In honor of 250 years since 1776, the Ohio Commission for the U.S. Semi quincentennial (America 250) has chosen a different theme each month to highlight and celebrate Ohio's rich history. The Dawes Arboretum’s newly acquired tram fits perfectly within the theme for April – Ohio Moves: Transportation.
Since 1979, there were long term plans to create a tram loop around The Arboretum. Many years later those plans came to fruition.
In 2025, The Arboretum’s Development Team applied for the Meta Data Center Community Action grant and was given partial funds to purchase the tram. It arrived at Dawes in September and was officially unveiled to select community leaders on Oct. 7, 2025, which included New Albany Mayor Jeff Hall, leaders from the Licking County foundations and Meta’s staff.
The tram is a bright blue color decorated with a white Meta and Dawes logo. It’s an all-electric vehicle that has 18 seats and an accessible ramp.
Karla Long, Senior Director of Learning and Research, has been instrumental in planning the tram’s pilot program. Now that the weather is warming up, the current plan is to use the tram as a shuttle service in the summer months.
“We have so much beautiful acreage on the main grounds,” Long said. “It’s fun to be able to hop on, get dropped off at the house, do a tour, hop back on and maybe get dropped off at the Japanese Garden.”
The thing she’s most excited about is how the tram will enhance The Arboretum's tours.
“Whether it’s a wagon or a tram tour, our goal is to get our stories and messages out to as many people as possible,” she said. “Having an option where we can have an accessibility piece to advance that storytelling is a dream for us.”
To learn more about forms of transportation at Dawes in the past, read our blog about wagons, bikes and even horses here.
All plans surrounding the tram are subject to change.