Nature Centers and Botanical Gardens in the NYC Area

Explore nature centers and botanical gardens in New York City, Long Island, Westchester County, Rockland County, and the entire New York Metro area. Read through our guide to find botanical gardens, arboretums, nature preserves, farms, and public gardens, all packed with fun nature activities for the whole family. Let your little ones loose to explore wooded trails, learn about exotic plants, and see beautiful flowers. Our comprehensive list includes updated COVID-19 hours, safety info, and regulations.

• The Bronx
• Manhattan
• Queens
• Brooklyn
• Westchester County
• Nassau County
• Suffolk County
• Fairfield County, CT

RELATED: Aquariums in the New York Area

Nature Centers and Botanical Gardens in The Bronx 

1. New York Botanical Garden

2900 Southern Boulevard
Bronx, NY 10458-5126
718-817-8700
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Hours: Tuesday-Sunday and Monday federal holidays, 10am-6pm; Members-only hours: 10am-11am; last at 4pm
Price: Advanced ticket registrations required online. Packages offered for variety of ages. Click here for pass options, such as Garden Pass: $22; $19 seniors & students (with valid ID); $8 children ages 2-12; free for children under 2 and members. New York City Resident Grounds-Only Pass: $15; $7 seniors and students (with valid ID); $4 children ages 2-12; free for children younger than 2 and members. Garden Pass + Conservatory: $28; $25 seniors & students (with valid ID); $12 children ages 2-12; free for children under 2 and members. Click here for more information about memberships.
What you need to know: All guests will have to reserve a timed ticket in advance to control capacity. All staff and visitors older than 2 will be required to wear masks and hand sanitizing stations and social distancing measures have been put in place.
Click here for the garden’s COVID-19 Safety Guidelines. Face coverings and social distancing required, as well as staff health checks and frequent cleaning and disinfecting of all areas. State and city guidelines will continue to be followed.
Home of a National Historic Landmark site on the northern half of Bronx Park, the New York Botanical Garden was established in 1891 and is one of the largest gardens in the U.S., containing more than 1 million plants. One of its greatest jewels is the Enid. A. Haupt Conservatory, a Victorian style glasshouse, or the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, or the Native Plant Garden. The NYBG was inspired by a visit from husband, wife and botanists Nathanial and Elizabeth Britton to the Royal Botanic Gardens near London. The trip made the Brittons feel New York should have its own botanical garden to conduct original research in botanical science.

 

 

 

 

 

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RELATED: Zoos in the NYC Area

Nature Centers and Botanical Gardens in Manhattan

1. Conservatory Garden in Central Park

The Conservatory Garden is open, but tours and public programming are cancelled.
Central Park, entrance on Fifth Avenue at 105th Street, East Harlem
Garden Hours: May to Aug. 14: daily, 8am-8pm; Aug. 15-31: daily, 8am-7:30pm; September: daily, 8am-7pm; October: daily, 8am-6pm; Nov.-Dec. daily, 8am-5pm; Jan to Feb: daily, 8am-5pm, March-April, 8am-6pm.
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Admission: FREE
What you need to know: Face masks or coverings are required and social distancing must be maintained. Bring hand sanitizer with you so you can clean your hands if necessary. Click here for COVID-19 Safety Guidelines and information about what’s open.
This 6-acre garden features French, Italian, and English designs. Seasonal plants include 40,000 tulips each spring and 2,000 Korean chrysanthemums each fall. An Italian Central Garden features crabapple trees, wisteria, and a lush lawn. The English-style South Garden, planted to be enjoyed year-round, features the Burnett Fountain, depicting a young boy and girl based on characters from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. See the ornate Vanderbilt Gate that was built in France and once stood at the mansion of Cornelius Vanderbilt II. Click here for virtual tours and programs.

2. Manhattan in Bloom

City parks are open, but all tours and public programming are canceled.
Parks across Manhattan, such as Theodore Roosevelt Park, Riverside Park, and Jackie Robinson Park
Hours: April-Sept.: daily, sunrise-1am
Admission: FREE
What you need to know: Face masks or coverings are required and social distancing must be maintained. Bring hand sanitizer with you so you can clean your hands if necessary.
Every month, new flowers and trees bloom in these parks and others across the city. Plants such as crocus, daffodil, butterfly bush, Asiatic lilies, roses, Hollyhock, cherry trees, and many more can be seen and smelled by all. Click here for Battery Park Gardens of Remembrance and here for Bryant Park Plant and Bloom information.

Opening soon:

3. The Met Cloisters

Scheduled to reopen in September.
99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park
212-923-3700
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Hours: Thursday-Monday: 10am-5pm. Entry to the museum is limited by timed ticket or reservation only and capacity is limited. Click here to reserve a time ticket.
Admission (suggested): $25; $17 seniors; $12 students; free for children younger than 12 (when accompanied by an adult) or caregiver accompanying visitor with a disability
What you need to know: Click here for the Cloisters’ visitor and COVID-19 Safety guidelines. Face coverings and social distancing required at all times. Temperature check for entry. Sanitizing stations available. Visitor capacity controlled and reduced.
A medieval annex of the Metropolitan Museum of Art with breathtaking views of the Hudson River, the Cloisters were designed based on horticultural information found in medieval treatises and poetry, garden documents, and works of art. A central garden is set in a courtyard with arcaded walkways, while another garden area contains nearly 300 plant species that were grown during the Middle Ages. A third, smaller garden blooms with flowers through the fall. Stroll through the adventure, paradise, fantasy, and teaching gardens. The Cloisters regularly hosts programs and workshops for kids and families; check the website for upcoming events. Click here for the Audio Guide at The Met Cloisters, which offers podcasts with curators, conservators, and educators about medieval art and architecture

Nature Centers and Botanical Gardens in Queens

1. Flushing Meadows-Corona Park

The park grounds are open, all buildings are closed.
Grand Central Parkway, Whitestone Expressway (Between 111 Street and College Point Blvd., Park Drive E),
718-760-6565
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Hours: Daily, 6-1am; hours for facilities within the park vary.
Admission: Free, but admission varies for the various institutions in the park.
What you need to know: Face masks or coverings are required and social distancing must be maintained. Bring hand sanitizer with you so you can clean your hands if necessary.
At 897 acres, it’s the largest park in Queens, which means there’s plenty of recreational space. The park is home to the Queens Zoo, Queens Museum, Queens Botanical Garden, New York Hall of Science, Arthur Ashe Stadium (home of tennis’ U.S. Open), Queens Theatre, Citi Field (home of the Mets), an aquatic center, an ice rink, a carousel, seven playgrounds (including a wheelchair-accessible playground for kids with all abilities), and two lakes. In the summer, trees and flowers in bloom include the Cornelian cherry tree, forsythia, redbud tree, roses, and other planted beds. Paddleboat, kayak and bike rentals are also available in the park at Ederle Terrace.

2. Forest Park

The park and golf course are open, but the carousel is closed.
Myrtle Avenue, Union Turnpike, Park Lane South between Brooklyn-Queens County Line and Park Lane, Forest Hills/Woodhaven. A good place to park: Seuffert Bandshell, Forest Park Drive (behind the carousel), Woodhaven.
718-235-0815
212-360-1311 (press number)
Hours: Daily, dawn to dusk, unless otherwise posted; golf course: daily, sunrise to sunset
Admission: FREE, excluding golf course and carousel rides
What you need to know: Face masks or coverings are required and social distancing must be maintained. Bring hand sanitizer with you so you can clean your hands if necessary.
In this large, multi-neighborhood park, there is a golf course, carousel, seven playgrounds, a picnic area, hiking trails, and a walking and bike trail that weaves through the entire park. Visitors can also explore the park on horseback. Click here for information about Monday Sweep at Forest Park event on March 22

 

 

 

 

 

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3. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

The park and trails are open, but the visitor’s center is closed.
After North Channel Bridge on 175-10 Cross Bay Boulevard, Broad Channel
718-318-4340
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Hours: Trials open sunrise to sunset daily; visitor center open daily, 9am-5pm (summer hours).
Admission: FREE
What you need to know: Public programs are canceled, but you can still walk the trails. Masks and social distancing are required.
A 1.75-mile loop trail features views of West Pond, Jamaica Bay, and an osprey nest. A shorter trail, a little less than a mile, features views of East Pond and bird life. There is a wide variety of programs offered at the site, including presentations on seasonal wildlife, sunset tours, hikes, boat trips, family programs, a monthly book club, and an annual lecture series; check the website for details.

4. Queens Botanical Garden

Garden open, Visitor & Administration Building (Gift Shop and Gallery) and other indoor facilities will be closed until further notice.
43-50 Main St., Flushing
718-886-3800
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Hours: Nov.-March: Tuesday-Sunday: 8am-4:30pm; Free hours: Wednesday, 3-6pm, and Sunday, 10-11am. April-Oct.: Tuesday-Sunday: 8am-6pm. Timed entry ticket reservations strongly encouraged for free hours. As schedule may adjust over time, check website for latest hours of operations and health/safety guidelines before visiting.
Admission: $6; $4 seniors; $4 students with ID; $2 children ages 4-12; free for children 3 and younger and members. Free for all Wednesdays 3-4pm and Sundays 10-11am; group rates: 10 percent off for groups of 10 or more
What you need to know: Visitors must wear masks and maintain 6 feet of social distance from others in order to enter and remain in the garden. Violators will be escorted out. Masks are available for purchase at garden entrances. Hand sanitizer dispensers are available at multiple stations throughout the garden. High-touch surfaces are disinfected throughout the day. Entrances may be temporarily closed when and if the garden is at capacity.
Includes the Queens Rose Garden, Green Roof Plant Collection, Fragrance Walk (shrubs, perennials, and bulbs that are especially fragrant during the growing season), Children’s Garden, Bee Garden, and other thematic gardens and historic plantings. Visitors can see a variety of different plants in bloom each month. The garden regularly hosts programs that demonstrate environmental stewardship, promote sustainability, and celebrate the rich cultural connections between people and plants. Children ages 2-14 can get involved in seasonal, hands-on gardening experiences year-round. Visit queensbotanicalgarden.org/kidsprograms for more information. The Farmer’s Market is open every Friday from 8:30am-4pm located at the Corner of Main Street and Dahlia Ave. Click here to learn about 2020 AnkhLave Garden Project Fellows, a public arts exhibit from six Queens-base BIPOC artists funded by the Queens Council of Arts. Click here for Wonder Garden and Conocer Compartir exhibits.

 

 

 

 

 

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Opening soon:

5. Queens County Farm Museum

Reopening on Sunday, Aug. 2 to walk the grounds, take a hayride, shop in the store, feed the goats, and meet the farmers.
73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Glen Oaks
718-347-3276
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Hours: Currently closed.
Admission: FREE, except on special event days
What you need to know: Click here for COVID-19 Safety Guidelines. Masks and six foot social distance between groups required. Entrance and exit of farm store/welcome center and public restroom have been changed to create one-way traffic flow. Two individuals or one household group is permitted in a farm store at a time due to capacity guidelines. Adriance Farmhouse and animal feeding unavailable until further notice.
The farm is the longest continuously farmed site in New York City. The site includes historic farm buildings, livestock, farm vehicles and implements, planting fields, an orchard, and an herb garden. Each month offers new events and programs. Seasonal farm stand is open both in the park’s front gate and at the Jamaica Hospital farm stand. Click here to learn more about children’s garden with sensory bedboxes, signage, and an overall interactive design. Click here for farmhouse kitchen garden.

 

 

 

 

 

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Nature Centers and Botanical Gardens in Brooklyn

1. Brooklyn Heights Promenade

Brooklyn Queens Expressway between Joralemon Street and Grace Court, Brooklyn Heights
212-639-9675
Hours: Daily, dawn to 1am
Admission: FREE
What you need to know: Visitors must wear face masks or coverings and maintain social distance.
This scenic/historic walking area features views of Staten Island, Governors Island, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the South Street Seaport, Fulton Fish Market, New York Harbor and the Brooklyn Bridge. From April through September, see spring and summer trees and flowers in bloom, including azalea, daffodil, forsythia, Japanese skimmia, lily-of-the-valley, tulip, coral bells, and more.

2. Fort Greene Park

Myrtle Avenue and De Kalb Avenue between Washington Park and St. Edward’s Street, Fort Greene
Park Office: 718-722–3218
Conservancy Office: 917-971-8290
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Hours: daily, 5am-1am
Admission: FREE
What you need to know: Visitors must wear face masks or coverings and maintain social distance.
This 30-acre park was designed in 1867 and designated a park by the City of Brooklyn at the urging of Walt Whitman. Visit the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument, which towers over the crypt where more than 11,000 people who died in the Revolutionary War are buried. The park also includes a basketball court, playgrounds, tennis courts, sloping hills, and majestic trees. Click here for event updates.

3. Prospect Park

95 Prospect Park West
718-965-8999 (events hotline) or 718-965-8951 (general info).
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Hours: Daily, 5am-1am. Woodlands, playgrounds, and the Parade Ground close at sunset. Park attractions have varying hours.
Admission: FREE park admission.
What you need to know: Visitors must wear a face mask or covering and practice social distancing by keeping 6 feet away from others. Click here for rules and safety.
This 585-acre park includes a 90-acre meadow, 60-acre lake, and Brooklyn’s only forest. It’s also home to four hiking trails; trail guides are available at the Audubon Center. The Audubon Center at the Boathouse, dedicated to wildlife preservation and natural education, hosts interactive nature programs for kids and adults, including scavenger hunts, bird watching tours, opportunities to see animal feedings, and nature play activities. Lakeside transforms the southeast corner of the park into a popular scenic and recreational destination. Lefferts Historic House (currently closed for renovations) is located in the park’s Children’s Corner, near the carousel and Prospect Park Zoo (see following entry), and encompasses a working garden, historic artifacts and documents, and period rooms and exhibits. Visitors can engage in pre-colonial activities such as candle making, sewing, butter churning, and children can engage in games played by their peers more than 100 years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

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4. Salt Marsh Nature Center

Trails open but the nature center remains closed and public programs have been canceled.
3302 Avenue U, Marine Park
718-421-2021
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Hours: trail: daily, sunrise to sunset
Admission: FREE
What you need to know: Visitors must wear a face mask or covering and practice social distancing.
The center houses nature exhibits and fish tanks for viewing. It serves as a starting point for walking tours and workshop sites for nature-themed educational programs. Click here for educational programs

5. Underwood Park

Lafayette Avenue between Waverly and Washington avenues, Clinton Hill
Hours: daily, 5am-1am
Admission: FREE
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What you need to know: Visitors must wear a face mask or covering and practice social distancing.
As one of Brooklyn’s most blossom-filled parks located in the Clinton Hill historic district, Underwood features daffodils, forsythia, flowering dogwood, mountain laurel, rose, butterfly bush, black-eyed Susan, and more in the spring and summer seasons. The park has two playground areas and public chess and checkers tables.

 

 

 

 

 

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Nature Centers and Botanical Gardens in Westchester County

1. Sarah Lawrence College Center for the Urban River at Beczak

Outdoor space is open, but indoor facilities remain closed.
35 Alexander St., Yonkers
914-377-1900 x12
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Hours: daily, dawn to dusk
Admission: FREE, but donations are appreciated. Program prices vary.
What you need to know: Visitors are asked to maintain proper social distancing and wear a mask when that isn’t possible.
Center for the Urban River at Beczak features a riverside park, sandy beach, and tidal marsh. It offers educational programs for children, adults, and groups about rivers, local beaches, marshes, fish, birds, and the weather. The Interpretive Center presents interactive exhibits, seasonal displays, and an aquarium with Hudson River species. Click here for information about registering for virtual water quality sampling training on April 8th. ecaref@sarahlawrence.edu

 

 

 

 

 

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2. Cranberry Lake Preserve

The park is open, but the nature center temporarily closed.
1609 Old Orchard St., West Harrison
914-428-1005
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Hours: daily, dawn to dusk.
Admission: FREE
What you need to know: Visitors must wear face masks when social distancing is not possible. One-way traffic is in place on paths and trails to promote social distancing. Parking lots may close intermittently on high-volume days. Click here for all COVID-19 updates.
This 190-acre park includes a variety of habitats, including a 4-acre lake, cliffs and scrubland, mixed hardwood forest, vernal pools, and a pond. Visitors can follow the History Trail to the remains of a 19th-century farmhouse and early 20th-century stone-mining operation. The nature center offers free family-oriented nature programs on most weekends and houses a variety of interactive, educational displays. The preserve also offers a summer ecology program for children in first through ninth grades. Click here for information about outdoor birthday parties.

 

 

 

 

 

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3. Greenburgh Nature Center

Grounds and outdoor exhibits are open, but the manor house and playground are closed.
99 Dromore Road, Scarsdale
914-723-3470
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Hours: Grounds: daily, dawn to dusk.
Admission: $7; $6 seniors and students; $5 children ages 2-12; free for children younger than 2
What you need to know: Masks and social distancing required, and frequent hand sanitization encouraged.
The Greenburgh Nature Center is a nonprofit nature preserve and wildlife refuge with a mission to ignite passion, curiosity, and respect for our natural world. Its 33-acre property includes hiking trails, a pond, organic garden, nature discovery playground, native plant meadow, and more than 100 rescued and rehabilitated animals. It also offers nature and sustainability education programs, seasonal camps, and weekly programs for kids. Dogs not allowed on the property. Click here to learn about Bird-A-Thon week, running from April 26-May 2.

 

 

 

 

 

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4. Lasdon Park, Arboretum and Veteran’s Memorial

Trails and gardens are open for walking, but the Conservatory and Veteran’s Museum are closed. The shop is open for limited purchases Wednesday-Saturdays, for pickup by online ordering.
2610 Amawalk Road (Route 35), Katonah
914-864-7263
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Hours: Park and Veteran's Memorial: daily, 8am-4pm. Garden Shop hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 8am-3:30pm.
Conservatory admission: Monday-Friday: $5; $2 for children 12 and younger; Saturday-Sunday: $7; $3 for children 12 and younger
What you need to know: Rules for social distancing and masks must be observed at all times. Parking lots may close intermittently on high-volume days
This 234-acre property consists of woodlands, open grass meadow, and formal gardens with flower and shrub specimens from all over the world. The park includes the William and Mildred Lasdon Memorial Garden, the azalea garden, the dinosaur garden, the 4-acre Chinese Friendship Pavilion, the Famous and Historic Tree Trail, the 22-acre Mildred D. Lasdon Bird Sanctuary, Garden Shop, and four memorials and a museum honoring veterans. The park offers botanical art classes, a plant sale, a Halloween train show in October, and a Christmas train show in December. There is also a summer concert series Friday evenings in July, weather permitting. Click here for information about Lasdon Plant Sale from May 15-16.

 

 

 

 

 

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5. Lenoir Preserve

Grounds and trails are open, but the nature center and other indoor facilities remain closed.
19 Dudley St., Yonkers
914-968-5851
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Hours: Trails: daily, dawn to dusk.
Admission: FREE
What you need to know: Masks are required when social distancing is not possible.
The 40-acre nature preserve is home to many species of birds, plants, and trees from around the world. Summer is a prime time to visit the butterfly garden, hummingbird garden, and dragonfly pond. Click here for information about the butterfly garden, here for Lenoir hawk Watch, and here for information on Hudson River Audubon Society of Westchester.

6. Marshlands Conservancy

Trail is open, but the nature center building is temporarily closed.
220 Boston Post Road, Rye
914-835-4466
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Hours: Trails and grounds: daily, dawn to dusk.
Admission: FREE
What you need to know: One-way traffic is in place on paths and trails. Parking lots may close intermittently on high-volume days. Masks and social distancing required.
The 147-acre wildlife sanctuary borders 23 acres of Jay property and is comprised of forest, meadow, salt marsh, and shore. There are 3 miles of trails and ½ mile of shoreline along the Long Island Sound. The nature center displays a small number of changing exhibits and saltwater aquaria containing representative species of marine life and offers environmental programs to schools and other groups by registration. The conservancy also offers a summer ecology program for children and a conservationist-in-training summer program for kids in grades 7-9.

7. Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary and Nature Center

The sanctuary grounds are open, but the Nature Center remains closed.
100 Playland Parkway, Rye
914-967-8720
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friendsofreadws@gmail.com
Hours: Trails open daily dawn to dusk
Admission: FREE; parking fee in effect May-October
What you need to know: Masks or face coverings are required when social distancing is not possible. Click here for COVID-19 safety updates.
Three miles of trails navigate through the 179-acre sanctuary, which is full of diverse marine life, both plants and animals. The park also has views of Long Island Sound and Manursing Lake and a nature center building. Educational programs are offered through the nature center. Please call or visit the website for updates.

 

 

 

 

 

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8. Rye Nature Center

Grounds and trails are open, but buildings, playgrounds and programs remain closed.
873 Boston Post Road, Rye
914-967-5150
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info@ryenaturecenter.org
Hours: Trails: daily dawn to dusk
Admission: FREE
What you need to know: Guests are asked to maintain a 6-foot distance between you and others, visit alone or with members of immediate family or household, make space for others in the park, and protect yourself and other visitors while on the trails by warning others of your presence when passing. Access to bathrooms is unavailable.
With 47 acres of wildlife preserve, the Rye Nature Center has ponds, bee observation hives, and hiking trails. Kids ages 3½-13 can enroll in a summer ecology camp June-August, and preschoolers and kindergarteners can do a weeklong June Bug program to learn about animals on the trails throughout June. A Paddle Adventure kayaking camp is also offered during the summer for kids in eighth through 10th grades.

 

 

 

 

 

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