Considered the largest garden in Baltimore, the Cylburn Arboretum started out as the Cylburn Wildflower Preserve & Garden Centre in 1954 and under the management of the Board of Recreation & Parks. The garden and its trails, which were designed lovingly by local and other volunteers, are located on the grounds of the Cylburn Mansion, which was built in 1863 and served as a summer home for businessman Jesse Tyson and his family. Tyson is the founder of the Baltimore Chrome Works, which was then one of the most successful chromite exporting businesses in the country. The Cylburn Mansion boasts of exquisite Italianate architecture, with its own cupola, tower, and lovely mansard roofs.

In 1982, the garden was renamed as the Cylburn Arboretum.