Experience the changing seasons in this leafy inner-city sanctuary, where specialty gardens and heritage pavilions showcase plants from around the world.
Plants from near and far are brought together in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a horticultural haven in Prospect Park. Founded in 1910, the garden features heritage landscaping and architecture across its 52-acre (21-hectare) estate. Make a journey around the globe and peer into the waters of a Japanese pond flecked with cherry blossoms or follow a boardwalk through the native woodland habitat of the New York region.
The Native Flora Garden was the first section established in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Wander past the dry meadow, pine barrens and tall conifers to a stream and kettle pond. Go back in time to the days of the Bard and explore the Shakespeare Garden. This English cottage garden features more than 80 of the plants mentioned in the playwright’s scripts and poems.
Follow your nose to the Alice Recknagel Ireys Fragrance Garden, which was established for people with low or no vision. Flat graded pathways and Braille information signs make this garden accessible for all visitors. Kids can learn about how plants work at the Children’s Garden, which hosts a series of informative programs for budding green thumbs.
Discover wetland and riparian plants at the Water Garden ad admire the water lilies that bloom in summer at the Lily Pool Terrace. If you are visiting in springtime, be sure to check out the Cherry Tree Esplanade and see the pink blossoms. The Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden is a masterpiece by Japanese landscape designer Takeo Shiota. Stroll around more than 1,000 varieties in the Cranford Rose Garden.
The Steinhardt Conservatory has a series of pavilions displaying tropical, warm-temperature and desert plants. Check out bonsai plants, orchids and tropical water plants or see what’s on display at the conservatory’s art gallery.
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is located in the northeastern corner of Prospect Park. Reach the site easily via the subway station for the Brooklyn Museum. If you drive, pay to park in the nearby tended lot. The garden’s admission fee is discounted for students and seniors. Children below the age of 12 can enter for free. The garden is closed on Mondays.
