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The Arboretum > Totally Terrific Treehouse

Totally Terrific Treehouses

The tree houses were such a hit, the exhibit returns - with new and reinvented abodes - on June 6, 2009!

 

View the 2009 exhibition

Totally Terrific Treehouses:
Nature's Play

June 6 - September 27, 2009

 

Nature takes a “bough” at Tyler Arboretum as 10 imaginative tree dwellings take root in this centuries-old sanctuary for trees. Each house becomes an outdoor classroom where nature is the teacher inviting visitors of all ages to explore ecology and sustainability while having fun!

A sample of some of the tree houses in the exhibition:

• Three Little Pigs Go Green: The traditional straw, stick, and brick abodes are brought into the 21st century with earth-friendly features like a rain barrel, a green roof, and sustainable building materials.

• Imagination Station: This amazing structure resembles a giant tree that has fallen over. As visitors make their way through the hollow trunk they come to the "branches," which radiate out into multi-level platforms that are perfect for imaginative performances. Props and costumes invite storytelling and play acting.

• Backyard Memories: Made by Tyler volunteers, this tree house was assembled from scrap lumber and found objects. The builders drew inspiration from memories of childhood hideaways where the world of adult rules was left on the ground.

• Tree Hugger: Nestled above the shrubs and below the tree canopy, this abode sits at the edge of meadow and forest, encouraging visitors to observe the wonders of each. With a conservation ethic in mind, Tree Hugger is made of materials salvaged on-site from fallen trees and from reclaimed lumber.

• Strummin' and Drummin': This interactive structure was designed to look like a giant guitar. The “neck” of the instrument is made from a huge scarlet oak that Tyler felled for safety as the heartwood was rotted. The stump of this same tree enjoys a second life as the base of an oversized drum. Sponsored by: Makin’ Music Rockin’ Rhythms, Advanced Engineering Inc., and Dream Finishers LLC

• Badger Burrow : Tucked beneath the boughs of towering rhododendrons, visitors will discover the magical home of Badger, a character from Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. The diminutive furnishings invite children to use their imaginations as they "play house."

• Bug Abode: Visitors can climb the ladder to a cantilevered platform high in a white oak to discover which insects live in trees and why they are so important to the environment.

• Thoreau's Workshop: A life-sized replica of Thoreau's cabin invites visitors to take inspiration from the studies of the man often regarded as America's first environmentalist.

• The Music House: Set beneath the sheltering arms of a tree, children can create a second-hand symphony using instruments made from recycled materials.

• The Bird Preserve: Complete with an oversized bird house that visitors can climb up into, this house invites us to explore the interconnectedness of Nature and its creatures.

 

Additional stops along the exhibition route include:

• Vegetable Demonstration Garden: This teaching garden is the perfect place to learn about healthy eating, composting and happy soil, and gardening to encourage bees and other pollinators. Kids will enjoy the worm bin and digging area.

• Nature's Play Station: Kids love hands-on activities! They'll get down and dirty in the Messy Play Area and burn off extra energy in the Active Area, while the Building Area and the Art Creation Area will bring out their imagination and creativity.

 

Totally Terrific Treehouses: Nature's Play is free with regular admission.

 

Presenting Sponsors:

 

Media Sponsors:

 

Sponsors:

MARS Drinks North America
Allan A. Myers, Inc.
Pine Street Carpenters
Makin’ Music Rockin’ Rhythms
Advanced Engineering, Inc.
Dream Finishers, LLC
Re:Vision Architecture
Janiczek Homes, LLC

 

 

While you're in a tree-loving state of mind, be sure to check out the Morris Arboretum's Tree Adventure exhibit.

 

This July, Morris debuts an innovate tree adventure that soars 40 feet into the air. As visitors roam through the new $3.1 million permanent outdoor exhibition, they'll travel out on a limb to cross the swaying Suspension Bridge to the Bird's Nest, scamper onto the Squirrel Scramble's rope-netting skirting two towering trees, head to the top of the Wissahickon Vista platform for sweeping views, and wander along the 275-foot long Canopy Walk rising four stories above ground level. A Passport to Adventure will guide visitors to additional interactive stations through the Morris Arboretum's 92-acre garden, each illustrates Tree Adventure's central message: we need trees, and trees need us -- thus introducing them to the critical role trees play in our environment.

 

Opens July 4. For more information: 215-247-5777 or www.morrisarboretum.org.