Pursuit of Happiness: Finding Joy in Nature
Pursue your joy this summer at Morris Arboretum & Gardens
New exhibitions, special weekends, and seasonal experiences celebrate history, beauty, and the simple pleasure of being in nature
As the nation marks 250 years of independence with parades and public festivities, the Morris offers a refreshing alternative, a sanctuary where visitors can recharge
and rediscover happiness through the restorative power of nature. Visitors can enjoy tree swings that evoke the freedom of childhood for adults and children; explore a Sensory Cottage that engages sight, sound, touch, and scent; and encounter three Singing Trees, activated by windchimes, that offer Joyful, Meditative, and Gathering soundscapes. Colorful Adirondack chairs invite lingering across the gardens, while a giant floating rubber duck adds an element of surprise and whimsy. Pursuit of Happiness: Finding Joy in Nature encourages visitors to immerse themselves in artful plantings, interactive installations, and moments of quiet discovery that inspire wandering, play, and reconnection with nature.
Running in conjunction with Pursuit of Happiness is Garden Railway: Revolutionary Philly, which invites visitors of all ages to take a miniature journey through eighteenth‑century Philadelphia, along with Plants from the Colonial Era, a self-guided tour that highlights the trees, herbs, and flowers that would have been familiar to area residents during that era. Together, these exhibitions reveal how ideas rooted in the past continue to shape how we experience nature and joy today.
Find your joy at an all-ages event this season!
Bloomin' Bubbles
Every Tuesday
May 26 – Tuesday, August 25 • 11 AM
Free with general admission
Join us every Tuesday for Bloomin' Bubbles, when the Whimsical Woods transforms into a bubble landscape for children to use their imaginations and play.
SENSE-sational Friday: Scents
Friday, June 5 • 11 am
Free with general admission
Join us as we learn about native plants, and why they smell the way they do. You'll even take home your own “smell good” craft!
Stop & Smell the Roses Weekend
Saturday, June 13 & Sunday, June 14
Free with general admission
Enjoy your walk around the Rose Garden during peak bloom with self-directed scavenger hunts and fun facts about our roses. You might even see some whimsical guests! Plus, visit the Garden Railway for Magic Railway weekend!
June Storytime
Wednesday, June 17 • 10:30 am
Free with general admission
This month we're reading, Be a Tree! by Maria Gianferrari. Join us for storytime and an exercise in mindfulness.
Wild Wetland Wednesdays
Wednesday, June 24 • 11 am – 1 pm
Wednesday, July 22 • 11 am – 1 pm
Wednesday, August 26 • 11 am – 1 pm
Free with general admission
Join us on the fourth Wednesday from June through August to explore the Morris’s natural areas and discover the rich ecosystem that thrives in our Wetland. Free mini binoculars for kids from 11 am–1 pm, while supplies last!
SENSE-sational Friday: Touch
Friday, July 10 • 11 am
Free with general admission
Join us as we touch all kinds of native plants and learn why they feel the way they do. Activities will include crafts you can take home.
July Storytime
Wednesday, July 15 • 10:30 am
Free with general admission
This month we’re reading The Bug Girl by Sophia Spencer followed by a buggy craft.
Morris Discount Weekend
Saturday, August 1 – Sunday, August 2
Visit the Morris to get $10 off full-price admission this weekend! Meet us in our family-friendly Whimsical Woods for activity stations about North America’s largest native fruit, the pawpaw!
SENSE-sational Friday: Sight
Friday, August 7 • 11 am
Free with general admission
Join us at this SENSE-sational Friday as we explore native plants with bright colors!
Spend time in nature with a Health & Wellness course
Chair Yoga Series
Four Fridays: June 5, 12, 19, 26 • 10:30 am
Members: $95 • Non-members: $115
Reconnect with your body, breath, and the beauty of nature in this gentle chair yoga series of four sessions held outdoors at the Morris. Designed for practitioners of all levels, this practice invites you to explore yoga in a safe, supported, and accessible way. Registration is required.
Under the New Moon: Gentle Yoga
Monday, June 15 • 11 am
Members: $30 • Non-members: $35
Join Meghan Dwyer (Camaraderie, Ambler) for a gentle, all-levels yoga class on the beautiful grounds of the Morris. In tune with the new moon and the changing astrological season, we’ll move slowly, breathe deeply, and connect with nature’s quiet invitation to begin again. Registration is required.
Yoga in the Treetops
One Thursday a month: May 28, June 18, July 23 & August 27 • 5:15 pm
Members: $35 • Non-members: $40
Pricing is per session. Register for each session separately.
Join experienced yoga instructor Maura Manzo for this one-of-a-kind yoga experience on the Out on a Limb exhibit at Morris, suspended 50 feet above ground and surrounded by a canopy of trees, colors, sights and sounds.