Crapo Park Arboretum

Crapo Park, recognized by National Register of Historic Places since 1976, is an 85-acre city park located alongside the Mississippi River in Burlington, Iowa.  The park was established in 1895 by Philip Crapo, a local businessman and philanthropist, for Iowa’s semi-centennial celebrations in 1896. With landscape engineering by Earnshaw and Punshon of Cincinnati, Ohio the park has an arboretum containing more than 200 species of trees and shrubs, as well as botanical gardens.  From 1896 through 1898 1200 trees and shrubs were planted to start the arboretum.  The arboretum boasts a large Native population, many small collections and the following trees are on Iowa's statewide "Big Tree" list:  Horse Chestnut, Black Jack Oak, Dawn Redwood, Bur Oak, Black Tupelo, Bald Cypress, Willow Oak, Pignut Hickory, European Hornbeam and Black Walnut.

The City of Burlington’s Park and Recreation Department is committed to developing efficient and practical methods for realizing the stewardship and educational goals of the Crapo Park Arboretum tree collection and its contribution to the historic character of Crapo Park and the City of Burlington’s urban forest. By building upon the diversity of the collection with sustainable species and reinforcing the aesthetically pleasing, diverse and accessible landscape conducive to education, recreation, meditation and visitor interest we will meet these goals.