Future Access to our Project

A question came up regarding year round access to the Tai Chi Meditation Garden. It was noted that the McConnell Arboretum is closed during the winter months when Turtle Bay Exploration Park has their holiday light event and is sometimes closed with other activities.

This question brought up an important issue. It is true that the Arboretum will be closed during the Garden of Lights event and that the Tai Chi Meditation Garden will not be accessible to the general public during this time. The Arboretum will also be closed when there are safety considerations, e.g., during the Fourth of July Festival.

While we would like to be able to use our site year round the only other option would be to build it outside the Arboretum. We prefer the Arboretum setting for several reasons. It offers a central location, adequate parking, availability of restrooms, and because it is in a fenced in area that is closed at night the potential for vandalism is reduced. Having the Tai Chi Meditation Garden within the McConnell Arboretum also creates a unique feature that we believe will help support and promote Turtle Bay Exploration Park once it is completed.

After giving this issue much thought and discussion, we feel that we still have the best possible location for the Tai Chi Meditation Garden despite having restricted access during the winter.