Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum sits in the heart of downtown Dayton on over 200 verdant acres of rolling hills with over 3000 trees on the property. Founded in 1841 and established by John Van Cleve, Van Cleve chose the original 40 acre site for its hilltop views and remarkable variety of trees. In 1843, Van Cleve did an inventory of the trees on the property and found 41 different species. In the early years, special care was taken to preserve the finest specimens of trees and shrubs to retain the natural beauty of the area. Most of these tree species are still represented on the grounds and the species list has grown to over 165. Woodland is best known for its collection of Oak trees. Of the 58 species that are native to North America, Woodland has 25 varieties. Over the years, Woodland has been the recipient 10 “State Champion Tree” awards from the Ohio Division of Forestry.