Menikdena is one of the 3 Arboretums (Arboretum is a Tree-Garden where all the trees are named in English, Sinhalese and in the Botanical name of trees) and the other two are the Kottawa Arboretum-10 miles from Galle on the Hiniduma road and Popham Arboretum (see below) at Kandalama.

Menikdena is a 45-acre forest reserve converted to an Arboretum by the students of the Trinity College, Kandy as a school project. There are 110 different species of trees named here.

Menikdena is a historic site identified as Buddhagama Vihara endowed by King Sena II (853-887 A.D.). King Vijayabahu I destroyed the Chola Fort here and established his own fort.

King Parakramabahu I had his base camp here in his fight against Gajabahu II of Polonnaruwa.

Menikdena is 2 miles off on the Dambulla-Matale Road, 5 miles from Dambulla.