Sister Mary Grace Burns Arboretum

The Sister Mary Grace Burns Arboretum of Georgian Court University was established in 1989.  It comprises the landscaped part of the university’s campus (approx. 100 acres), the former George J. Gould estate that was designed by Bruce Price and is now a National Historic Landmark.  Situated in central New Jersey’s oak and pine-dominated Pine Barrens, the collection of over 2,200 woody plants from over 190 species includes most of the Pine Barrens species.   Four gardens designed prior to 1910 are a major feature of the arboretum:  the Sunken, Italian and Formal Gardens are dominated by conifers situated among historic statuary and sculptures, and the Japanese Garden is a tea garden designed by Takeo Shiota featuring a teahouse, wooden bridges, and waterfall situated among Japanese maples, cherries and conifers.   The arboretum has small Ilex, Clethra and Magnolia collections, as well as several trees that are the largest in the county and a large Quercus alba dating back to at least 1750.