As Fall arrives, and leaves start to change color throughout the Midwest, it’s worth remembering some of the distinctive autumnal features of our campus landscape that have disappeared. One of those was “the Grove”— a parcel of the campus planted with trees that turned gold, crimson, and auburn each Fall (and is now home to the eastern half of the Noyes Science Center and its parking lot). The other space was the college’s arboretum and botanical gardens, located across Sixth Avenue, on the large plot of land that eventually became the home of St. Paul’s Episcopal church. In their heyday, both locations provided a calm retreat where members of the campus community could enjoy a bit of nature, particularly during the seasonal changes of Fall and Spring.

The Campus Grove (postcard)

Photograph of Grinnell Arboretum & Botanic Garden