02/14/2025
Happy Valentine's Day!
Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden
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For those not familiar with Klehm, here’s a little more about us… Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden is Winnebago County’s largest public garden. Bypass 20.
(417)
Address
2715 S Main Street
Rockford, IL
61102
Opening Hours
| Monday | 9am - 4pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 4pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 4pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 4pm |
| Friday | 9am - 4pm |
| Saturday | 9am - 4pm |
| Sunday | 9am - 4pm |
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Our Story
Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden is Winnebago County’s largest public garden. Our property began as a tree nursery when Landscape Architect, William Lincoln Taylor opened the Rockford Nursery in the early 1920’s. Many of the rare trees in our arboretum are a result of his experimental plantings. Taylor continued running the Rockford Nursery with the help of his family until 1968 when he sold the business to Carl and Roy Klehm. The Klehm family owned the business until Carl Klehm passed away in the early 1980’s. Carl’s family had been inspired by a visit to Severson Dells and decided to donate the land to the Winnebago County Forest Preserve District (WCFPD) in 1985 on the condition that it become an arboretum. With the help of volunteers and organizations, originally operating as Northern Illinois Botanical Society, Klehm Arboretum grew into the special place it is today. Visitors can still see evidence of the property’s history especially on the West Loop where visitors often stop to marvel at a row of large European Larch.
Klehm continues to operate in partnership with the WCFPD. The 1990’s saw the addition of the paved paths comprising the East and West Loop, many gardens like the Nancy Olson Children’s Garden and our Visitors Center and the Clarcor Pavilion. With almost three decades to grow, our property has become an essential part of the community and a popular tourist destination.
We are conveniently located only a few minutes south of downtown Rockford and north of U.S. Bypass 20. Our grounds include 155 acres of gardens and woodland paths. It’s important to us that everyone can enjoy a connection to nature on our property. We ensure that our grounds are accessible by being ADA compliant and make a point of telling visitors that we are very dog friendly and encourage owners to bring their pets for a walk. With two miles of paved paths and two and half miles of unpaved trails, we’re a great place for healthy fun.
As a place to learn, Klehm offers a variety of educational opportunities for people of all ages year round, including group tours for schools and adults as well as a full schedule of activities and programs based around gardening and creatively engaging with the natural world. Klehm also prides itself on being an area of natural play, specifically in the Nancy Olson Children’s Garden with its newly renovated Kid’s Creek and splash pad play area.
