How Michigan's Fantasy Forest Rose From the Dead
The arboretum in Battle Creek features mythological carvings out of ash trees that died from an invasive pest
Battle Creek — Tucked away in the outskirts of town, a small stretch of woodland invites visitors to explore both nature and storybook creatures.
Deep inside Leila Arboretum, dragons perch on tree trunks, wizards keep watch over the path, and trolls greet visitors. This is the Fantasy Forest, which has become known over the past decade as one of the most imaginative public art displays in Southwest Michigan.
At first glance, the sculptures feel out of place among the quiet trails and gardens of the arboretum. But their story is rooted in Michigan’s natural history. The carvings were created from century-old ash trees killed by the invasive emerald ash borer, a beetle first discovered in Michigan in the early 2000s that has since devastated ash forests across the Midwest.
Rather than letting the damaged trees decay, artists came together to transform them into something new. In 2015 and 2016, carvers from Michigan and across the country gathered for the Fantasy Forest Festival. Working directly with the trunks and stumps of the dead trees, they shaped more than two dozen magical wooden sculptures.
Visitors wandering the paths today will find figures like the towering Wizard of Leila, a watchful centaur known as the Keeper of Leila, or elaborate carvings of a sprawling gnome village tucked into the branches of an old tree. Even a familiar pop-culture character appears among the carvings: Groot, the tree-like hero from Guardians of the Galaxy.
For many visitors, the experience feels a little like stepping into another world.
Kimberly Ernst, a Missouri native who recently visited the park during a trip to Michigan, said the forest felt like something pulled straight from a children’s story.
“Visiting the Fantasy Forest was like walking through the pages of an open children's storybook come to life; the creativity of the artists who transformed damaged trees into wizards and dragons was truly magical,” Ernst said.
She added that the sculptures carry a deeper meaning beyond their playful appearance.
“There is something enchanting about this place—to see new life and beauty created from trees that some people would have just discarded because they were damaged.”
That’s the idea. Across the U.S., the emerald ash borer has killed tens of millions of ash trees, leaving forests and cities dotted with dead wood. The Fantasy Forest offers a unique response to that crisis by giving the dead trees a second life as works of art.
But the Fantasy Forest is only one small part of what visitors can experience at Leila Arboretum.
The 72-acre park traces its origins to 1922, when Leila Post Montgomery—widow of cereal magnate C.W. Post—donated the land to the city of Battle Creek. Very similar to Herbert H. Dow’s vision with Midland’s Dow Park, Montgomery wanted to create a place where culture and nature could meet in a peaceful public landscape.
Although an ambitious design was created in 1924 by landscape architect T. Clifton Shepherd, the project stalled during the Great Depression and remained undeveloped for decades. It wasn’t until 1981, when a determined group of local residents formed the Leila Arboretum Society, that the vision for the gardens was once again brought to life. Volunteers cleared brush, restored plants, and gradually rebuilt the arboretum.
The arboretum now features more than 2,500 marked trees and plants, dozens of themed gardens and walking paths, and a one-mile trail popular with walkers and runners. Other highlights include the peaceful labyrinth, the colorful Kaleidoscope Garden, and the Urbandale Community Vegetable Garden, along with a large greenhouse and horticultural training center.
Public art pieces are scattered throughout the grounds, and an overlook pavilion offers views across the surrounding landscape. Educational programs, gardening classes, and seasonal events bring thousands of visitors to the arboretum each year.
Leila Arboretum is open daily from dawn to dusk and remains free to explore. Today, Fantasy Forest still includes about 25 carvings—making it the perfect place for visitors to rediscover a sense of wonder year-round.
