The New York Botanical Garden

All photographs on this page are by the author, sockii. You can see my full New York Botanic Garden photo gallery at Flickr.

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) was established in the year 1891. Most of the land which makes up the Garden today belonged to the Lorillard family, from whom it was purchased by the City of New York to create the Garden along with the Bronx Zoo. The creation of the Garden was spurred on by a fundraising campaign led by the Torrey Botanical Club and Columbia University Bontanist Nathaniel Lord Britton and his wife Elizabeth Gertrude Britton. Their desire to create the Garden was due to a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens in London, which they wished to emulate here in the United States.

One of the major features of the NYBG is its conservatory, a 1890s vintage structure built by Lord & Burnham.  But there are many other attractions to explore, including:

• The Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, originally designed in 1916
• The 2.5 acre Rock Garden, considered one of the most beautiful in the world
• The Benenson Ornamental Conifers Collection, featuring unique species of evergreen and deciduous conifers
• Magnolia Way, an explosion of flowering trees that come alive with color in early Spring
• Daffodil Hill and Daffodil Alley, where tens of thousands of daffodils welcome in Spring every year
• The Native Plant Garden, featuring over 100,000 native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, ferns, and grasses across 3.5 acres
• The Thain Family Forest, the largest remaining uncut expanse of New York woodlands today, with trees dating back to the American Revolution
• The Seasonal Walk, which is alive with color from April to November
• The Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden, where young and old alike can play in the dirt and learn about how to grow and care for your own garden at home

It's easy to spend an entire day at the NYBG without having the time to see it all. And in every season of the year there's something to enjoy, from the early Spring flowers to the colorful foliage of Autumn.

The New York Botanical Garden was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1967. Over 900,000 people visit the NYBG annually to explore the grounds, relax and take in the tranquility of this space away from the NYC skyscrapers and busy streets.

But the NYBG also plays an important global role in plant research and education. The Pfizer Plant Research Laboratory opened in 2006 with an emphasis on plant genomics, with projects exploring the evolutionary history of plants, plant use by immigrant populations in New York, and also creating a DNA library of plants.

On site is also the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, considered the largest botanical library in the Americas. It holds many rare works and books, including writings by Charles Darwin.

The New York Botanical Garden is open year-round Tuesday-Sunday and certain holiday Mondays. Hours are seasonal, from 10am - 5 or 6pm. You can either buy a grounds-only ticket to walk the outdoor gardens, or get a full ticket to enter the conservatory and certain gardens, view special exhibitions, and utilize the tram tours. On Wednesdays and early Saturday mornings it's free to enter the grounds as well.

The exact Garden location is 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458. Parking is available on site, but the easiest way to get there if you are coming from Manhattan is to take the Harlem line of the Metro-North Railroad. Trains run frequently from Grand Central Terminal, and it's only a 20 minute ride to the Botanical Garden stop. There are also nearby subway and bus routes; check the MTA website for more information.

Visitors are welcome to picnic in designated areas, but there are also dining and beverage options available on site. Since you'll be outdoors most of the time, be sure to dress appropriately for the season—and bring your sunscreen!

For more information on planning your visit, check out the New York Botanical Garden official website.

Have you ever been to the New York Botanical Garden? Would you be interested in visiting it in the future? Feel free to leave your comments below, and thanks for visiting this page!