Hauck Botanic Garden

The land of what is now Hauck Botanic Garden and Arboretum was purchased in 1924 by local philanthropist Cornelius J. Hauck. Towering on either side of the estate were heavily developed industrial complexes that spewed ash and soot onto the property, earning it the nickname “Sooty Acres.” Hauck developed the space into an oasis within Cincinnati’s urban core, believing that the process of urbanization posed an existential threat to all remaining greenspace in the city. He also believed this space could be a plant laboratory to observe how different species would grow in the harsh conditions of urban life.

In 1951, Hauck donated a portion of his beautiful Sooty Acres property to be a permanent home for the Civic Garden Center. The new building included a designated location to house a horticultural library and demonstration space for classes and floral displays. Upon his death in 1967, Hauck willed the remainder of his estate to Cincinnati Parks, where he had served on the Park Board for 18 years. Hauck believed strongly in the importance of preserving public greenspaces that allowed urban residents to interact with and learn from the natural world.

Today the Cornelius J. Hauck Botanic Garden and Arboretum continues to serve as an oasis within Cincinnati’s dense urban core. Located minutes from downtown, blocks from the University of Cincinnati’s campus and along Cincinnati’s growing innovation corridor, this public greenspace is uniquely poised to serve a wide variety of urban residents. Although the park has changed significantly from Hauck’s original design, it continues to honor his mission as an outdoor plant lab, botanical collection and urban oasis.

The plants found here tell the story of the park's horticultural evolution, from the heritage collection of ornamentals and exotics planted by Cornelius Hauck in the early twentieth century to more recent native plant installations and rain gardens.

We are also an ArbNet Level 1 Accredited Arboretum. Curious what our plant collection looks like? View our catalog of trees and shrubs or check out our hand-drawn maps of each garden zone. We’re also on the process of creating an herbarium!

Since Hauck Botanic Garden is a public park, you’re also welcome to come visit any time between dawn and dusk and see the space for yourself.