The Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum and East Sioux Falls Historic Site
A path to yesterday and tomorrow

A path to yesterday and tomorrow
On the east side of Sioux Falls sits a historic 115-acre plot rich with evidence of the past: stone quarries, rail lines, building foundations, town roads and more. Soon, the abundant cultural resources and open space will be preserved for the whole community to enjoy.

The Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum and East Sioux Falls Historic Site began as a dream of Mary Jo Wegner, a local visionary for the environment, to create a natural haven in Sioux Falls like others enjoy in major cities. With wetlands, gardens and native plants, the Arboretum will provide recreation — including an extension of the Sioux Falls Bike Trail System — and education of earlier culture's interaction with the environment.

Inspire
The Arboretum site has been home to many different cultures and time periods. When you visit, you'll learn about their historic use of plants, and you may draw inspiration as you see why they lived on the site and how they used local and imported plants to serve their needs.

Discover
When you stroll through the lush Arboretum, you'll find all kinds of natural resources tucked away on the site:

Gardens — Six gardens will recreate history with vegetables, flowers, fruit and shrubbery.
Native Plant Communities — Tours and interpretive exhibits will explain the significance of the dry prairies, wetlands, woodlands, meadows and a floodplain forest.
Landscaped areas — Maintained landscapes will provide for recreational use, including festival grounds, a schoolhouse and a picnic area.
Cultural Resources — Historic quarrying and stone cutting operations as well as a town site provide a rich variety of cultural features.
Trails — A system of trails will lead visitors around the site along railroad grade, wagon and town roads and the Big Sioux River.
Town Site History Pavilion — An open-air pavilion with displays on local history will live on the original Illinois Central Railroad line.

Connect
A new extension of the Sioux Falls Bike Trail System will connect to the Arboretum. The addition will begin at Falls Park and run to Great Bear, the Arboretum and Arrowhead Park, totaling an additional 11 miles to the trail.

The Arboretum and bike trail project will educate people of all ages on the natural history of our area, and provide economic development as Sioux Falls becomes an even more attractive place to live and work. With the support of our community, the Arboretum will be built in the next four years and be the crown jewel of the Sioux Falls park system — a place to return to our beginnings.