Visiting Hayes Arboretum

Visiting Hayes Arboretum
Hayes Regional Arboretum is located on the northeast side of Richmond Indiana just a short distance from I-70 or US 40. The arboretum features a museum, arboretum, guest quarters, nature center, Adena and Hopewell Indian mounds, ponds, fields, and wetlands and trails for hiking. The 466-acre property contains a portion of virgin, old growth forest, one of the few such stands in Indiana. Visitors can hike, take an auto tour, watch birds or bike during a visit to the Arboretum.
From the Book
East Central Indiana Day Trips

Transcript:

Greetings, today we travel to Hayes Regional Arboretum, located in Richmond, Indiana.
Hayes Arboretum
Hayes Regional Arboretum is located on the northeast side of Richmond Indiana just a short distance from I-70 or US 40. The arboretum features a museum, arboretum, guest quarters, nature center, Adena and Hopewell Indian mounds, ponds, fields, and wetlands and trails for hiking. The 466-acre property contains a portion of virgin, old growth forest, one of the few such stands in Indiana. Visitors can hike, take an auto tour, watch birds or bike during a visit to the Arboretum.

The Nature Center, located in a former dairy barn, offers plenty to do for an afternoon’s relaxation. A bird viewing room is equipped with comfortable chairs and a large window overlooking a bird feeding station. Birds of all kinds and squirrels can be seen actively feeding at the various types of bird feeders. The Nature Center is located in an old renovated dairy barn that was originally constructed in 1833.

A huge sycamore tree, called the History Tree, stood in an area due to be flooded by the Brookville Reservoir. Removed before the waters covered it, scientists determined that the twenty-two foot diameter tree was well over 400 years old. The tree is now displayed in the Nature Center at Hayes Arboretum. Labels on the tree indicate events that occurred at different stages of the trees life.

Visitors may watch an impressive variety of wildlife in climate controlled comfort of the bird watching room. Many species of birds, squirrels, chipmunks and other animals visit the feeders to feed.

Upstairs in the Nature Center you will find an active beehive filled with honeybees. Watch them as they build wax cells and produce honey for their winter’s food.

Learn your herbs at the Arboretum’s impressive herb garden. The plants have tags identifying them.

Hikers will find five trails totaling three miles of hiking trails that wind through different forest habitats. There is also an auto tour, for which there is a nominal fee to use. The funds collected assist in the maintenance of the facility.

The 466-acre Hayes Arboretum contains 3% of Indiana’s old growth forest. Hikers will find a huge preserved log that is a reminder of the vast forests that once covered the Hoosier State.

Visitors may also visit a small museum containing artifacts from the founder of Hayes Arboretum, Stanley Hayes.

If you purchase a membership in Hayes Regional Arboretum, you also have access to the Hayes House. This facility may be used as an overnight accommodation, site for weddings or meetings and other group functions.

Hayes Arboretum
801 Elks Country Club Rd
Richmond, IN 47374
(765) 962-3745
http://www.hayesarboretum.org

The episode is based upon my book, East Central Indiana Day Trips, available on the web site, http://www.mossyfeetbooks.com. The book is the fifth book in the 9 volume Road Trip Indiana Series. The books include all the historical markers, as of 2022, in Indiana with the text and back story. The books also include a nearly complete listing of virtually every tourism destination in the state. The destinations include parks, museums, drive in theaters, bowling alleys, wineries and much, much more.
I have also included the facility in one of my newest books, Visiting Indiana’s Public and Botanical Gardens. It is part of the Explore Indiana Series and is available on the web site as well.
I encourage you to visit the web site and subscribe to it. If you like what I am doing, please purchase a book, as it helps fund my work.
You can find my books locally at the at the Romweber Marketplace in downtown Batesville, Indiana.
I hope you enjoyed this podcast and thank you for listening.