The Arboretum at 20

Christmas Opening Hours

Seasonal opening hours will apply on:

 

Tuesday 24 December    10am - 3pm

Wednesday 25 December    CLOSED

Tuesday 31 December    10am - 3pm

 

On all other dates our normal opening hours (10am - 4pm) will apply.

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This year marks 20 years since the National Memorial Arboretum was officially opened by HRH The Duchess of Kent on 16 May.

 

Since its official opening twenty years ago, the Arboretum has grown into an inspirational living landscape where families, friends and comrades can celebrate lives lived and remember lives lost. Much has changed since 2001, however our purpose remains the same: to be the Nation’s year-round place to remember, an inspirational, world-class setting freely open to all. 


This year, we are celebrating our history and laying out our plans and ambitions for the future. We are making three pledges in which we commit to continue to engage people in Remembrance, adopt and advocate for sustainable practices, and nurture a space that is inclusive and accessible to all. As we look towards the future, we commit to uphold these pledges as we cultivate a time and place where people can reunite, rejoice and remember.

View the full report:

Remembering our Past, Cultivating our Future

Download Here
The Ulster Ash Grove

Our Stories

 

Since planting began at the Arboretum over 20 years ago many people have contributed to our story, from our founders with a germ of an idea, to each of the 300,000 visitors we now welcome to site each year. 

 

To mark the 20th Anniversary of our official opening we are sharing the stories of just some of those connected with our 150-acre site.

 

Watch Our 20th Anniversary Interviews
Image of the Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces Memorial
Polar Bear Memorial unveiling in 1997

Want to find out more?

Visit our brand new online exhibition and explore the Arboretum’s foundation and history, its memorials, stories and people, without whom none of this would have been possible.  
Visit The Exhibition
Trees at the Arboretum

Memorial Woodland

The Arboretum, together with the National Forest Company have announced plans to create a 25-acre woodland as a living memorial in memory of every person who has lost their life as a result of the pandemic.

The announcement coincides with the 20th anniversary since the Arboretum opened its doors to the public and is part of a new ambitious vision for modern Remembrance which has sustainability, accessibility, and inclusion at its core.
Find Out More