The crown jewel in the Baltimore City park system, Cylburn Arboretum is unique. There are no ball fields, tennis or basketball courts, no swimming pools or recreation centers: only 200 acres of trees, gardens, trails, peace and serenity in a bustling urban setting. Cylburn provides a refuge from daily life, a place to walk, explore and experience the beauty of nature, both structured and wild.
Once the home of a wealthy Baltimore Quaker, Jesse Tyson, Cylburn Arboretum became the property of Baltimore City in 1942 after the death of Edyth Tyson Cotten when Cotten’s husband, Bruce, sold the property to Baltimore City. The City turned the mansion into a home for abandoned children during WWII and in 1982 named the property Cylburn Arboretum, turning it into what you see today: an expansive and beautiful property in the heart of Baltimore City open to all.
