The Ashland Arboretum is home to over 600 trees and 44 species. Maintaining these trees is no small feat. Each year we select trees that need the most maintenance and tag them for adoption by the community. By adopting a tree, you pay for its maintenance for the year and ensure that it thrives at Ashland for years to come.
Browse through the trees available for adoption below and adopt your tree using the button below!
Henry Clay deeply loved Ashland, the farm and home he built. It provided a place of refuge and sanctuary from a difficult and often disappointing world, and it was one of the few places where Clay regularly found happiness. For his descendants, Ashland was a place of great reverence and inspiration. For students and regents of Kentucky University and the Agricultural and Mechanical College, it was a place of learning and growth. Today, visitors see Ashland as a place of great history, pride, and awe.
April 2026 marks 100 years of the Henry Clay Memorial Foundation’s existence. To celebrate entering a new century, the Foundation is introducing the Second Century Fund. This strategic initiative will ensure Ashland continues to serve as a vibrant center for education, history, and civic engagement.
The Second Century Fund empowers Ashland to expand public access, foster civic engagement, and position itself as a national leader in historic interpretation, education, and community dialogue. From on-site innovation to digital reach across the world, Ashland’s next century will not merely honor history — it will activate it.
The Breath of My Ancestors is a memorial for the enslaved people at Ashland and will be a permanent addition to the estate, installed in the fall of 2025. Overseen by Ashland’s African American Advisory Committee, this significant project reflects our commitment to preserving history, fostering civic education, and encouraging reflection on the complex legacy of our shared past.
Designed by acclaimed sculptor Vinnie Bagwell, this seven-foot-tall bronze memorial will feature powerful and intricate imagery, including representations of the enslaved individuals who lived at Ashland. The memorial incorporates symbols of strength, resilience, and humanity, ensuring that their voices and stories are preserved and respected. The 140-plus enslaved men, women, children, and freedmen at Ashland will be remembered by a rolling list of names that will be polished on the surface of circumference of the granite base, offering a profound connection to those who shaped Ashland’s history.
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120 Sycamore Road
Lexington, KY 40502
Phone: (859) 266-8581
Email: info@henryclay.org
March and December
10am-4pm | Tues – Sat
April – November
10am-4pm | Tues – Sat
1pm-4pm | Sunday
Closed Mondays, Major Holidays, January, & February
Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate is owned and operated by the Henry Clay Memorial Foundation (HCMF), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. HCMF’s EIN is 61-0461732.
© Copyright 2025 Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate. All rights reserved. Website: Trifecta!
