Giant Letters Grown From Hedges Spell A Name You Read From This Ohio Observation Deck

I pulled off the highway in Ohio expecting a quick stretch of the legs and maybe a shady bench for my sandwich. Instead, I ended up climbing a wooden tower and squinting at a word written in shrubs, each letter taller than my car is long.

It felt like finding a secret note left on the ground for airplanes. That living message, and the huge green property around it, make for one of the most surprising family day trips in the state.

A Tree Museum in Licking County

Picture nearly 2,000 acres of rolling ground in Licking County, Ohio, planted with trees from around the world and laced with trails. That is The Dawes Arboretum, sitting at 7770 Jacksontown Road just south of Newark and roughly 30 to 35 minutes east of Columbus by way of Interstate 70.

An arboretum is basically a living museum for trees. Instead of paintings on walls, you get labeled oaks, maples, conifers, and oddballs most Ohioans have never seen in their own backyard.

Many trees carry small plaques or tin tags with names and details, so a walk turns into a slow, outdoor lesson without anyone feeling lectured.

Families tend to come for one quirky reason and stay for a dozen others. The hedge letters draw the first glance, yet the grounds also hold a Japanese Garden, a cypress swamp, a historic home, a Discovery Center, and miles of paved and dirt paths.

How big is it really? Visitors are often told that seeing everything on foot means roughly 12 to 14 miles of walking.

Luckily, an auto tour loops through the property, so even little legs and tired grandparents can cover a lot of ground between short strolls.

Why Beman Dawes Wrote His Name in Shrubs

Back in 1942, small airplanes buzzing over central Ohio did not have phone maps to tell pilots where they were. Beman Dawes, who co-founded the arboretum, came up with a clever fix.

He would plant a giant sign made of living hedges so anyone flying overhead could spot the place from the sky.

Workers started with just five letters spelling DAWES. Later, the word ARBORETUM joined it, turning the planting into a full name stretching about 2,040 feet from the first letter to the last.

That is longer than six football fields placed end to end.

The hedges are American arborvitae, a sturdy evergreen that stays green through Ohio winters. Over the decades, though, the original shrubs grew too large to keep neat.

In 1990 and 1991, crews replanted the letters with dwarf Woodward American arborvitae, a shorter variety that holds its tidy shape with less fuss.

Kids usually love hearing that a grown-up once planted a message meant for airplanes. It turns a row of bushes into a story, and it gives parents an easy history lesson to share while walking toward the tower.

The 36-Foot Tower Above the Letters

From the ground, the hedges look like long, puzzling rows of greenery. Climb the 36-foot observation tower nearby, and suddenly the shapes snap into words you can actually read.

Standing up top feels a bit like reading a giant crossword printed on the landscape. The letters spread out across the grass, and from that height the full name comes into view in a way photos rarely capture.

Bring a camera, because this is the shot nearly everyone wants to take home.

Here is a tip for families with younger children. Hold hands on the stairs and let kids guess the letters one at a time before the whole name appears.

It turns the climb into a small game, and the payoff at the top feels earned.

Visitors often call the tower climb a highlight of their day, especially when paired with the auto tour. Seasons change the view too.

Summer brings deep green against bright grass, while fall surrounds the evergreen letters with orange and gold from the trees nearby. Strollers will need to wait at the bottom, so plan for one adult to stay below if you have a sleeping baby.

Koi-Pond Calm in the Japanese Garden

Ask regulars what keeps pulling them back, and the Japanese Garden comes up again and again. It sits around a pond at its center, with carefully shaped trees, stone details, and traditional architectural touches that slow everyone down.

Noise seems to fade here. Children who were racing along the trails a minute earlier often start whispering without being told, which might be the closest thing to magic a parent gets on a Saturday.

The reflections on the water change through the day, so morning and late afternoon visits feel quite different.

Did you know the garden is designed to be enjoyed slowly? Short loops let you circle the pond in a few minutes, but many visitors say they could easily linger for an hour or more.

Benches and quiet corners make it a good spot to rest before heading back out to bigger trails.

For photographers, the garden is a favorite stop in every season. Spring brings fresh green and blossoms, summer offers lush shade, and fall paints the maples in bright reds.

Keep pets on a leash and away from the water, since the arboretum asks dogs to stay out of ponds.

Trails, Cypress Swamp, and the Driving Loop

Some families hike every mile they can. Others prefer rolling the windows down and cruising.

Both styles work here, which is a big part of why the arboretum suits mixed groups so well.

Walkers can choose between paved paths and dirt trails that wind through collections of conifers, oaks, and towering Dawn Redwoods. One standout stretch leads into a cypress swamp, an unusual sight in Ohio, where the trees rise from wet ground like something from a far-off southern bayou.

The auto tour loops through the property with marked stops and parking pull-offs along the way. A smart plan many visitors suggest is to drive the loop first, get a feel for the layout, and then circle back to the areas you want to explore on foot.

On rainy days, the drive alone still shows off plenty.

A few honest notes help. Some visitors find the maps and signs a little confusing on the unpaved trails and auto routes, so grab a map at the entrance and ask staff for directions.

Pack water and comfortable shoes, especially on hot summer afternoons, because the distances add up quickly.

Hands-On Fun for Young Explorers

Toddlers rarely care about Latin tree names. What they do care about is touching things, climbing things, and finding surprises, and the arboretum has a surprising amount of that packed indoors and out.

Inside the Visitor Center basement, a children’s exploration area gives kids room to play when energy runs high or the weather turns. The Discovery Center adds hands-on nature activities that parents describe as both engaging and educational.

A StoryTrail outside pairs reading with walking, a nice way to keep little ones moving down the path.

Past seasons have brought special exhibits, including giant insect sculptures hidden around the grounds. Families loved hunting for the oversized bugs, and kids treated it like a scavenger hunt.

Exhibits change, so check what is running before you go.

Practical details matter with kids in tow. Clean restrooms sit in the Visitor Center, and paved paths handle strollers and wheelchairs, with manual wheelchairs available first come, first served.

The small gift shop carries a few snacks, but picky eaters will be happiest if you pack plain sandwiches and fruit for a picnic on the grounds. Staff are often described as friendly and helpful with families.

Hours, Admission, and Getting There From Columbus

Plan on about 30 to 35 minutes east from Columbus on Interstate 70, then a short drive toward Jacksontown Road south of Newark. Drivers from Zanesville or the Granville area have an even shorter trip.

Parking is plentiful at the entrance and in lots along the auto tour.

Admission runs $10 for adults and $5 for kids ages 5 to 15, while children under five get in free. Some areas, like the Red Barn Reserve and Dutch Fork Wetlands, are free year-round.

Local library systems sometimes offer free passes, and Columbus Metropolitan Library Culture Pass holders have used them here.

Hours generally run 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April through October and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from November through March, though times can shift seasonally. Members get an extra early hour.

The grounds close on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

Food on site is limited for now, so bring a picnic. A new welcome center with a cafe and more accessible restrooms, including an adult changing station, is expected around spring 2028.

Nearby Newark has options like Christy’s Pizza and River Road Coffeehouse. Leashed pets are welcome, with cleanup required.

A Living Signature Ready for a Second Look

Few road trip stops in Ohio let you read a word longer than six football fields. That alone makes the hedge letters memorable, but the real staying power comes from everything wrapped around them.

Families get room to roam without bumping elbows, since visitors often notice that trails feel nearly empty even when parking lots look busy. Nature lovers find dozens of tree species rarely seen in the state.

Grandparents can enjoy the auto tour, and kids can burn energy on trails before ending the day in the Discovery Center.

What about timing? Spring and summer bring the most blooms, while fall colors turn the drive into a slow parade of gold and red.

Even winter has its charm, with the evergreen letters staying green against bare branches and snow.

Plenty of first-timers leave saying they barely scratched the surface. Some buy memberships after one trip, figuring the cost pays off in two visits.

Whether you come for an hour or a full day, expect to drive home already planning which corner to explore next time, and maybe with a baby tree from the gift shop riding in the back seat.