A Day at New York Botanical Garden
Since moving to the East Coast three years ago, we’ve visited the New York Botanical Garden half a dozen times. It’s free with our AHS memberships and beautiful any time of year. They offer a wide range of educational programs for all ages. It’s a great place to walk or run, and it’s an excellent interlude if you require a break from the concrete streets of the city. Plus, if you time your visit correctly in spring, millions of tulips and daffodils are in bloom, along with flower cherry blossom, plum, and apple trees. It’s breathtaking!
New York Botanical Garden
Location: New York City, NY
Interactive Map Linked Here
Size: 250 Acres
Designation: National Historic Landmark
Address: 2900 Southern Blvd
Bronx, NY 10458-5126
Admission: $35 / adult or FREE W/ AHS Membership
Hours: 10 am – 6 pm (see hours)
How to Reach New York Botanical Garden
We have always driven into the city and followed our GPS to NYBG’s parking lot. It’s $22 to park per vehicle or $11 if you’re an NYBG member. There’s also a slightly cheaper parking garage across the street. While it’s not officially for use by NYBG patrons, it can be accessed by anyone, according to NYBG staff. The garden is easy to find, and the parking here is abundant.
Ridesharing or public transportation is just as easy to reach New York Botanical Garden. The drop-off area is right out front. The nearest subway stop is Bedford Park Blvd, a 19-minute walk away.
About New York Botanical Garden
Founded in 1891, the New York Botanical Garden is more than a home for millions of gorgeous plants and flowers. Here, they perform cutting-edge research in botany and beyond at the International Plant Science Center to learn more about plants and their numerous uses. From an artistic standpoint, the garden is a haven for musical performances, botanical displays, and art exhibits. If it concerns plants, culture, or the humanities, chances are it can be found at the New York Botanical Garden.
A living museum, the New York Botanical Garden is a must-see place for any plant enthusiast. Check their list of events, like the annual Orchid Show, Ikebana Workshop, Garden Parties, and so much more. There’s always something happening, from celebrations all guests may attend, classes, and workshops to visiting speakers, performances, or special exhibitions, so plan your visit accordingly when possible.
Why I Loved Visiting
We most recently visited at the end of April, the final day of the Orchid Show, and it was spectacular. Not only is the Orchid Show inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory a stunning celebration of rare orchids artistically arranged around a theme, but the exterior gardens were entirely in bloom. Lilacs, tulips, daffodils, poppies, lupines, and peonies were blooming in all their splendor, and everywhere we went, there were so many more flowers than I’d ever seen in one place.
We arrived right when they opened and went straight to the orchid show. We were glad we did! When we looped back around after, the line to get in was wrapped around the garden, whereas we got straight in. I recommend getting there early or dressing to wait in line if it’s chilly.
Not only are the special events enjoyable, but they have an incredible collection of rare and exotic plants, making it one of the most biodiverse places in North America. Here, we’ve seen thousands of rare and hybrid orchids, a corpse flower, peonies, desert plants, things that only grow in remote tropical rainforests, plus native plants and everything in between. I love the way visiting botanical gardens is like a mini-getaway in that I’m able to move from collections of plants that grow in mountains, then to deserts, then tropicals, and back to North American plants, all by walking across a park. It’s also a fantastic way to support conservation because plants that grow in botanical gardens are less likely to go extinct and can be further studied for preservation purposes.
There’s always so much to see and do at New York Botanical Garden. We love hiking through the Thain Family Forest, Daffodil Valley and seeing what’s in bloom in the Lady’s Border. Whether you’re simply interested in a nice place to stroll or looking to dive deep into plant lore, the science of botany, or even put your hands in the soil at one of their many volunteer programs, there’s something for every age, interest, and skill level at New York Botanical Garden.
Explore more of my adventures in New York City and the United States. See gardens around the world, here.
