Burlington Arboretum at Willowbrook Park

315 W. Willowbrook Dr. 
Burlington, NC 27215
(336) 222-5030 | Directions
Open year-round, sunrise to sunset.
Admission is free. 

About the Arboretum

The Arboretum at Willowbrook Park features a wide, paved walking path that meanders the length of this 17-acre park. The arboretum is full of plant collections including daylilies, hostas, azaleas, roses, hydrangeas, camellias, wetland gardens and more. A creek runs through the park with a wide vegetation buffer brimming with native plants and grasses that provide habitat for wildlife and filters stormwater runoff protecting the water quality of the creek.

The Commons Building offers restrooms, picnic areas and provides a great meeting place for those coming to enjoy the park. Don't forget to look up in the rafters to see the beautiful bluebird metalwork sculptures. The Veteran's Overlook sits high on the banks of the creek across from the Commons Building and offers a lovely view into the Arboretum. What might be the park's most unique feature, and loved by kids of all ages, is the accessible Treehouse. The Treehouse, constructed from Locust wood, is suspended from a large Willow Oak tree near the intersection of W. Willowbrook Drive and Sunset Drive - don't miss out on visiting the unique and fun feature!

Stay up-to-date on happenings at Willowbrook:

• Click here to learn about upcoming events, guided tours and programs at the Arboretum.
• Click here to subscribe to Arboretum Updates.

History of the Arboretum

The Arboretum exists because of a unique partnership between the City of Burlington and the New Leaf Society that started in 2017 to transform this previous greenspace into the beautiful Arboretum at Willowbrook Park. Burlington provides dedicated staff to manage and oversee the Arboretum. New Leaf Society provides support to new and ongoing enhancements through private donations from the community. View project updates to see the transformation of the Arboretum from 2017 until now. 

Charles Hawks Memorial Bluebird Trail

The Charles Hawks Memorial Bluebird Trail has 18 bluebird boxes throughout the Arboretum. It is maintained and monitored by the Burlington Bird Club. A bluebird trail is a series of bluebird nest boxes spaced about 200 feet apart. Bluebirds are cavity nesters. Bluebird trails can consist of just a few boxes in a large backyard to hundreds or even thousands of boxes put up over a large area or stretches of countryside. Bluebirds are territorial so a trail requires a relatively large area. Parks, pastures, fields and even cemeteries and golf courses can support a bluebird trail. Each nest box has a predator guard to protect the box from predators such as snakes.

Arboretum Advisory Board

The Arboretum Advisory Board is made up of volunteer citizens and city staff and performs the important function of advising on matters concerning the Burlington Arboretum at Willowbrook Park. The board meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 pm at the Kernodle Senior Center. Contact: Tony Laws, Recreation & Parks

Current members:

• Rett Davis 
• Gade Lander 
• Amy Barber 
• Christine Stecker 
• Mark Danieley
• Janell Harris 
• Jason Lattier 
• Matt Roberts 
• Jason Barnhill 
• Tony Laws
• Janet Latham

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