By Natalie Hall

Among the vibrant blooms and variations of green foliage at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, artists have re-framed the concept of tree houses in 12 outdoor structures.

These are not your childhood tree houses. The “Amazing Spaces, Places and Escapes: Re-imagining Tree Houses” exhibit at the Arboretum, on display through Oct. 1, was created by local artists, architects and hobbyists who expressed the notion of a tree house with ingenuity and childish accuracy.

Discover “Alice in Wonderland”-esque structures: oversized birdhouses, an upside-down building suspended in the sky and an underground home. “Corridor” resembles a bridge hovering in the canopy; kaleidoscopic mirrors duplicate trees and sky in “Double Canopy,” and “Oculus” is a floating bed, framing the branches and leaves overhead as you lie on your back in the fort.

Tour all 12 tree houses and vote for your favorite until Sept. 18. The people’s choice winner will be revealed at the Arboretum’s Fall Harvest Festival on Sept. 30.

Immerse yourself in USA Today’s No. 1 Botanical Garden of 2017. As you wander through the 32 diverse gardens of the Arboretum, hear the swish of Minnesota-native grasses in the Prairie garden and explore Midwest garden staples in the Peony Walk garden. See all 1,137 acres of gardens and relive childhood dreams as you climb into creative fortresses at the Arboretum’s tree house exhibit.