Leila's gift: How the 72-acre arboretum in Battle Creek has evolved over 100 years

On a warm weekday afternoon, fresh grass clippings lined the rolling hills at Leila Arboretum.

Sounds of birds chirping, water spraying from a large decorative fountain and an occasional airplane passing overhead were audible at the 72-acre municipal park located at 928 W. Michigan Ave. in Battle Creek.

Students from neighboring Northwestern Middle School crossed Limit Street and walked the park's winding paths as they took part in a nature scavenger hunt. Nearby, a mother and her two young children tended to a community garden, while others shopped for produce and flowers at the park's urban farm stand.

“It’s one of our end-of-the-year activities that we’re giving a try to get the kids outside and get moving," said Angela Miller, a resource teacher at Northwestern. "We recognize they spend a lot of time indoors and so we thought if the weather was nice, we’d get them out here working in pairs and give them an opportunity to explore that. Maybe, even though it’s in your backyard, maybe they haven’t been to before.”

Leila Post Montgomery — widow of cereal magnate C.W. Post — is the park's namesake. She purchased some 90 acres of land for $90,000 and handed it over to the city in 1922 for horticultural and educational purposes. Leila Arboretum officially opened to the public six years later.

Leila Arboretum Society, the nonprofit that has managed the park since 1984 and owns 13 adjacent acres, is celebrating the centennial anniversary of Leila's gift this year. Executive Director Brett Myers said the organization has stayed true to Post Montgomery's vision while transforming the grounds into more of a multi-use recreational, arts and entertainment hub.

"Here we are 100 years later, still exercising the vision Leila and city leadership had at the time of being a multi-use arts and culture space," Myers said. “Our sustainability has been built around being a vital resource for the community. How we’ve tried to be vital is to reach out into multiple areas of interest."

From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, Territorial Brewing Co. in Springfield is hosting a benefit dinner celebrating 100 years of Leila Arboretum. Tickets are $40 per person and include a buffet and two drinks, with live entertainment and a silent auction.

Open to the public year round from dawn until dusk, the park is a combined 85-acre campus, thanks to the partnership between the city and Leila Arboretum Society. It additionally has a "kaleidoscope garden" open to the public from June through September and its 365 Urban Farm stand is open three days a week from May until October.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Myers said, annual attendance at the park increased to about 80,000 as many sought green space and recreation while social distancing. In addition to walking trails — Leila Arboretum is also part of the Linear Park Path — Leila Arboretum is home to an 18-hole disc golf course that was installed in 2014 as part of its transformation over the past decade.

In 2015 and 2016, the park added Fantasy Forest, featuring 26 uniquely carved sculptures made from dead ash trees at the property that fell prey to the emerald ash borer beetle. A stage was built at the Fantasy Forest site, and a pavilion was erected atop Fragrance Hill.

The Fantasy Forest stage has since been the site of numerous events, concerts and festivals, including Leilapalooza. The 12th annual music festival will take place July 29 and 30 this year, featuring music from local and regional artists.

Long known for its sledding hills — including "Deadman's Hill" — the park is the site of the Festivus cardboard sled competition, conducted annually since 2008. In partnership with the Battle Creek Metropolitan Area Moustache Society, the event draws hundreds, with awards handed out for most mustache-themed sled, best children's-themed sled, worst run and best wipeout.

Leila Post Montgomery likely did not envision costumed people careening down the hills of the arboretum in makeshift sleds, but the Festivus event is one of the creative ways Leila Arboretum Society tries to expose people to and highlight the park's amenities.

In Post Montgomery's vision of creating a world-class botanical and cultural center, Kingman Museum was built atop a hill on the Leila Arboretum grounds on Limit Street in 1931 by local architect A.B. Chanel. But the Depression hit and initial plans for four other educational buildings never materialized.

In December 2020, Kingman Museum closed its doors and vacated the property due to structural issues. The building had housed the nonprofit museum's collection of artifacts for more than 80 years.

“Super tough loss," Myers said of Kingman's exit. "The city is looking for a new occupant. We're at the table to make sure whoever that new occupant is, is a good fit with Leila Arboretum and Leila Arboretum Society... But we're still sharing programing with Kingman."

With only four employees, Leila Arboretum Society relies heavily on grants and an army of volunteers to help with its programs and to keep the grounds clean. The nonprofit has created an additional revenue stream by renting out spaces such as the kaleidoscope garden, which is popular for weddings and events.

"We’re a nonprofit, so it’s a very shoestring budget, thrifty kind of existence," said Gary Wiegand, 354 Urban Farm manager. "We rely heavily on volunteers and the kindness of strangers."

The 365 Urban Farm is housed in a former garage near Fantasy Forest, with a small parking lot off of West Michigan Avenue. The farm stand has a free food pantry and accepts WIC, Senior Project Fresh, Project Fresh and EBT. EBT customers can double their purchasing power through the Double Up Food Bucks program.

Valerie Gosselin recently stopped by the farm stand with her husband, bringing home tomato plants, summer squash and broccoli.

“Been coming to the arboretum since I was 3. Used to go down the hill in the snow," she said. "I'm going to take (my husband) through Fantasy Forest; he’s never seen it before. It’s a place where you can go and relax and look at things. I remember it that way since I was a kid. A place to go walk and look around."

Contact reporter Nick Buckley at nbuckley@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-966-0652. Follow him on Twitter:@NickJBuckley

LEILA ARBORETUM

2022 events

June 14: Outdoor Yoga at Leila Arboretum

July 16-17: Battle Creek Garden Tour

July 29-30: Leilapalooza Music Festival

August 4, 11, 18, 25: Free Summer Concert Series

August 13: Michigan Metal Fest

Sept. 8: Centennial Celebration (RSVP)

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Leila Arboretum turns 100: How 72-acre Battle Creek park has evolved