Gabis Arboretum is the forgotten garden of PNW.

Gabis has six miles of dog friendly trails winding through over 330 acres of prairies, wetlands and oak-hickory trees.

The only accredited arboretum in Northwest Indiana, Gabis was donated to Purdue Northwest about two years ago by the property’s founders, Damien and Rita Gabis. They were seeking a way to ensure long-term sustainability for the arboretum.

However, many students don’t seem to know this place exists.

 “I haven’t seen the university advertise it,” said senior Mike Krga. “I think they should advertise it. The university has a [student] culture of just finishing your classes and going home, but after hearing about the arboretum, I would definitely go.”

Gabis has been a work in progress since 1990, when Gabis bought 72 acres of land to preserve the area’s prairie.  Originally, the plot had just 15 trees. Since then, more than 20,000 have been planted.

“Our most unique collection is our Oak Islands collection, where we feature oaks gathered into ‘islands’ according to their native continents,” said Peyton Lindquist, events coordinator at Gabis. “The continents featured in our collection are North America, Asia and Europe. Another unique feature is our railway garden where 300 linear feet of model rails run through a series of historical vignettes set in miniature gardens.”

The arboretum is also home to three outdoor sculptures.

“ho-MA-ge” is located in the Depot parking lot roundabout. The sculpture, dedicated to the world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, is a swirling group of cellos and a five-foot diameter yo-yo. Sculptor Rich Kielbdaj said he sought to capture the cellist’s exuberant persona and the joy of a spinning yo-yo.

“Woman with a hat” is a sculpture by Terry Karpowicz, located in the Hitz Rose Garden. This work is a classically modernist sculpture of bronze and stone. The sculptor said he was trying to pay respect to the sculptural works of Pablo Picasso.

“Don’t worry. The world’s not flat” is a sculpture by Jason Hawke, located along the pathway to the Meyer Pavilion. This quirky piece by a young artist features a group of colorful characters scrambling up a large circle.

These sculptures are surrounded by nature, including a variety of wildlife. Gabis is home to deer, squirrels and chipmunks, some snakes, frogs, many types of insects, beavers and a variety of birds, including  hawks, bluebirds, songbirds and red-winged blackbirds. The arboretum offers both birding and habitat hikes.

Most of the acreage is covered in native plants, but some areas are planted with non-native species.

The Gabis Arboretum is located at 450 W 100 N, Valparaiso, IN 46385, about 35 minutes from the Hammond campus and minutes away from the Westville campus.

PNW students get free admission to the arboretum and discounts on classes and programs.

For more information, contact Gabis at 219-462-0025 or [email protected].