Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in the NYC Area

Explore zoos, 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 petting zoos, arboretums, nature preserves, farms and public gardens, all packed with fun nature activities for the whole family. Let your little ones loose to try their hands at zoo feedings and touch tanks, explore wooded trails, and learn about exotic plants. Our comprehensive list includes updated COVID-19 hours, safety info, and regulations.

• Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in the Bronx
• Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in Manhattan
• Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in Queens
• Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in Brooklyn
• Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in Rockland County
• Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in Orange County
• Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in Westchester County
• Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in Nassau County
• Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in Suffolk County
• Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in Fairfield County, CT

Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in The Bronx 

Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo
Reopening at limited capacity for members only July 20-23 and for the public July 24.
2300 Southern Blvd., Bronx
718-367-1010
Hours: Through Oct. 31: Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm; Saturday-Sunday and holidays, 10am-5:30pm
Admission: $34.95; $28.95 seniors ages 65 and older; $24.95 children ages 3-12; free for children younger than 3. Admission is free on Wednesdays; tickets are released the week of on Tuesdays at 10am on a first-come, first-served basis.
What you need to know: Guests must reserve tickets online for a specific date. Currently, only outdoor exhibits and grounds are open (Congo Gorilla Forest, JungleWorld, Butterfly Garden, Aquatic Birds, Madagascar, Mouse House, World of Reptiles, World of Birds, Zoo Center, and Camel Rides are temporarily closed). All guests ages 3 and older must wear masks or face coverings, in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order. Guests are asked to maintain social distancing guidelines, avoid gatherings, and follow the posted rules and signs. The Bronx Zoo will continually disinfect the park, limit capacity at the zoo, and staff members will adhere to safety guidelines.

Immerse yourself in an animal adventure with the tropical residents inside JungleWorld, get up close with lemurs and crocs in Madagascar!, and see the scaly, spectacular World of Reptiles! Plus, hop a ride on a camel, watch penguins and sea lions enjoy mealtime, and ride the Bug Carousel year-round. 

New York Botanical Garden
Outdoor gardens and collections are slated to reopen to the public July 28, but it’s opening July 21-26 for Appreciation Week for Garden Members, Bronx Neighbors, and Bronx Health Care Heroes
Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Road
718-817-8700
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-6pm; Members-only hours: 10am-11am; last at 4pm
Admission: Garden Pass: $22; $19 seniors and students (with valid ID); $8 children ages 2-12; free for children younger than 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.
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. Only outdoor gardens and collections are open.

The New York Botanical Garden is one of the largest gardens of any in the United States, containing more than 1 million plants. Kids can explore the world of plants by participating in Nature Explorers Programs, drop-in gardening activities, and more. 

Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in Manhattan

American Museum of Natural History: The Butterfly Conservatory
AMNH is currently closed due to the coronavirus.
Central Park West at 79th Street, Upper West Side,
212-769-5100
Hours: Currently closed, but you can virtually tour the museum and participate in virtual field trips.
Admission: $28; $22.50 seniors and students; $16.50 children ages 2-12 (includes museum admission) 
Enter a re-created tropical forest environment filled with more than 500 live butterflies.

Wildlife Conservation Society's Central Park Zoo
Reopening at limited capacity for members only July 20-23 and the public July 24.
64th Street and Fifth Avenue, Central Park
212-439-6500
Hours: Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm (last entry: 4:30pm); Saturday-Sunday and holidays, 10am-5:30pm (last entry: 5pm).
Admission: $13.95; $10.95 seniors; $8.95 children ages 3-12; free for children younger than 3
What you need to know: Guests must reserve tickets online for a specific date. Currently, only outdoor exhibits and grounds are open. All guests ages 3 and older must wear masks or face coverings, in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order. Guests are asked to maintain social distancing guidelines, avoid gatherings, and follow the posted rules and signs. The Central Park Zoo will continually disinfect the park, limit capacity at the zoo, and staff members will adhere to safety guidelines.

This zoo has daily feedings of the sea lions at 11:30am, 1:30pm, and 3:30pm. You can also visit penguins at the Polar Circle exhibit and see snow leopards. The exotic indoor Tropic Zone is home to many species of free-flying birds as well as reptiles and lemurs. Admission includes entry to the Tisch Children’s Zoo, where kids can feed and pet goats, sheep, llamas, and other domestic animals. 

The Met Cloisters 
Closed, but currently scheduled to reopen in September.
99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park
212-923-3700
Hours: Currently closed.
Admission (suggested): $25; $17 seniors; $12 students; free for children younger than 12 (when accompanied by an adult)

A medieval annex of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 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. The Cloisters regularly hosts programs and workshops for kids and families; check the website for upcoming events.

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; November-February: daily, 8am-5pm; March-April, 8am-6pm.
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.

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. 

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-September: 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.

Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in Queens

Alley Pond Environmental Center 
The nature center is closed.
224-65 76th Ave, Oakland Gardens 
718-229-4000
Hours: Currently closed.
Admission: FREE; donations accepted

The center is an aquatic and terrestrial habitat and nature preserve that features a learning center and environmental laboratory. The center offers animal, science, and nature programs for both children and adults. The site also hosts weekly events, including nature walks, workshops, and an Evening with the Stars astronomy program. Pre-registration is required for all events. There is also a small live animal room that has a variety of smaller ambassador animals. 

Flushing Meadows-Corona Park 
The park grounds are open, but all buildings are closed.
Grand Central Parkway, Whitestone Expressway (Between 111 Street and College Point Blvd., Park Drive E), 
718-760-6565
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.

Forest Park 
The park and golf course are open, but the carousel remains 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. 

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge 
The park and trails are open, but the visitor’s center remains closed. 
After North Channel Bridge on 175-10 Cross Bay Boulevard, Broad Channel
718-318-4340
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. 

Queens Botanical Garden 
Garden reopened July 21, with limited operating hours and reduced capacity, but the Visitor & Administration  Building (Gift Shop and Gallery) and other indoor facilities will be temporarily closed until further notice.
43-50 Main St., Flushing
718-886-3800
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday: 10am-4pm; Free hours: Wednesday, 3-4pm, and Sunday, 10-11am. Timed entry ticket reservations strongly encouraged for free hours.
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. 

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
Hours: Currently closed.
Admission: FREE, except on special event days

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. 

Wildlife Conservation Society's Queens Zoo
Reopening at limited capacity for members only July 20-23 and the public July 24.
53-51 111th St., Corona
718-271-1500
Hours: through October: Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm (last entry: 4:30pm); Saturday-Sunday and holidays, 10am- 5:30pm (last entry: 5pm).
Admission: $9.95; $7.95 seniors; $6.95 children ages 3-12; free for children younger than 2
What you need to know: Guests must reserve tickets online for a specific date. Currently, only outdoor exhibits and grounds are open. All guests ages 3 and older must wear masks or face coverings, in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order. Guests are asked to maintain social distancing guidelines, avoid gatherings, and follow the posted rules and signs. The Queens Zoo will continually disinfect the park, limit capacity at the zoo, and staff members will adhere to safety guidelines.

Besides being home to a wide variety of wildlife—from penguins, to mountain lions, to Andean bears—that visitors can view at their leisure, the zoo also offers a walk-through aviary and hands-on learning experiences for kids with an emphasis on wildlife conservation. Young children can also relax and explore in the Discovery Center, which offers projects and special activities along with a library full of animal-themed storybooks and games, a microscope and fossils, and a crafts station. Plus, watch California sea lions Taylor and Butch flip for fish during their 11:15am, 2pm, and 4pm feeding times at the sea lion pool in the center of the zoo. 

Socrates Sculpture Park 
32-01 Vernon Blvd. (at Broadway), Long Island City
718-956-1819
Hours: daily, 9am to sunset (unless otherwise posted)
Admission: FREE
What you need to know: Visitors must maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from other visitors while at the park, and cover nose and mouth with a mask at the park unless you can assure that you remain 6 feet away from other visitors at all times. All regular park rules and regulations also remain in effect during this time. In particular, dogs must remain on a leash at all times at Socrates. Those found in violation of this rule will be fined.

This outdoor park features large-scale sculptures and hosts free weekly summer workshops for children, in which they can work with a different artist each week (workshop schedule is posted online). Popular family programs include Queens Green Day on June 2 and the Summer Solstice Celebration on June 21. Hellgate Farm will offer a weekly Saturday farm stand at Socrates.  

Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in Brooklyn

Brooklyn Botanic Garden 
Scheduled to reopen for an Exclusive Member Appreciation Week July 31-Aug. 6, and will reopen to the public Aug. 7.
990 Washington Ave., Crown Heights
718-623-7200
Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday and Sunday: 10am-6pm; Thursday-Saturday:10am-8:30pm; Members’ Summer Evenings: Wednesdays, 6-8:30pm. Specialty gardens begin to close 30 minutes before closing time. The garden asks visitors to limit stay to 3 hours to allow others to enjoy the garden. 
Admission: Tickets will be available to reserve beginning Monday, July 27. During the garden’s first few weeks reopened, tickets will be free for all.
What you need to know: The garden will have new contactless entrance, reduced capacity in order to support physical distancing, and a face-covering requirement for all visitors older than 2. Each visitor, including members and children younger than 12, will be required to have an advance ticket to enter the garden. Tickets will be timed and visitors will select a specific entrance gate when reserving their ticket, out of three possible entrances, to avoid the risk of crowding. Indoor spaces are closed. Bring your own water.

A 52-acre 'living museum” with various plant collections and special gardens, BBG strives to teach visitors the importance of plants in our everyday lives. Must-see May highlights include Bluebell Wood, the Lilac Collection, tulips in the Annual Border, and azaleas and wisteria in the Osborne Garden. Check bbg.org/bloom for updates on what’s in bloom. BBG also hosts nature-based educational programs and camps for young children and their caregivers year-round, including a children's garden program, discovery garden for kids, and summer camps. 

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, 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.

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
Hours: daily, 5am-1am 
Admission: FREE
What you need to know: Visitors must wear face masks or coverings and maintain social distance. 
 

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.

Prospect Park 
The park is open, but the Lefrak Center at Lakeside is closed.
95 Prospect Park West
718-965-8999 (events hotline) or 718-965-8951 (general info).
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. 

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. 

Wildlife Conservation Society's Prospect Park Zoo
Reopening at limited capacity for members only July 20-23 and the public July 24.
450 Flatbush Ave., Prospect Heights
718-399-7339
Hours: through October: Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm (last entry: 4:30pm); Saturday-Sunday, and holidays, 10am-5:30pm (last entry 5pm). 
Admission: $9.95; $7.95 seniors; $6.95 children ages 3-12; free for children younger than 3
What you need to know: Guests must reserve tickets online for a specific date. Currently, only outdoor exhibits and grounds are open. All guests ages 3 and older must wear masks or face coverings, in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order. Guests are asked to maintain social distancing guidelines, avoid gatherings, and follow the posted rules and signs. The Prospect Park Zoo will continually disinfect the park, limit capacity at the zoo, and staff members will adhere to safety guidelines.

Meet a troop of Hamadryas baboons and watch their antics; experience various types of animal habitats, including gardens, marshes, and scrubland; visit the Barn & Garden area, where you’ll find farm animals like sheep, cows, and llamas; and watch some high-fiving sea lions catch fish on the fly at 11:30am, 2pm, and 4pm daily in the Sea Lion Court.

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
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.

Underwood Park 
Lafayette Avenue between Waverly and Washington avenues, Clinton Hill
Hours: daily, 5am-1am 
Admission: FREE
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, Underwood features daffodil, 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.

Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in Rockland County

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland Education Center
In-person events are cancelled, offices are closed to the public, and services are still running. 
10 Patriot Hills Drive, Stony Point
845-429-7085
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm
Admission: FREE tour of the gardens on the last Sunday of each month (April–October) at 1pm; prices vary for other educational programs.

The Master Gardener Volunteers of Rockland County design and maintain eight demonstration gardens at the CCE Rockland Education Center, including ferns, herbs, ornamental grasses, native plants, a cutting garden, and a container garden. Educational programs for children include 4-H youth development, gardening classes and workshops, and a horticulture lab. Horticulture lab is open, and you can drop off samples to have your plants identified. 

Rockland Lake State Park 
299 Rockland Lake Road, Valley Cottage (pool entrance: 153 Rockland Lake Road)
845-268-3020
Hours: park: daily, dawn to dusk. Pool: Monday-Friday, 10am-5:45pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-6:45pm
Admission: FREE. Pool: $3. Parking is $8 from early April through late October.
What you need to know: The pool is open with limited capacity. Once you leave the pool complex, you’ll have to join the line to re-enter. Visitors are asked to maintain social distance and wear a face mask when social distancing is not possible. Parking in some lots will be reduced.

Rockland Lake State Park’s lake is located on a ridge of Hook Mountain, above the west bank of the Hudson River. It is home to many species of fish, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, and birds such as eagles, water birds, and songbirds. The park has a 3.2-mile bicycle path. The pool will open on May 27 and be open weekends and holidays through Sept. 4 (also open weekdays, 10am-5:45pm, late June through late August). Pets are not permitted May through September 30. Pets are permitted on leash (maximum 60’) through March, but pets are not permitted on paved paths.

 

Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in Orange County

Bear Mountain Trailside Museums and Zoo
The zoo and bathrooms are open, but the museum and offices remain closed. You can only park by the main entrance near the pool, other gates are closed   
Bear Mountain State Park, Palisades Interstate Parkway and Route 9W (55 Hessian Lake Drive, Highland Falls)
845-786-2701 x265
Hours: daily, 10:30am-4:30pm
Admission: FREE, but $1 donations are appreciated. Parking is $10.
What you need to know: Park is limiting the capacity of the zoo to maintain social distance. Wear a mask or face covering, except children younger than 2 and people with certain health conditions. Maintain social distance of 6 feet. Wait for other visitors to move from congested areas. Do not touch common surfaces, including rails. Wash hands and use hand sanitizer. Drinking fountain has been turned off for safety. Only access is via entrance near the pool.

Enjoy paved walking trails, scenic views of the Hudson River, and learn about plants and animals native to New York State. All the animals here are either permanently injured or orphaned and would not be able to survive in the wild. Trailside has four museums: The Reptile and Amphibian House is home to turtles, snakes, frogs, toads, salamanders, and skinks, as well as many species of fish. The Nature Study Museum houses specimens originally created by the Museum of Natural History to educate people about animal identification. Visitors can learn about geologic formations of the Hudson Highlands in the Geology Museum and local Native American and early settler culture in the History Museum. 

Hudson Highlands Nature Museum 
The grounds are open, but buildings and restrooms remain closed.
Outdoor Discovery Center: 120 Muser Drive (across from 174 Angola Road), Cornwall
845-534-5506
Wildlife Education Center: 25 Boulevard, Cornwall-on-Hudson
845-534-7781
Hours: Trails: Saturday-Sunday, dawn to dusk. Grasshopper Grove: Saturday-Sunday, 10am-4pm. Wildlife Education Center: Currently closed. Outdoor Discovery Center visitor center is open weekends, 10am-4pm. 
Admission: Wildlife Education Center: $3; free for children 2 and younger. Outdoor Discovery Center: $3; free for children younger than 2. 
What you need to know: Grasshopper Grove is open 45-minute play sessions by appointment only. Guests are asked to practice proper social distancing, and pack everything out (tissues, bags, wrappers, etc.) you bring in. Wear a mask when social distancing is not possible. Dogs are not allowed.  

The Nature Museum includes the two centers listed above, 3 miles apart, along with pond, field, and woodland hiking trails. Visitors can participate in weekly interactive programs, events, and activities, all with a basis in environmental education and conservation, for toddlers, adults, and everyone in between. The Outdoor Discovery Center is the home base for the museum’s Young Naturalist Preschool, Summer Science and Nature Camp, and Grasshopper Grove, the Hudson Valley's first nature playground. The Wildlife Education Center houses live native animals, where visitors can get an up-close look at the wildlife at the Meet the Animals programs on Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm and 2:30pm. They can also learn and play in the new Birds on the Wing interactive exhibit in the Ogden Gallery.  

Sterling Forest State Park 
The park is open, but the visitor center remains closed.
116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo
845-351-5907
Hours: Daily, dawn to dusk. Bathrooms: daily, 8:30am-4pm. Visitor center is currently closed.
Admission: FREE
What you need to know: Visitors must wear masks when social distancing is not possible.
The park offers a variety of hiking trails with scenic views of hills, valleys, and lakes. The Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Visitor Center overlooking Sterling Lake features exhibits about the local environment and history. Lectures and hikes are led by the nonprofit organization Friends of Sterling Forest.
 

Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens in Westchester County

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
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. ecaref@sarahlawrence.edu

Cranberry Lake Preserve
The park is open, but the nature center temporarily closed. 
1609 Old Orchard St., West Harrison
914-428-1005
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.

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.

Greenburgh Nature Center
Grounds and outdoor exhibits are open, but the manor house and playground are closed.
99 Dromore Road, Scarsdale
914-723-3470
Hours: Grounds: daily, dawn to dusk.
Admission: $7; $6 seniors and students; $5 children ages 2-12; free for children younger than 2

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. 

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
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 must be observed at all times. Parking lots may close intermittently on high-volume days