international forest of friendship

My friends and I took the Atchison historic trolley tour, which mentioned this tour destination (but did not go there.) This was a wonderful little find, a nice place to stretch the legs on a nice Fall day. The layout was good, trees well marked with large signs in granite which made it easy to read. I have to agree with another reviewer that some of the trees need either some TLC or replaced because they were dead. We found that a shame since this a wonderful little "nature" exhibit. The highlight has to be the Moon tree, which were seeds that were carried up in Apollo 14 and then planted here in the garden. Also check out the donors who contributed on the walk, you will see names such as: George W Bush, Colin Powell, Bob Hope to name a few. I was assuming these were more or less local donors, but was surprised by the names we saw.

Located in Warnock Park, a nice place to get a little exercise walking about the hill. Plantings are identified, and there are good benches for sitting back and enjoying the views, sounds of children playing in the park, & the resident flock of Canadian geese.

I love the idea of this place, but it is not kept up very well. My boyfriend and I walked around and looked at all the trees from the different states and countries, but some trees are missing! Others are almost dead and not very representative of their states.

So glad we decided to see this beautiful and serene place. Spectacular foliage and we had it all to ourselves. I'm sure it's pretty in summer but it was breathtaking with fall colors. A wonderful gift to the country.

Yup, great place to walk & see a large variety of trees in a lovely park setting. All the trees have a stone marker telling the kind of tree and what/who it commemorates. This is a treasure in this small town. It is well worth the time. Get directions & info at the Atchinson visitor's center. Note: Nearly everything in town except the Forest closes at 4:00 pm.

Enjoy a self-guided outdoor tour of trees donated from various states and countries creating an Inernational Forest of Friendship. Plaques give pertinent tree information. This attraction is located inside Warnock Lake so pack a picnic lunch and enjoy family time! There are covered shelters, play equipment for children as well as restrooms.

Park / tree conservatory planted as an homage to aviators and the evolving history of aviation (Amelia Earhart being the master of ceremonies)Great place for botany lovers, aviation enthusiasts or those up for a picnic.

Take a stroll through the trees. See plaques of people who have had influence in aviation history. Most of the States are represented, and many countries of the world also. Children will even enjoy this walk, and can look for some famous names along the way.

It was amazing to see so many different types of trees in such a small area - some of them looked to be having a difficult time surviving but many are not native to that area so maybe they struggle. It's a nice walk through many trees and some nice monuments to aviation.

Can only echo the March 2005 reviewer's article. Have attended two induction ceremonies now and must say it is impressive: beautiful ceremony in a lovely setting and the people putting it on truly care (that is to say, it's not just a job). In the 11 years between my two visits, the trees have grown considerably and it's starting "to look like a forest:.

Visit the trees representing every state in the nation.

A beautiful park with trees from all 50 states and 40 countries. Beautiful and peaceful. This was our first trip but will certainly not be our last. My mother was visiting and thought it was amazing.

We come back to the Forest every year. Nestled on a gentle slope overlooking Lake Warnock, on the outskirts of Atchison, KS (Amelia Earhart's home town), the International Forest of Friendship is a living, growing memorial to the world history of aviation and aerospace. It was a bi-centennial gift to the Nation from the City of Atchison, the Ninety-Nines (International Organization of Women Pilots), and the University of Kansas Forestry Extension. Its theme is "world friendship through flying." There are trees from all 50 states plus 35 territories and foreign countries. You'll find trees from Mount Vernon, a Bi-centennial American Spruce, and the "moon tree" grown from a seed taken to the moon on Apollo 14. The moon tree and nearby memorials honor the 17 astronauts who have given their lives in America's pursuit of space exploration. Winding through the Forest is Memory Lane, honoring those who have contributed, or still are contributing, to all facets of aviation and aerospace. Embedded in the wheelchair-friendly walk are plaques containing the names of over 1200 honorees, including such aviation notables as Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, the Wright brothers, Sally Ride, Chuck Yeager, and Astronaut Eileen Collins, the first woman to command a space shuttle.Each year, during the third weekend in June (June 17-19 in 2005), ceremonies in Atchison honor those being inducted into the Forest. More information about the Forest and the ceremonies, including reservation procedures, can be found at www.ifof.org.The combination of the peaceful setting, inspirational theme, and really fun time brings us back to the Forest every year for the ceremonies, and sometimes more often.