Carleen Bright Arboretum

16 Acres of Nature & Bliss

What makes it fun

The Carleen Bright Arboretum encompasses over 16 acres. Those 16 acres house botanical gardens, the Pavilion Event Center, the Whitehall Tourist & Community Center, koi pond, fountains, nature trails, meditation garden, and more! The Carleen Bright Arboretum is a great place to explore the outdoors in a beautiful setting. And with all those things to see, we’re certain you can find the perfect place to enjoy with your sweetheart. Leave the hustle and bustle of city life behind and find yourself surrounded in the serenity of nature at the Carleen Bright Arboretum.

Google Reviews

4.7

Based on 345 reviews

Brandy Gray

17:46 10 Jan 25

As a photographer, the Carleen Bright Arboretum has been one of my favorite places to preserve the wedding day of my clients in Central Texas. The landscape is lovely and the hall is a great size for a large guest count and plenty of dancing. Everything is extremely well-maintained. - Brandy Gray (owner/lead photographer/visual storyteller - Firefly Wedding Photography)

Winston Posegate

16:42 08 Jan 25

Nice, attractive park that is dog-friendly.

Andrea S.

15:28 31 Dec 24

This arboretum is a pretty great little place. It has some flower beds to walk through and short trails, one of which leads to a gazebo in a picturesque tangled wooded area near the creek. It is a good place to visit with friends as there are plenty of benches or chairs scattered around to sit down at. It is not a large park but a truly nice place to visit. We visited there on a Sunday.

L Rizzo

23:19 30 Dec 24

Neal Bernard

01:43 29 Dec 24

This is a great little gym in the Woodway area. The arboretum is a great place to bring your family and children, there's paths and many things to do. I highly recommend visiting.

04:17 04 Nov 24

19:00 02 Nov 24

19:37 29 Oct 24

23:15 28 Oct 24

Very disappointed. Was not a true arboretum, more walking trails. Was expecting beautiful gardens

16:48 26 Oct 24

04:13 14 Aug 24

03:49 07 Aug 24

22:01 27 Jul 24

Great place to visit. Very serene. Well manicured with great event spaces. I really enjoyed the walking trails.

Logan Zachary

20:22 27 Jul 24

Great place for the kids to play. It’s always very well maintained

Julisa Lopez

16:04 15 Jul 24

Me and my little family were just cruising around Waco when we decided to go see what the lake had for us in store but ended bumping into this amazing kid friendly place 🫶🏽 had way more fun here than the lake personally!! So peaceful and seeing my little one enjoy the splash pad was just the best unexpected journey!! 😂 never know what you kind find once you’re out and about with no clue what to do!! I will really recommend this place but please keep it clean and beautiful 🌤️

Ashley Lannen Your Waco-Temple Realtor

13:27 02 Jul 24

We are so glad the Arboretum is open again!The splash pad is excellent! I recommend having your kids bring little water pails or mini watering cans to play pretend. I had a very wise friend bring them along and the kids played and played while making stew from the items at the pizza garden. All of the activities are so fun! The restroom is very clean and air conditioned. Bring water shoes because the splash pad area is slippery.

Scott Smith Central Texas Realty Expert

18:43 01 Jul 24

Alicia Adamson

09:26 15 Jun 24

It's beautiful here! They have beautiful gardens but also lots of picnic spots like tables with umbrellas. The kids' area is great! A splash fountain and lots of playground equipment and shade trees for the parents. It's a wonderful space and would be great for weddings and parties as well.

Mallorie Barr

14:47 27 May 24

What a thoughtfully designed space to spend an enjoyable Saturday. We loved the sections dedicated to certain species of plants, the beautiful murals, and the bird observation area. While there were activities for children, we did not have kids in our group and it was nice to be able to separate from those who did.

Gary Alleccia

19:45 16 Apr 24

Beautiful grounds and Event Hall. The seniors had their High School prom over there and a great choice. The gardens are a photographer's paradise. We were able to get amazing professional grade photos of the kids. The hall was very well lit with huge floor ceiling windows. I'm assuming this place is very popular for wedding receptions. The kids had a great time and enjoyed themselves.

Tamera Gray

02:01 03 Mar 24

It was a trip in February and was still worth it just to get outside. Oh and it's FREE ya'll! Very cute and small botanical garden. There are trails that we did not go on because of the mud but we did go far enough to see a bridge and benches to rest and bird watch. The kids play area is nice and I know the kids could play for hours. The actual garden was not in bloom much just because of the time of year but I'd like to go back to this cute and quaint botanical garden again. It's more like a botanical park. I say that because of the limited variety compared to a full on garden. I do appreciate all of the work that went into this and will be back.