WQIO Ohio's Super Station
The Dawes Arboretum has officially begun construction on a new $17 million Welcome Center, marking the start of an 18-to-24-month project designed to significantly expand the visitor experience.
The approximately 29,000-square-foot facility will serve as a central entry point for visitors, members and donors. Planned amenities include a café, expanded indoor and outdoor seating, a larger gift shop, exhibit space and three times the number of restrooms currently available.
The new building will also include ADA-accessible restrooms, an adult changing station, ramps, an accessible reception counter and an outdoor deck overlooking the arboretum’s Japanese Garden.
Dawes says the project is being fully funded through the arboretum’s endowment, trustees and staff, meaning no community tax dollars or state funding are being used for construction.
The project also has a sustainability focus. Dawes is pursuing LEED and SITES Silver certifications, while working to preserve as many existing trees as possible.
Once construction is complete, the current Visitors Center will be repurposed as a Discovery Center, creating additional space for education and programming.
Construction is expected to take approximately 18 to 24 months, with the new Welcome Center projected to open in spring 2028.
