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Awbury Arboretum
The entrance to Awbury Arboretum, the former Cope family estate, transports visitors from city streets into a country retreat that is the largest remaining oasis of open space in Germantown.
Trails weave through 55 acres landscaped in the English romantic style, with open meadows, ponds, woods and rolling hills.
Clusters of trees are interwoven with open space to create picturesque vistas and visual contrasts, like at the Victorian kitchen garden behind the Francis Cope House, English Park and Haines Field.
The Copes lent their Quaker sense of aesthetics to this world-class arboretum; in 1870, they hired William Saunders, designer of the Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C., to bring their vision to fruition.
Trails weave through 55 acres landscaped in the English romantic style.
After Henry Cope, a wealthy Quaker shipping merchant and philanthropist, built his stone Gothic summer estate in 1852, his family loved it so much that they – and succeeding generations – moved here year-round.
As the area became increasingly urbanized after World War I, the Cope family deeded the property to the City Parks Association to preserve the landscape and the family homes as Awbury Arboretum — named for Cope’s former village of Avebury, England.
Down by the springhouse and pond, meet the State Champion River Birch (Betula nigra). It is a standout among the 140 species of trees here, some more than 100 years old.
Keep kids of all ages busy counting frogs down at the pond.
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Awbury’s grounds are open 365 days a year and admission is free. The arboretum is open Saturdays and Sundays, and visitors can make arrangements in advance to visit other buildings on the property. Awbury Arboretum is dog-friendly. Get the full details on office hours and seasonal scheduling here.
Public transportation is the easiest way to get to Awbury Arboretum. SEPTA’s Washington Lane Regional Rail station is directly across from the property’s entrance, and the 18, 26 and XH bus routes make stops nearby.
Those who drive can use the parking lot behind the Cope House or take advantage of nearby street parking.
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia), overnight hotel accommodations and choose-your-own-adventure perks.
Seamlessly blending yesterday and today