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 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.

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

RELATED: Aquariums in the New York Area

Nature Centers and Botanical Gardens in The Bronx 

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. 

RELATED: Zoos in the NYC Area

Nature Centers and Botanical Gardens in Manhattan

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.

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. 

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.  

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. 

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.

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.

Nature Centers and Botanical Gardens in Bergen County

Closter Nature Center
The trails and parking lot are open with social distancing guidelines in place.
154 Ruckman Road, Closter
201-750-2778

The Closter Nature Center is a beautiful oasis in the middle of suburban Closter, New Jersey. With 136 acres of ponds, brooks, meadows and forests to explore, the center is open to all local residents, providing informative monthly lectures and nature walks for the general public, as well as school or scout groups.

Demarest Nature Center
90 Park St., Demarest
info@demarestnaturecenter.org
What you need to know: The Demarest Nature Center is open to all persons, residents and non-residents alike, every day of the year. In addition to preserving and protecting important open space in the midst of a large metropolitan area, the center seeks to educate young and old alike as to the beauty of nature and the importance of protecting our environment.

Flat Rock Brook Nature Center
Hiking trails are open and social distancing rules are in place.
 443 Van Nostrand Ave., Englewood
201-567-1625
Hours: Trails open from dawn until dusk.
Admission: Free
What you need to know: All visitors are required to maintain Social Distancing (6 foot minimum). The wearing of masks is recommended. All park entrances are now open. The bathroom facilities are available at the Jones Road Picnic Area only. Hand sanitizer stations are located on the deer exclosure gates. Please use them to keep your hands clean. Remember, no littering, especially potentially hazardous PPE items. There are trash cans located near the exit.

Flat Rock Brook Nature Center is a 150-acre preserve and education center on the western slope of the Palisades in Englewood, New Jersey.A 3.6 mile network of self-guiding trails leads to a cascading stream, wetlands, pond, wildflower meadows, quarry cliffs and woodlands. The diversity of the natural landscape allows visitors to observe a remarkable array of birds and other wildlife.

Friends of the Hackensack River Greenway Through Teaneck
Trails are open.
Teaneck
201-692-8222
Admission: Free.
What you need to know: Cleanups and events along the river are being canceled until the Coronavirus state of emergency is ended.

The Hackensack River Greenway through Teaneck provides a peaceful and quiet environment. It is intended for walking, jogging, observing nature or just sitting and relaxing. Access to the river provides an opportunity for young and old to learn about the ecology and history of the Hackensack River, its beauty, and the important role it plays in all our lives.

Lorrimer Sanctuary
Trails are open; buildings are closed.
790 Ewing Avenue, Franklin Lakes
201-891-2185
Hours: Wednesdays-Saturdays, 10am–4pm
Admission: Free. Fee applies to special programming.
What you need to know: The trails are open, but please follow these rules: First and foremost please stay home if you are feeling sick; Do not meet as a group, includes large families, no picnics or sports; Follow CDC guidelines of a 6 foot distance when you pass others along the trails, social distancing; No bikes; Please stay on the trails at all times (unless to pass others keeping 6 feet apart); There are no restrooms available, please be prepared; Please take any and all trash away with you; No dogs at all please

Lorrimer Sanctuary was bequeathed to the New Jersey Audubon Society in 1956. There is a self-guiding trail system that winds through the 14 acres of land. Much of the acreage is second-growth woods (mostly oak, maple, ash, and beech); and small stands of planted evergreens.

James A. McFaul Environmental Center
Building and trails are closed but the picnic pavilion, outdoor exhibits, and observatory overlooks are open with social distancing rules in place.
150 Crescent Ave., Wyckoff
201-891-5571
Hours: 8:30am-6:30pm, daily.
Admission: Free.
What you need to know: Part of the Bergen County Parks system, the site includes a waterfowl pond, bird shelters, a boardwalk, nature trail, memorial gazebo and natural science exhibits. The Environmental Center gardens include specialties such as flowering trees, Daffodil Hill, rhododendrons, ornamental grasses, the herb garden, a secret scented garden and various memorial plantings. A naturalized field area and woodland contain many plant species that provide food and shelter for a variety of wildlife species, including insects, birds and mammals.

Meadowlands Environmental Center: Richard W. Dekorte Park
Open and subject to strict social distancing guidelines.
2 De Korte Park Plaza Lyndhurst
201-460-1700
Hours: 7am-7pm, daily
Admission: Free.
What you need to know: DeKorte Park features 3.5 miles of walking paths, panoramic views of wetlands and waterways, and birds galore, all framed by the New York City skyline. The park, which was once slated to be a landfill, is the focal point of NJSEA activities. A series of colorful, interpretive signs highlight the park’s resources and the wildlife that inhabit its tidal waters, marshes, and uplands. These informational signs provide visitors with an understanding and appreciation of the Meadowlands’ unique and diverse urban eco-system.

Teaneck Creek Conservancy
Due to restoration the park is closed at all entrance points except Fycke Lane.
20 Puffin Way, Teaneck
201-836-2403
Hours: Dawn to dusk, daily
Admission: Free
What you need to know: Trek through this 46 acre park of forest and wetlands reclaimed and restored from environmental degradation and destruction. The park contains 1.3 miles of groomed trail as well as commissioned work of Eco-Art exhibitions throughout the year. TCC requests that you stay on the trails at all times, do not enter the creek or wetlands area, no motorized vehicles or bicycles allowed, smoking and alcohol are prohibited, and dogs must be on a leash at all times.

Tenafly Nature Center
Trails are open and social distancing rules are in effect.
313 Hudson Ave, Tenafly
201-568-6093
Hours: Daily, one hour after sunrise until one hour prior to sunset; from 9am - 5pm daily, TNC has a 1-way policy for the Yellow, White, Red and Main trails.
Admission: $10 per family; $2 per person; free for members; additional fee for programs
What you need to know: Tenafly Nature Center provides sanctuary for visitors who desire to develop connection with their local surroundings. Visitors can take advantage of TNC's educational programs, access center resources or simply explore at their leisure. Trails are open for passive recreation only, including hiking, walking, running or jogging, and birding. The picnic area and white picnic tables (located near the upper Yellow Trail) are now available for use by families and small groups ONLY. No grills or cooking allowed.

Nature Centers and Botanical Gardens in Orange County

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.