Bethalto Arboretum, adjacent to Central Park along the Lewis and Clark Trail, is approximately 2.5 acres in size and was developed on an old railroad right-of-way.

Conceived by Mayor Erwin Plegge in the 1960s, the arboretum was launched with a donation of six trees by a local nursery and a promise of five trees from the Governor of Alaska and four of its mayors. The arboretum was officially dedicated October 15, 1966 and now contains more than 150 species of trees and other plant life that can be seen from the street and contains an internal path system.

A fitness path is located on the grounds that traverses around a war memorial, a perennial garden, and several other distinctive features of the arboretum. Through the years, it has become one of the most popular walking trail parks in the village.

The Arboretum celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2016, and continues to welcome guests and residents of Bethalto each and every day.