The LSU Hilltop Arboretum is a 14-acre museum of native plants located on historic Highland Road in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The award-winning facility designed by Lake|Flato Architects of San Antonio, Texas, offers beautiful views of the natural landscape, including a pond with an elevated wooden boardwalk surrounded by native aquatic plants. The arboretum showcases an extensive collection of more than 150 species of Southern native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. Hilltop strives to educate its audience about the importance of sustainable design for a healthier future and how each of us can make a difference within our own community.
The arboretum is striving to be a nationally recognized center for the study of plants and landscape design. An integral part of the College of Art & Design, students and faculty of the college, particularly the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture, use the arboretum for research, teaching, and service activities. The Friends of Hilltop Arboretum are continually developing education programs to engage the broader community, and through fundraising and programming, are providing operational support.
Location + Hours
Hilltop Arboretum is open to the public free of charge, seven days a week, during daylight hours. Visit lsu.edu/hilltop for more information.
LSU Hilltop Arboretum
11855 Highland Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
Website: lsu.edu/hilltop
225-767-6916
hilltop@tigers.lsu.edu
Tara Titone, Director
taratitone@lsu.edu
History
The Friends of Hilltop Arboretum was established in 1982 to maintain and improve the property donated to LSU by Emory Smith in 1981. Emory Smith lived on the property with his family from the 1920s until his death in 1984. He was an avid student of the Louisiana landscape and promoted the use of native plants. The Friends of Hilltop Arboretum have continued in his footsteps with a mission to provide a sanctuary where students and visitors can learn about natural systems, plants, and landscape design. Stewardship of Hilltop is shared by the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture and the Friends of Hilltop Arboretum.