Polly Hill Arboretum

West Tisbury, Massachusetts, United States

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The Polly Hill Arboretum in West Tisbury, Massachusetts, sits on land originally part of one of the town’s first “home lots” established in 1669 and features historic farm buildings including a homestead dating back to the 1700s.

The property came into the hands of Polly Hill and her husband in 1957 when they began transforming the farm into an experimental arboretum focused on growing a wide variety of temperate plants from seed, many of which were not expected to thrive in the region’s climate.

Over time, her dedication resulted in an internationally recognized collection of rare trees and shrubs, establishing the arboretum as a living botanical museum set amidst open meadows, woodland, and stone walls. Polly’s vision was to create a garden for research, education, and plant conservation, which was realized when the arboretum became a nonprofit public institution in 1998.

It has since expanded to over 70 acres, with facilities like a visitor center and greenhouse supporting its mission. In 2015, the arboretum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, honoring its unique blend of horticultural legacy, historic landscape, and community value.