Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens — Attraction in Dubuque

Beautiful place! What's missing is more playground pictures. The Dubuque Noon Lions Club, City of Dubuque Park Department under John Hail, Recreation Department under Gil Spence and the Arboretum under Gene Heineman, helped put everything together. It was started by Lions Steve Vandenberg and Rev. Duane Manson, now deceased, as a simple wooden structure. After several years of wear it was unusable. The Dubuque Noon Lions Club as a whole pitched in to buy several thousand dollars worth of new playground equipment and a small shelter, and to become the FIRST in Dubuque to be part of the Adopt a Park program! Lions Dan Donovan and Mike Vandenberg worked to find the right lion water fountain with money donated by Lion Harry Vandenberg, now deceased, to buy it. Since then more has been added, the City put in a new restroom and a new water fountain was installed after the old fell into disrepair. This time money from the estate of Lion Frank Honigman helped. Lions Harry Vandenberg's and Frank Honigman's names are on it. Money was raised by the Dubuque Noon Lions when they ran a food stand at the Dubuque County Fair. The Dubuque Noon Lions won a couple state awards from this project. A Governor's Volunteer award and also a State Park...

Me and my kids enjoyed our field trip through the gardens very much. We planned to come back and visit during the different seasons on our long walk.

I would have loved to give the park 5 stars very much so, except something extraordinarily out of the blue happened while visiting the koi pond. A tour cart pulled up with a tour guide and some older tourists and the tour guide started explaining rather loudly to the tourists that "this is what They do, they come here with all their kids and let them run all over the place, then they let them get hurt and sue us." I was SHOCKED. I've never in my life been so shocked I dont think. I was not only shocked I took my kids and left.

I'd love to say me and my children had an amazing time and wonderful field trip today but honestly my day was just ruined.

I'll also add that I went inside to talk with the worker there as she presented herself as someone who somewhat represented the place, thought for sure she might at least apologize for her employee or volunteer? She did not. She said "well that's what some people do." Again, shocked!

I own my house. I have a great career and a lovely family. I've never had to or even thought to sue someone in my life! What a disgraceful...

Our visit to the Dubuque Arboretum was absolutely lovely! From the moment we arrived, we were struck by the peaceful beauty and thoughtful design of the grounds. The gardens were bursting with color, and the variety of plants, flowers, and trees was simply breathtaking. It’s clear that so much love and care goes into maintaining this space.

We especially enjoyed the Japanese garden—it felt like stepping into another world—and the children’s garden was a huge hit! It’s such a special place for families to explore and connect with nature. The walking paths were well-kept and accessible, and the entire area felt welcoming and safe.

The volunteers we met were incredibly kind and knowledgeable, ready to answer questions and share stories about the plants and history of the Arboretum. Whether you’re looking to relax, take photos, or learn more about local flora, this is the perfect spot.

We left feeling refreshed, inspired, and grateful that this beautiful gem is right here in Dubuque. Highly recommend a visit—it’s a must-see for locals and...