Olcott Arboretum
The Olcott Arboretum is a botanical collection of trees located on the headquarters campus of the Theosophical Society in America in Wheaton, Illinois. The campus has long been called "Olcott" after a founder of the Theosophical Society, Henry Steel Olcott.
Establishment of the arboretum
In May, 2019, the Theosophical Society received a certificate from the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program, conferring a Level 1 Accreditation effective for five years.
On October 29, 2019, the grand opening of the Olcott Arboretum took place, beginning on the front veranda of the headquarters building. Dr. Barbara Hebert welcomed Wheaton Mayor Phil Suess and Wheaton Parks District Director Mike Benard, and each spoke briefly. Theosophical Society Archivist Janet Kerschner gave a short history of trees on the Olcott campus. Children of the Prairie School of DuPage presented a book of drawings of Olcott trees and birds. The assembled guests then walked around to the south end of the building fora tree-planting ceremony, followed by refreshments in the lobby.
Mayor Phil Suess 
Prairie School children 
Tree planting 
Barbara Hebert and Wheaton officials
History of trees on the Olcott campus
When the Theosophical Society purchased land in Wheaton early in 1925, the first action taken on the bare plowed fields was a plant a grove of trees. The first tree planted, on May 6, 1925, was a silver linden.
Silver linden, May 6, 1925 
Grove on May 8, 1926 
Grove and Rogers Building in 1931
