SummerFest Heads To The Morris Arboretum In Chestnut Hill

CHESTNUT HILL, Pa. (CBS) - Did you know that Chestnut Hill is referred to as Philadelphia's garden district? If you're looking to escape the city, maybe find a spot to climb among the trees, then you'll want to head over to Morris Arboretum.

The property features some of the area's oldest trees and a treetop adventure for kids and grown-ups alike!

The 92-acre living museum dates back to the 1800s.

"It was originally designed just for a brother and sister, so it was a private garden that became a public garden but still holds those private garden elements," Morris Arboretum Chief Horticulturist Vince Marrocco said.

"You can come here for exercise. You can come here to just find a quiet spot and relax and meditate," Morris Arboretum Public Programs Event Coordinator Michelle Conners said.

So you can stroll through tucked away Victorian nooks or simply smell the fragrant blossoms and take in the trees - some of which have stood for hundreds of years.

"The collection has been continued to be built over the years, so we have both old and new specimens of trees that grow in temperate North America," Conners said.

New this year is the "Loop de Loop." There's also a garden railway, one of the busiest spots of the arboretum. It's a lively train display in miniature.

"All the cars are about the size of a shoebox," Marrocco said. "The trains run around tracks. We have 13 tracks and four trolley lines. So, there's a lot of activity in there."

This year's theme is the Great American Lighthouse, with intricate miniature sculptures of notable U.S. lighthouses, all peppered in with the resident replicas of some of Philly's iconic buildings, like City Hall.

"In miniature, it's about 5-feet-tall with a little tiny William Penn on top of it. And it's entirely made out of natural materials," Marrocco said.

If adventure's your thing, check out the "Out on a Limb" canopy walk - a totally accessible path that leads you out into the tree canopy.

And you won't want to miss the crown jewel - the Rose Garden, the most visited spot on the grounds.

"Most of the roses are in full bloom right now and they'll be that way for the next couple of weeks," Marrocco said.

Morris Arboretum will be offering visitors an exclusive in-depth experience of the garden this weekend. The first event will be the "More Hidden Gems" tour, starting Saturday at 11 a.m.

The all-new walking tour will highlight garden features not often discovered on an average visit.