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TOURS

Click here for the Holden Group Tours brochure

Guided Group Tours  

In every season there is an opportunity to experience some beautiful aspect of Holden. Trained guides lead the way on tours of breathtaking gardens, special collections and natural areas.

Garden Tours:

Holden Highlights Walking Tour: (April – November) An overview of Holden history, gardens, collections and natural areas with special emphasis on seasonal highlights. (1 ½ hours)

Tram Tours: (May – October) Holden Highlights tour. (1 hour)

Lantern Court House and Gardens Tours

(House tours are offered year round, garden tours offered April through October.)

See the splendor of this 1930s country estate. Lantern Court is a Georgian-Colonial home set on 25 acres of gardens and woodland. Spend an hour exploring one area, or set aside two hours and see both.  

Natural Area Tours:

For a more rugged view of nature, take a longer tour of our natural areas. Tours take about three hours. To preserve these fragile areas, tours are open to a limited number of guests each month.
 

• Pierson Creek Valley
  Hike through the valley to see wildflowers in spring and forest wonders the rest of the year. About 100 steps lead you to the bottom of the valley and back up again.

• Stebbins Gulch
  A wet walk through a tributary of the East Branch of the Chagrin River. Discover geologic formations and plant communities not found anywhere else.

• Little Mountain
  Once a resort for those escaping summer’s heat, Little Mountain has once again become a woodland retreat. Learn the history of the area while touring geologically fascinating ravines and unique wooded areas.

How to Register
 

Groups and organizations interested in tours should contact the Education Department at 440.602.3833 or educ@holdenarb.org.

Tours can be scheduled for groups of 10 or more. Schedule your guided tour at least three weeks prior to your preferred date. Cancellations must be made 48 hours before your tour date or a $15 processing fee will be charged. Facility rentals and catering options are also available.

Group tour operators wishing to schedule tours should contact our Group Sales Coordinator at 440.946.4400, ext. 235, or at                                  derksa-adams@holdenarb.org.

 
 Guided Tours for the Casual Visitor

 

Highlights Walking Tours – Saturday and Sunday 2-3:30 (April – October) Enjoy a slow-paced guided walk among the collections, gardens and natural areas while learning about Holden’s history and programming. Registration encouraged by calling (440) 602-3833 weekdays or (440) 946-4400 weekends. Free for members and with gate admission for non-members.

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  Tram Tours (May through October)

Reservations are strongly recommended for these popular one hour Holden Highlights tours for visitors. The $2 per person fee is payable at the information desk and must be made 15 minutes prior to the tour to confirm reservation. The tram seats up to five passengers and tours are offered May through October: Tuesday - Friday, 1 – 4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 – 4 p.m. For information and reservations, call (440) 946-4400, ext. 224.

 Lantern Court Garden Tour - Wednesdays 2-3pm( April – October)

Follow our expert guide each Wednesday on this peaceful afternoon tour through the sights and sounds of the enchanting gardens at Lantern Court. The house is not open at this time. No need to pre-register. Free for members and with gate admission for non-members.

Self-Guided Tours for the Casual Visitor

Lantern Court Gardens are open to the public from 10am to 4pm every Wednesday April through October. Free for members and with gate admission for non-members

Garden and Natural Area Trails –Set your own pace and choose your own direction, exploring one of 12 hiking and walking trails that are part of more than 20 miles of path systems. Pick up a map at the Warren H. Corning Visitor Center.

• Collection/Display Trail (Easy) – Sample a variety of highly prized landscape plants in the hedge, lilac, viburnum and rhododendron collections.
• Highlights Trail (Easy - 1 mile) – First-time visitors will find this trail a great way to learn about what Holden has to offer and where major features, gardens and collections, and trails are located. Extension loop (Moderate - 2 miles).
• Blueberry Pond Trail (Easy - .5 mile) – Gather landscape ideas and view seasonal qualities of plants. Discovery Packs to help kids explore the pond environment can be borrowed free of charge at the Corning Visitor Center.
• Bole Woods Trail (Moderate - 1.5 miles) – A National Natural Landmark because of the beech-maple forest and associated plant and animal life.
• Woodland Trail (Moderate - 1.5 miles) – Journey through a young forest and a deep woods. This is also your best access to the boardwalk in the Pierson Creek Valley. A self-guided brochure is available at the Corning Visitor Center. Discovery Packs to help children explore Pierson Creek can be borrowed free of charge at the Corning Visitor Center.
• Old Valley Trail (Rugged - 2.8 miles) – A secluded hike lets you get closer to nature. A spectacular view of beautiful terraced hillsides left behind from shifting streams.
• Pierson Creek Loop (Rugged - 1.9 miles) – The continuously shifting creek channel flows through a valley filled with delicate wildflowers and ferns.
• Corning Lake Trail (Moderate - 1.5 miles) – Explore the shoreline and wildlife of Corning Lake. The trail provides access to Bole Woods, the Warren Bicknell Jr. Sugarbush, the Helen S. Layer Rhododendron Garden and the Waterfowl Observation Blind.
• Leaf Trail (Easy - 1 mile) – Open from mid-September through October to help visitors and students identify trees. Thirty-seven deciduous trees are marked for easy correlation with the self-guiding, identification brochure.
• Sugarbush Trail (Easy .5 mile) – Open during the month of March. The short trail traces the historical progression from Native American through today's process of sap collection and maple syrup production. Brochures are available in the Corning Visitor Center.