Nature Nook: Winter Session
2026-01-30 10:00 - 10:45, 2026-02-06 10:00 - 10:45, 2026-02-13 10:00 - 10:45, 2026-02-20 10:00 - 10:45, 2026-02-27 10:00 - 10:45, 2026-03-06 10:00 - 10:45, 2026-03-13 10:00 - 10:45, 2026-03-20 10:00 - 10:45 (America/Detroit) and 17 more dates | Wister Center – Gillespie Room, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA, United States
Calling all little nature explorers! Join Rachel Warren at Scott Arboretum & Gardens for mornings full of singing, stories, crafts and dancing. Each session is seasonally themed around nature and the garden. This program is designed for children ages 2 to 4 years old with their caregivers.
Registration Cost (includes all 8 sessions):
Members: Free
Non-Members: $40
ACCESS Cardholder: $2; call 610-328-8025 to register.
Did you know a Family level membership to the Associates of the Scott Arboretum is only $55 and includes benefits for two adults and up to four children? Become a member of the Associates of the Scott Arboretum here.
Register Now
Program Details

Registration is required and includes all 8 sessions.
Class size is limited.
Registration for members includes participation for up to 4 children and their caregivers.
Registration for non-members includes one child and their caregivers.
Sessions will start in the Wister Center with a story and craft, followed by a short walk to explore a garden.
Email us if you have accessibility needs for this program.
For more information, review our program and event policies or call the Scott office at 610-328-8025.

About ACCESS
Scott Arboretum & Gardens proudly participates in the Art-Reach ACCESS program. Pennsylvania ACCESS/EBT cardholders, and Art-Reach ACCESS cardholders may receive $2 tickets for the cardholder and up to 3 guests. This discount may not be valid for special events or sold out events, or combined with other discount offers. Visitors must show their ACCESS card and valid photo ID on the day of the program. For more information about the ACCESS program, please visit art-reach.org/access.

Winter Celebration: “A Garden Inferior to Few…” The Williamsburg Garden of John Custis IV
2026-02-01 15:00 - 17:00 | The Inn at Swarthmore, 10 South Chester Rd, Swarthmore, PA, United States
John Custis IV is one of Williamsburg, Virginia’s more colorful historic residents. In addition to being an influential member of the political elite, a wealthy plantation owner, and eventually the first father-in-law of Martha Washington, Custis was the creator of one of the most renowned colonial gardens of the early 18th century. Custis’ indulgence in ornamental garden design resulted in the creation of a pleasure garden said to rival that of the Royal Governor. Known as Custis Square, the four-acre garden was said to contain gravel paths, topiary, hundreds of native and imported plant varieties, and even statues. Friendships with gardening luminaries such as John Bartram and Peter Collinson opened up Custis to a global palette of plants and the correspondence between these “brothers of the spade” has revealed much about the plants within the garden. However, the actual appearance and layout has remained a mystery… until now. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has just concluded a five-year archaeological excavation to uncover this important lost landscape.
We will explore the evidence gathered through excavation and specialized environmental analysis to discover the design for the garden, revealing a truly baroque layout. From the locations of individual fruit trees to the evidence for large-scale earthmoving to create vistas, the results of this research have provided details recorded nowhere else. Developed at a time of transformation in European garden fashions, studying Custis’ garden provides an opportunity to better understand how elite Americans translated new landscape conventions into a different cultural and environmental setting. The result is a sophisticated garden that is globally influenced but American in execution.
Event schedule:
3:00 pm – Lecture
4:00 pm – Reception with hors d’oeuvres and cash bar
After the lecture, mix and mingle with the speaker during the reception.
For an easy dinner, make a reservation at the Broad Table Tavern. Members of the Scott Associates receive a 15% discount at the Broad Table Tavern (discount not valid on alcoholic beverages).
Register Now
Program Details

Advance registration is required.
Limited to 150 people.
Email us if you have accessibility needs for this program.
For more information, review our program and event policies or call the Scott office at 610-328-8025.

About the Presenter
Jack Gary is the associate vice president for historic resources for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. He leads a team of archaeologists, curators, architects, and scholars to reveal the hidden stories of Williamsburg’s past. He is currently directing the archaeological research for the restoration of the garden of John Custis IV as well as the research into Williamsburg’s First Baptist Church, the oldest Black Church in the United States. Jack oversees a collection of over 60 million artifacts and the development and construction of the new Campbell Archaeology Center, which will open in 2026 as the country’s premier archaeology museum. He is the former director of archaeology and landscapes for Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, where he directed the archaeological research that led to the Garden Club of Virginia’s restoration of the ornamental landscape surrounding Jefferson’s villa retreat.
About ACCESS
Scott Arboretum & Gardens proudly participates in the Art-Reach ACCESS program. Pennsylvania ACCESS/EBT cardholders, and Art-Reach ACCESS cardholders may receive $2 tickets for the cardholder and up to 3 guests. This discount may not be valid for special events or sold out events, or combined with other discount offers. Visitors must show their ACCESS card and valid photo ID on the day of the program. For more information about the ACCESS program, please visit art-reach.org/access.

Members-Only Winter Tree ID Tour
2026-02-04 12:00 - 13:00 | Scott Arboretum Offices, 500 College Ave., Swarthmore, PA, United States
Join us for an exclusive members-only walk through Scott Arboretum & Gardens as we explore the art of identifying trees in their winter form. Without leaves to guide us, we’ll rely on bark patterns, branch structures, buds, and other subtle clues to uncover each tree’s identity. Learn how to recognize familiar species even in the quiet season and gain a deeper appreciation for the Arboretum’s woody collection. Dress for the weather and enjoy a peaceful winter stroll among the trees.
Become a member of the Scott Associates to attend this tour!
Register Now
Program Details

This members-only event is free, but registration is encouraged to receive program updates.
The tour will depart from the Scott Arboretum & Gardens office (Cunningham House).
Email us if you have accessibility needs for this program.
For more information, review our program and event policies or call the Scott office at 610-328-8025

In-person February Highlights Tour
2026-02-10 12:00 - 13:00 | Scott Arboretum Offices, 500 College Ave., Swarthmore, PA, United States
Enjoy plants and landscapes looking their best in February, including winter-blooming bulbs, with a tour led by our horticulture staff. Gardeners and plant enthusiasts of all levels are welcome.
This event is free, but registration is encouraged to receive program updates.
Register Now
Program Details

Registration is free, but encouraged to receive program updates.
This tour begins in front of the Scott offices (Cunningham House).
The tour will be canceled in case of inclement weather.
Email us if you have accessibility needs for this program.
For more information, review our program and event policies or call the Scott office at 610-328-8025

School’s Out: Winter Wonderland
2026-02-16 09:30 - 12:00 | Wister Center – Gillespie Room, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA, United States
Drop by Scott Arboretum & Gardens on your day off from school to learn about the wonders of the winter gardens. Complete a winter-themed nature craft and go on a scavenger hunt throughout the gardens. Join us at 10:30 am for a free, family-friendly tour of the Arboretum & Gardens.
This is a free, drop-in program and no registration is required. It is designed for children ages 3 to 12 with a caregiver.
Event Schedule:
9:30 am – 12:00 pm: Winter Nature Crafts and Scavenger Hunt
10:30 – 11:00 am: Family-Friendly Tour of the Arboretum & Gardens

Program Details:

This event will be held in the Wister Center.
All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Email us if you have accessibility needs for this program.
For more information, review our program and event policies [or call the Scott office at 610-328-8025

Crum Woods Winter Hike
2026-02-21 10:30 - 12:00 | Matchbox, 500 College Ave, Swarthmore, PA, 19081
Come experience all the Crum Woods has to offer in the winter. Delight in the colors of the holly berries, listen to the babbling creek, and take a deep breath as you enjoy a meditative moment in the woods. This hike will be led by a member of our horticulture staff.
We recommend this hike for adults and children ages 8 and up. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Accessibility:

This program is not wheelchair or stroller accessible.
Participants must be able to hike on unpaved, hilly surfaces for about 2 miles, with exposed roots and rocks. There is a brief, uphill walk from the parking area to the departure location.
Email us if you have other accessibility needs for this program.
Please note this tour has a different departure location than other tours.

This event is free, but registration is encouraged to receive program updates.
Register Now
Program Details

This tour will depart from the front of the Matchbox building [link: https://map.concept3d.com/?id=713#!m/87181?share].
Please park in the Field House Parking Lot and walk to the departure location, following Arboretum logo signs.
The tour will be canceled in the event of inclement weather.
Email us if you have accessibility needs for this program.
For more information, review our program and event policies or call the Scott office at 610-328-8025
