This Saturday I was able to visit the soft reopening of the Dallas Arboretum for members (it officially opens June 1st for the public) and I was pleasantly surprised at how well-organized and well-planned the entire visit went from start to finish which I will share here.
First, you will need to go to the
Dallas Arboretum.org website to purchase your ticket by selecting which day/time you want to attend. They are limiting the number of guests entering at each time. Once you pick a time, you will get up to 4 hours to visit the gardens which is more than enough time. Print your tickets and bring them to the entrance.
There were no specific instructions on parking and no parking lot attendants, so we just found an empty spot in the large/main lot. This parking is closest to the entrance.
Per current Dallas requirements, anyone two and older in your party will be required to wear a mask to enter.
At the entrance, they will check your tickets to be sure you have arrived at your time or later. They will not allow early entry. Then you will be given a wristband to wear for the duration of your visit. Keep in mind, most of the side gardens and the Children's Garden are currently closed. You will be given a map which shows you the one-way trail around the park. It is a mile-long trail but there are plenty of benches and shady spots.
None of the water bottle refill stations are available. Bring your own water. None of the food services are open either. Many visitors (including me) brought our own snacks/food. Only two restrooms are open (with an attendant to limit the number of entrants) - just past the entrance to the right and the other is near the white house before you loop back around the trail.
As soon as you enter the park, you will see a violinist statue (with music piped in) and a volunteer. From here, you will head right and start your journey. Along the way, there are several musical instrument or musician statues (with music piped in) for photo-ops. The summer flowers are blooming as well. The path is wide enough for safely passing. The trail is marked well with arrows and signs so you can follow and for the most part is well-accessible.
Also, the gift shop is currently closed. I assume all events and celebrations (like weddings) are also cancelled until further notice.
As summer approaches, it will get hotter and without water refilling available it is advisable to bring extra bottles. Some parts of the trail are shady but a lot of it is in full sun. It was rather enjoyable not enduring large crowds (especially in the Women's Garden).
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