Cylburn Arboretum

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

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Cylburn Arboretum in Baltimore, Maryland, began as the private estate of Jesse Tyson, who started building the Cylburn Mansion in 1863.

The mansion, designed in Victorian Renaissance Revival style by architect George A. Frederick, was completed in 1888 and features notable architectural details like inlaid floors, marble baths, leaded glass, and wide porches. The estate originally included formal gardens and woodlands planted by Tyson himself. Baltimore City purchased the property in 1942, which later became a home for neglected children during the 1940s and 1950s.

In 1954, the site was transformed into the Cylburn Wildflower Preserve and Garden Center for public education and conservation, emphasizing natural beauty and outdoor learning. The property includes 207 acres of gardens, woodlands, and nearly three and a half miles of trails focused on native plants and wildflowers. Cylburn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and renamed Cylburn Arboretum in 1982.

Today, it functions as a public garden, park, and education center, continuing stewardship of its historic landscapes and promoting environmental education and conservation in Baltimore.