Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College

While it may be true that knowledge blooms abundantly within the halls of Swarthmore College, the real master class is taught by Mother Nature outside – in the 300-acre Scott Arboretum that meanders through campus like lush, climbing ivy. Created in 1929, the arboretum (and neighboring Crum Creek Woods) is woven into the school’s DNA.
Seniors pin a garden rose to their gown before their commencement ceremony in the outdoor amphitheater – where tulip trees stand majestically from grassy tiers cut into the landscape. Luckily, students aren’t the only ones who can enjoy this class in botanical masterpieces – the arboretum is open daily to the public from dawn to dusk and admission is free.