Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
A majestic arboretum and gardens surrounding The Forum Hotel will aim to bolster health and wellness and create outdoor collaboration areas for the Darden and UVA community.
Once complete, the arboretum and botanical gardens will inspire as unparalleled spaces that enhance the overall educational experience for students, faculty, alumni, guests and the entire community.
Creating Connections That Enhance the Darden Experience
The arboretum and botanical gardens will be home to a variety of thematic gardens featuring styles and plants from around the world. Additional features will include a pond, a restored stream and a variety of walking trails. The arboretum will connect to the Rivanna Trail, further joining North Grounds to the broader community. Darden invites you to explore the many images and renderings on this page that showcase what this beautiful new addition to Grounds will look like upon completion in 2023.
The spaces will enable a variety of activities, including:
- Classes
- Outdoor meetings
- Quiet contemplation
- Outdoor experiences and events for members of the Darden community and hotel guests
- Opportunities for lifelong learning
“ The renewal of these spaces will catapult the experience we offer to the next level and truly make Darden an oasis for lifelong learning like no other. ”
Plant a Tree at Darden
More than 1,300 trees will be planted in the five-acre arboretum and botanical gardens surrounding the Forum Hotel. You can name a tree — or trees — with a gift of $10,000 per tree to support the new Arboretum Establishment and Sustainability Fund.
| Arboretum and Botanical Gardens |
|
|---|---|
| Featured Spaces | |
| Arboretum (Tahija Arboretum)– RESERVED | |
| Botanical Gardens (LaCross Botanical Gardens) – RESERVED | |
| Aquatic Oases | |
| Pond and Stream | $1.5 million |
| Communal Spaces | |
| Atrium Terrace – RESERVED | |
| Outdoor Amphitheater – RESERVED | |
| Witch Hazel Council Ring | $250,000 |
| Arrival Points | |
| Alumni Gateway | $1 million |
| Arrival Gardens, Allées and Upper Grounds Entrances | $750,000 |
| Duffy Gateway and Promenade | $500,000 |
| Nash Law Gateway | $250,000 |
| Benches (50) – 15 RESERVED | $10,000 each |
| Varietal Thematic Gardens | |
| The Japanese Garden– RESERVED | |
| The Chinese Garden – RESERVED | |
| International Edibles Garden – RESERVED | |
| International Garden | $250,000 |
| Magnolia Garden | $250,000 |
| Prehistoric Plants Garden | $250,000 |
| Spicebush Bramble | $250,000 |
| The Thomas Jefferson Garden– RESERVED | |
| Viburnum Garden | $250,000 |
| Walks and Trails | |
| Bridge Canopy Walk (Connection Bridge)– RESERVED | |
| Lower Arboretum Trails | $500,000 |
| Upper Arboretum Trails | $250,000 |
| Lower Foot Bridge | $250,000 |
| Stone Bridge (The Carl Mason Franklin Bridge) – RESERVED | |
| Spring Ephemeral Walk | $150,000 |
| Wooden Bridges – RESERVED | |
| Woodlands and Clearings | |
| Azalea, Kalmia and Rhododendron Knoll | $250,000 |
| Fern Glade | $250,000 |
| Sassafras Hill | $250,000 |
| Pinetum and Redbud Glen | $250,000 |
| Beech Grove | $150,000 |
| Tulip Poplar Thicket | $150,000 |
*All naming and naming levels subject to UVA approval
For more information on The Forum Hotel Kimpton at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, please contact Interim Vice President for Advancement Samantha Hartog at [email protected]
or +1-434-982-2151.
Be a part of Darden’s fulcrum moment.