropriate for beginner to intermediate users and a longer more difficult one-mile course with 10 compass bearings. Instructions for both can be found here and in the Tree House Gift Shop.

To schedule a group tour, reserve a golf cart, or check out a Fresh Science backpack, please contact us.

Driving Directions

Take exit 34 off of Interstate 82.

Turn east onto Nob Hill Boulevard.

At the first stoplight (S. 24th Street) turn left.

Turn immediately left onto Arboretum Drive.

Follow the road as it curves around. The Arboretum's Jewett Interpretive Center will be the first building on your right.

Map

Please click here for a map.

Contact us for more info