Forest of Friendship

Did you know that the International Forest of Friendship is the only place in the world where you’ll find the state trees of all 50 American states?

Located on the outskirts of Atchison, Kansas, the International Forest of Friendship is one of the most unique arboretums in the world. It recognizes individuals who honor aviation and/or aerospace and encourage international understanding that can lead to international friendship.

Along the pathways, you’ll find trees ranging from the Bicentennial American Spruce, a tree from Amelia Earhart’s grandfather’s farm, to the Moon Tree, grown from a seed taken to the moon by Command Pilot Stuart Roosa on Apollo 14.

The Forest of Friendship was established as a bicentennial project by the City of Atchison and The Ninety-Nines Inc. Ninety-Nines is an international organization of women pilots. It was officially dedicated on July 24, 1976, Amelia Earhart’s birthday. Some of the notable things you will find as you walk through the forest:

The Waterfall- Near the entrance, the waterfall is dedicated to Joe Carrigan, one of the co-founders.

Memory Lane- This part of the Forest contained memorials to the early inductees.

A Tree from President George Washington’s estate

The Moon Tree- This is an American Sycamore that was grown from one of the seeds on Apollo 14. This tree also stands to honor 17 astronauts that gave their lives pioneering space exploration.