[5][1]: 15 A deep ravine, leading down from Forest Hill Cemetery to the Huron River, was left undeveloped as the surrounding land was converted to farmland in the 19th century.

[8][1]: 22  The signature feature of the "long view" is also present in Simonds' iconic designs in Chicago's Lincoln Park and Graceland Cemetery.

The hilly terrain prevented the construction of greenhouses for advanced plant research, and the botany faculty secured a site for a new botanical garden on Iroquois Road, south of the city, in 1914.

Mott Children's Hospital, and the further development of Forest Hill Cemetery, created large impervious surfaces uphill of the arboretum.

[6][12] Additional classroom and administrative space at the Arb was added in 1999, with the opening of the James D. Reader Jr. Urban Environmental Education Center.

The education center is located in the historic Nathan Burnham House, which was built in 1837 in Ann Arbor's Lower Town neighborhood.

[13] The brick house was moved approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) north to the arboretum in February 1998, making way for an expansion of the Kellogg Eye Center.

Each scene is presented in a different location within the Arb, without the use of scenery or stage lighting, and with inevitable interruptions from wildlife, park visitors, weather, and the sounds of the nearby hospital.