Cylburn Arboretum

NileGuide Expert tip:

Best time to see flowers come into bloom would be April - May.

Description:

• You'll have to look for this one, but when you find it -- just off Northern Parkway, a quick run up the Jones Falls Expressway -- you'll be thrilled by the fascinating gardens and mansion. The 100-plus acres include a formal Victorian garden, children's garden, and gardens devoted to butterflies, shade, roses, and vegetables. Woodland trails wind 2.5 miles through the forests of Cylburn. Among the 161 bird species spotted here have been the Baltimore oriole and bald eagle. The ornate stone house with mansard roof and cupola has an equally ornate interior, with inlaid floors, mosaics, and plasterwork. The Maryland Ornithological Society's bird museum and a nature museum for children are in a carriage house behind the mansion. Tucked in the woods off I-83, Cylburn makes for a peaceful retreat from urban life.

• © Frommer's 2013