From the bustle and excitement of one of the world’s largest cities, to the quiet towns, kid-friendly resorts, and seasonal foliage of upstate New York to the beaches of Long Island, the state has something for everyone. What is New York State best known for? Museums, historic houses, botanical gardens, art galleries, forts, and stately churches attract history and horticulture lovers.
1. Cornell Botanic Gardens
Located in the northeastern part of Cornell’s campus, Cornell Botanic Gardens is a living museum that consists of a rich botanic garden and arboretum, making the campus one of the most beautiful in the country. The gardens are organized around the Nevin Welcome Center and include areas for ornamental and useful herbs, rhododendrons, heritage vegetables, perennials, ornamental grasses, groundcovers, conifers, a bioswale garden, plants in containers, and much more. The F.R. Newman Arboretum is a 100-acre space that contains wonderful collections of oaks, crabapples, maples, conifers, urban trees, dogwoods, nut trees, and many other tree species. There is also a collection of flowering shrubs, streamside gardens, and pleasant overlooks, which invite you to take a break to enjoy the magnificent view of the surrounding rolling terrain.
124 Comstock Knoll Dr, Ithaca, NY 14850, Phone: 607-255-2400
2. Kykuit, New York State
Kykuit, the Dutch word for “lookout,” is the name of the Rockefeller mansion in the Hudson River Valley, which was the residence for four generations of the oil tycoon and philanthropist family. Completed in 1913, the house is in neo-Georgian style, and its 250 acres feature vast gardens filled with beautiful sculptures by some of the world’s greatest sculptors.
The house overlooks the Hudson River with a view of the New York City skyline twenty-five miles south, and the ground floor and basements may be toured year round with a docent. Art lovers will be amazed at the priceless works hanging on the walls; the Rockefeller’s collection of the 20th century art includes pieces by Chagall, Picasso, and Warhol. Chinese antiquities and European ceramics are also on display. Another highlight of the tour is the carriage house, which contains the family’s classic cars and horse-drawn carriages.More weekend getaways from NYC.
381 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591, Phone: 914-366-6900
3. One World Observatory, New York State
One World Observatory is located on the 100th floor of One World Trade Center, also known as the Freedom Tower. At 104 floors, One World Trade Center is the tallest building in New York City, and offers unparalleled 360-degree views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and New Jersey. Access to the tower’s observatory is via Sky Pod, a super-fast elevator that climbs to the 100th floor in under a minute.
For the truly brave, there is a 14-foot glass floor on the observatory level that allows visitors to walk one hundred stories above Lower Manhattan with a clear view to the ground. Floor 101 has three dining options for visitors: a café, an artisanal small plate bistro that serves international cocktails, and a reservations-only fine dining restaurant. The Observatory also includes a special events area that can be rented for private gatherings.
1 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007, Phone: 844-696-1776
4. Top of the Rock Observation Deck, New York State
The Top of the Rock Observation Deck is a viewing space built to resemble an ocean liner atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the iconic art deco building at the heart of Rockefeller Center. Built in 1933 by the Rockefeller family, the seventy-story building is now owned by Comcast.
The Observation Deck was closed for two decades to allow for renovations; it re-opened in November 2005 and is now a popular attraction, offering panoramic views of New York City. Tickets may be bought that include a trip to the observation deck as well as a tour of the building. Tour guides will point out its spectacular art and architecture and tell stories from its ninety-year history.
30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112, Phone: 212-690-2000
You are reading "What to Do in New York State Today" Back to Top
5. Cave of the Winds, New York State
Cave of the Winds is an extremely popular tourist attraction on the American side of Niagara Falls. The original natural cave behind Bridal Veil Falls was destroyed in a rockslide in 1954. Now the area behind Bridal Veil Falls is covered in redwood boardwalks and viewing platforms, ready to receive the tourists who descend 175 feet in a specially built elevator.
Ponchos and slippers are provided for each visitor, but it should be noted that you will probably get very wet anyway, as the power and might of the falls is like a tropical storm and soaks everything in the immediate area. The wooden platforms are removed every year in the late fall to prevent ice damage and are replaced in the spring; special tours are offered in the spring to visitors interested in watching park workers put the boardwalks back into place.
Goat Island, Niagara Falls, NY 14303, Phone: 716-278-1730
6. Mid Hudson Children's Museum, New York State
Mid Hudson Children's Museum is one of the region's prime family-friendly destinations. The museum, which was the 2015 recipient of the United Way Nonprofit Spotlight Award and the Dutchess Tourism Family Entertainment Award, serves as the only children's museum within the Hudson River Valley between New York City and Albany, easily accessible via the Poughkeepsie Metro-North train station. Family-friendly exhibits introduce literacy, art, health, and STEM concepts to more than 75,000 annual young visitors, offering opportunities to learn through play and curiosity. Exhibits include a science center, an imagination playground, an Early Learning Junction playspace for children under four, and an outdoor children's garden.
75 N Water St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601, 845-471-0589
7. Things to Do in New York: George Eastman Museum
George Eastman was the founder of Eastman Kodak Co., and the visionary who helped popularize photography and made the art of movie making possible. His estate, opened to the public in 1949, is now the home of vast photographic and cinematographic archives, and it is a must-see stop for anyone with an interest in the history of film and photography.
The mansion and gardens may be toured alone or with a knowledgeable docent; the gardens are beautifully laid out and peaceful. At all times there are at least three temporary galleries open with displays related to George Eastman’s life and work, and a 500 seat theater shows over 300 films every year. With advance registration, visitors can participate in hands-on workshops.
900 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607, Phone: 585-271-3361
8. Statue of Liberty, New York State
The Statue of Liberty is one of the best-known monuments in the world; it has graced New York’s harbor for over a hundred years, and it is a much-loved tourist destination. Built in 1886 by Gustave Eiffel, who also constructed the Eiffel Tower, the statue was gift to the United States from the people of France. Entirely made of copper, it sits on a stone pedestal that was funded by private donations.
Tourists wishing to climb the spiral staircase to the statue’s crown must make reservations, as only 240 people a day may make the climb. Advance reservations are also required for those who wish to mount the pedestal and see the museum inside it. Visitors who come just to tour the grounds may buy tickets on the day of their visit. The National Park Service maintains the statue, and ranger-guided tours of the park are available daily.
Liberty Island, New York, NY, 10004, Phone: 212-363-3200
9. National September 11 Memorial and Museum, New York
The National September 11 Memorial and Museum commemorate the attacks on the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, the related attacks near Shanksville, PA and at the Pentagon, and the World Trade Center bombing of 1993. The names of the nearly 3,000 victims of these attacks, which included many rescue personnel, are inscribed on bronze panels around twin reflecting pools that are each nearly an acre in size and sit in the footprints of what were once the Twin Towers.
These reflecting pools have the largest manmade waterfalls in North America. The museum examines the implications of the events of September 1, through multimedia presentations, artwork, artifacts, historical exhibits, and photographs, and it commemorates every victim of the terror attacks.
180 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007, Phone: 212-312-8800
10. The Storm King Art Center, New York
The Storm King Art Center is a unique open-air museum in Mountainville, named for its proximity to the beautiful nearby Storm King Mountain. The museum, which stretches across approximately 500 acres of gorgeous foothills land, was originally founded in 1960 and today showcases one of the United States' largest collections of contemporary outdoor sculpture. A core collection features master works by prominent 20th-century artists such as Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, Mark di Suvero, Douglas Abdell, and Isamu Noguchi, showcased alongside works by contemporary luminaries such as Alice Aycock, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Andy Goldsworthy, and Sol LeWitt. A number of pieces on display have been donated by Manhattan's Museum of Modern Art. Visitors can explore the museum's visitor center, museum store, and outdoor cafe and food truck court, which serves up a wide variety of locally-sourced, organic fare.
1 Museum Rd, New Windsor, NY 12553, Phone: 845- 534-3115
11. Temple Emanu-El, New York
Standing tall and regal on Fifth Avenue in New York City, Temple Emanu-El is a must-visit destination for everyone interested in history, architecture and Judaism. The temple started out as a small loft meeting place for Jewish immigrants from Europe more than 175 years ago. Decades later, the group had saved up enough money to build one of the most spectacular Synagogues in the US. The Reform synagogue is built in the Romanesque Revival Style and is so impressive that it is visited by thousands of people each year. After you have visited the temple, head to Battery Park City to the Museum of Jewish Heritage.
Temple Emanu-El, 1 East 65th Street, New York, NY 10065, 212 744 1400
12. The Edward Hopper Birthplace and Boyhood Home, New York
The Edward Hopper Birthplace and Boyhood Home preserves the childhood home of noted American artist Edward Hopper, located within the Rockland County city of Nyack. The two-story Greek Revival-style home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000, noted for its status as the artist's residence from his birth in 1882 to his move to Manhattan in 1910. Today, the home is preserved as the Edward Hopper House Art Center, which showcases a public gallery facility dedicated to the artist's life and work. Additional gallery spaces feature rotating contemporary art exhibits with a focus on artists inspired by or working in similar styles to Hopper. Hopper's second-story bedroom has been faithfully recreated, showcased as a living history exhibit for home visitors. Walking tours of the home are offered for individuals and groups, with large group accommodations available with advance reservation.
82 N Broadway, Nyack, NY 10960, Phone: 845-358-0774
13. Things to Do in New York State: The Met Cloisters
The Cloisters are a division of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, located in northern Manhattan in Fort Tryon Park. It is a long subway ride from downtown Manhattan, but well worth the trip. Cloisters and chapels from medieval Europe form the architecture of this stunning gallery of medieval European art.
The garden is peaceful, and it is worth a trip on its own, particularly in spring when it is full of blossoms and especially with the beautiful vista over the Hudson River. Of special note are the priceless 15th century Unicorn Tapestries; the museum also holds a wide collection of medieval art and religious artifacts. The museum was a pet project of John D. Rockefeller Jr., and it opened in 1938.
99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park, New York, NY 10040, Phone: 212-923-3700
14. Historic Huguenot Street, New York
Historic Huguenot Street is a 10-acre National Historic Landmark District preserving the 1677 Hudson Valley settlement of Huguenot families who settled in the area seeking religious freedom. Today, the district retains its historic 19th-century character and is home to a plethora of visitor attractions, including the reconstructed 1717 Huguenot Church and seven preserved historic stone houses belonging to early area settlers. A visitor center offers a shaded picnic grove and exhibits on the region's diverse groups, including its English, French, and Dutch settlers and pre-Columbian indigenous groups. Other attractions include a replica Munsee indigenous wigwam, several archaeological sites, and a burial ground preserving the remains of the region's earliest settlers. Free walking tours of the historic district are available for visitors at all times, showcasing background information on the region's landmarks.
81 Huguenot Street, New Paltz, NY 12561. Phone: 845) 255-1889
15. Things to Do: New York Botanical Garden
The New York Botanical Garden, located on 250 acres in the Bronx, contains over one million plants from temperate, tropical, and desert regions of the world. The gardens are heavily focused on education and conservation and offer gardening classes for all ages, as well as supplementary courses for adults in botany, botanical illustration, landscape gardening, and art therapy.
The children’s gardening program is tied in to curriculum-based studies. A highlight of the New York Botanical Garden is the annual train show, where miniature enthusiasts can delight in trains traveling through scale reproductions of New York landmarks. For those with limited mobility, a train is available for touring the gardens year round.
2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY 10458, Phone: 718-817-8700
16. Things to Do Near Me: Hudson Beach Glass
Hudson Beach Glass is one of the Hudson Valley's premiere glasswork studios, owned and operated by Wendy and John Gilvey, Jennifer Smith, and Michael Benzer since 1987. While the company's main studio is operated within a renovated ice house, its public gallery and glassblowing demonstration facility is open to the public on Beacon's Main Street within a restored firehouse facility, easily accessible via the Beacon Metro-North train station. Visitors can view glassblowing demonstrations and observe a wide variety of glass works crafted by studio artists, including functional pieces and home items that may be purchased via the facility's art store. Visitors can also participate in glassblowing and glass sculpting classes, focusing on techniques such as glass bead making and ornament blowing. Public special events include participation in the city's monthly Second Saturday Beacon art walk.
162 Main St, Beacon, NY 12508, Phone: 845-440-0068
17. Things to Do in New York State: Farmers' Museum
The Farmers' Museum, in Cooperstown, New York, presents visitors with a look at rural and village life during the 19th century. Situated on the shores of Otsego Lake, over two dozen original historic buildings and a stone barn are filled with docents and historical re-enactors demonstrating traditional ways of life; activities include cooking over a fire, blacksmithing, and printing. Many of the items made by the re-enactors are available for purchase in the General Store or in the museum’s gift shop.
There are many displays of traditional farming implements and fields full of heritage livestock. Educational programs are available for families, school groups, and for adults. For a nominal fee, visitors may ride the hand carved 1943 carousel or go on horse-drawn wagon rides. The museum has several places where food and drink are available for purchase.
Lake Road, Cooperstown, NY 13326, Phone: 888-547-1450
18. Things to Do in New York: Empire State Building
The Empire State Building has been an iconic New York City attraction since it was completed in 1931. Rising high at 102 stories and 1250 feet above Manhattan, the Empire State Building was the tallest in the world for many years. The Art Deco style building is an essential attraction for visitors to the city who come to gaze at Manhattan from its observation decks.
Even waiting in line in the lobby is an experience in itself, as the lobby’s ceilings are artistic wonders of art deco murals rendered in 24 karat gold and aluminum leaf. The 86th floor observation deck is open-air, allowing visitors to see all of Manhattan from 360 degrees as the deck wraps around the building. The 102nd floor observation deck is enclosed, and on a clear day visitors can see up to eighty miles away. The building has restaurants, gift shops, and restroom facilities.
350 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10118, Phone: 212-736-3100
19. Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, New York
Sagamore Hill was the home of American president Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt from the time it was built in 1885 until his death in 1919. During Roosevelt’s childhood, his family took many extended vacations to the Oyster Bay area, and when he was twenty-five years old, Roosevelt purchased an extensive tract of land and had this beautiful Queen Anne structure built for himself and his family.
He spent considerable time there while in office, and the home became known as “The Summer White House.” Reservations are recommended for those wishing to tour the interior of Sagamore Hill; there is also a visitor center with a small museum containing Roosevelt family artifacts.
20 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, NY 11771, Phone: 516-922-4788
20. Broadway, New York
Broadway is the principal theater district in Manhattan, New York City. It is home to forty-one professional theaters of over 500 seats apiece; the 500 seats are necessary for Broadway shows to be eligible for a Tony Award, which is the hallmark of excellence in American theater.
Broadway shows are an immensely popular attraction for both tourists and locals; the 2014-2015 season sold over thirteen million tickets. Broadway has a long-standing tradition of musical theater, which dates back to 1866 and peaked in the 1950s and 1960s with shows such as Oklahoma!, West Side Story, and Fiddler on the Roof drawing rave reviews and a multitude of theater-goers.
More ideas: Things to do in Jamestown, NY
21. Old Westbury Gardens, New York
Old Westbury Gardens and Westbury House were the home and property of John Shaffer Phipps, a United States steel magnate, and his wife and four children. The beautiful Charles II style house, full of antiques and fine art, sits on two hundred acres of landscaped gardens, ponds, woodlands, and orchards, which can be enjoyed privately or admired during an in depth docent-led tour.
Old Westbury Gardens offers educational programming for children, school groups, and adults, and its grounds are often host to classic car shows, outdoor classical music concerts, summer pop concerts, and book signings. Educational programming for school groups follows the New York State curriculum, and it is available for classes from kindergarten until 12th grade. More ideas: Beaches Near NYC
71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, Phone: 516-333-0045
22. Antique Boat Museum, New York
The Antique Boat Museum sits on 1,500 feet of St. Lawrence River shoreline and has the largest collection of antique boats in North America. It has an outstanding collection of antique canoes, an exhibit that traces the evolution of boat building, and offers a look at the history of boating on the St. Lawrence River.
Open May until October, the Antique Boat Museum grounds are home to the annual Antique Boat Show and Auction, which brings boat aficionados from all over the world to Clayton. Every other year, the Antique Boat Museum holds a charity regatta. With slide shows, videos, and an excellent gift shop, the Antique Boat Museum is a must-see for boat lovers.
750 Mary Street, Clayton, NY 13624, Phone: 315-686-4104
More ideas: Dude Ranches in New York
23. Forest Hill Stadium, New York
A part of the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York City, Forest Hill Stadium was constructed in 1923 and renovated in 2013 to host tennis tournaments and diverse musical events. The West Side Tennis Club, located in New York City’s borough of Queens, is a private tennis club with 38 tennis courts with clay court, grass court, Har-Tru, and hardcourt surfaces. It also has an Olympic-size swimming pool. The stadium has 14,000 seats and hosts outdoor tennis events as well as live concerts. It is known for hosting 60 U.S. National Championships, from 1915 to 1920 and from 1924 to 1977, and for hosting the finals of the Davis Cup. During its peak popularity, the stadium was the venue for great concerts with such names as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, and many others. The stadium was also the venue for the Forest Hills Music Festival.
1 Tennis Pl, Forest Hills, NY 11375, Phone: 888-929-7849
24. Things to Do: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, known as The Met, is in the heart of New York City, and it is one of the finest and most-visited art galleries in the world. The Met has over two million works of art spanning 5,000 years, and it represents art from the entire world.
Some of its most popular works include musical instruments, antique arms and armor, photography, American and modern art, and European masters, including pieces by Picasso, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Goya, El Greco, Delacroix, Degas, Renoir, Gaugin, Cezanne, and Monet. The museum, which has been open since 1880, has established relationships with New York colleges and universities and provides guided tours and educational programming for all ages. The Cloisters, a division of The Met, is in upper Manhattan and is a repository and exhibition place for medieval architecture, decorative arts, and sculpture.
1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028, Phone: 212-535-7710
25. NY Things to Do: Brooklyn Botanical Garden
The Brooklyn Botanical Garden, which sits in the heart of one of New York’s five boroughs, is a delight to local residents and visitors. It is best known for its Japanese Garden, one of the most visited outside of Japan; it features two dozen flowering cherry trees, a Shinto shrine, wooden bridges, and stone lanterns.
A conservatory contains a related bonsai garden. The Cranford Rose Garden is home to over one thousand species of roses, and the Shakespeare Garden mimics an English cottage garden and contains over eighty plants mentioned in the plays and poems of William Shakespeare. The Children’s Garden is the oldest in the world, and it is widely used by children in the community to grow vegetables and fruit. There are plants in bloom indoors and out year round, and the garden boasts extensive educational programming.
990 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225, Phone: 718-623-7200
What is New York State known for? What to do. What are the top attractions to visit in New York State?
The top attractions to visit in New York State according to local experts are:
- Cornell Botanic Gardens
- Kykuit, New York State
- One World Observatory, New York State
- Top of the Rock Observation Deck, New York State
- Cave of the Winds, New York State
- Mid Hudson Children's Museum, New York State
- Things to Do in New York: George Eastman Museum
- Statue of Liberty, New York State
- National September 11 Memorial and Museum, New York
- The Storm King Art Center, New York
- Temple Emanu-El, New York
- The Edward Hopper Birthplace and Boyhood Home, New York
- Things to Do in New York State: The Met Cloisters
- Historic Huguenot Street, New York
- Things to Do: New York Botanical Garden
- Things to Do Near Me: Hudson Beach Glass
- Things to Do in New York State: Farmers' Museum
- Things to Do in New York: Empire State Building
- Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, New York
- Broadway, New York
- Old Westbury Gardens, New York
- Antique Boat Museum, New York
- Forest Hill Stadium, New York
- Things to Do: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
- NY Things to Do: Brooklyn Botanical Garden
More ideas:
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has been operating in a red brick building on Main Street in Cooperstown, New York since 1939. Designed to honor excellence on and off the baseball field, the museum is a widely renowned and popular tourist destination, as well as home to the world’s leading scholars on the sport, who work out of the museum’s library and research facility.
The museum focuses on hall of fame inductees, and self-guided tours take visitors through audio, video, interactive, and computerized displays throughout its three floors of baseball artifacts. There are special exhibits on Babe Ruth, African Americans in baseball, baseball scouting, and women in baseball. Specialty behind the scenes or customized tours may be arranged, and the museum has a gift shop.
25 Main Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326, Phone: 607-547-7200
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
St. Patrick's Cathedral is a New York City landmark, a popular tourist attraction, and the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of New York. Completed in 1878 and opened in 1879, St. Patrick’s Cathedral was built in the American Gothic Revival design and seats 2,400 people.
The magnificent and beautiful building has twenty-one altars, each named for a different saint, and a Lady Chapel that was added in 1901 and which features stunning English stained glass. The main doors of the cathedral are made of bronze and carved with images of the saints, and each weighs nearly 10,000 pounds. Nearly five million people a year tour St. Patrick’s Cathedral, joining a guided group tour or a walk-in tour. The Cathedral has two gift shops and informative signs throughout the establishment.
460 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022, Phone: 212-753-2261
Darwin D. Martin Complex
Between the years 1903-1905, world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright built the Darwin D. Martin house for a wealthy Buffalo, New York businessman. Considered by many scholars to be Wright’s finest achievement, the home is an example of his Prairie School period, with overhanging eaves, strong horizontal lines, and a central hearth.
The house is actually comprised of several interconnected buildings that include the main house, the carriage house, a conservatory, and the gardener’s cottage. Reservations are strongly suggested for those wishing to tour the inside of the house; docent-led tours take place three times a day between Thursday and Monday of each week. A small gift shop is on site.
125 Jewett Parkway, Buffalo, NY 14214, Phone: 877-377-5858
Corning Museum of Glass
The Corning Glass Works founded the Corning Museum of Glass in 1951 to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Now considered the foremost glass museum in the world, it celebrates 3,500 years of glassmaking and presents to the public the art, history, culture, science, and craft of glassmaking.
Self-guided tours take visitors through a myriad of exhibits on diverse topics such as the history of glassmaking, the rise of Venetian glassmaking, crystal, paperweights, and glass from all around the world throughout many time periods. All day, every day, visitors can watch glass being blown while a narrator explains what is happening. Glassmaking classes are available for all levels of students, and there is an unparalleled gift shop.
1 Museum Way, Corning, NY 14830, Phone: 607-937-5371
Fort Ticonderoga, New York
Between 1755-1757 during the French and Indian Wars, French engineers built Fort Ticonderoga on the southernmost tip of Lake Champlain in upstate New York. The fort was originally known as Fort Carillon, and it was built to resemble a star, a popular defensive shape for fortresses of the 18th century. The fort is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon or a full day.
Staff members in period costume give guided tours and lead demonstrations of period crafts, and there are excellent educational displays all through the fort. There are daily firings of muskets and the cannon, and fife and drum corps play on site during the summer months. The fort has both a café and a gift shop.
36 Fort Ti Road, Ticonderoga, NY 12883, Phone: 518-585-2821
Radio City Music Hall
Often called The Showplace of the Nation, Radio City Music Hall is one of New York City’s most beloved attractions. Located in Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall opened in 1932, and spent its early years showing premieres of first-run movies, which were accompanied by stage shows by the Radio City Rockettes.
Radio City Music Hall is the largest indoor theater in the world, and it is famed for its architecture and fine art. Today Radio City hosts televised award shows, performances by the Rockettes, and other spectacles such as Cirque de Soleil. Tours of the theater are available; visitors are shown art deco masterpieces, allowed up on the Grand Stage, and have the chance to meet a Rockette in person.
1260 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, Phone: 212-247-4777
You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in New York State " Back to Top
Attraction Spotlight: New York Botanical Garden
Located in The Bronx neighborhood of New York City inside Bronx Park, the New York Botanical Garden is the largest botanical garden in the United States, featuring more than 50 gardens containing over one million plants.
History
The garden's inspiration dates back to the late 19th century, when Columbia University botanist Nathaniel Lord Britton visited the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England. Upon his return, he and his wife established a campaign to equip New York with a similar facility, which was chartered by the State of New York in 1891. Britton chose the city-owned property at Bronx Park for the site of the gardens in 1895 and worked with Central Park designer Calvert Vaux to create a schematic design. Frederick Law Olmsted also had a hand in the garden's roadway design.
Beginning in the 1990s with the restoration of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an ongoing major renovation program revitalized the garden. The program restored original pathways and structures, and added several new gardens, including the planting of 150,000 daffodils as part of a Million Daffodils project.
Gardens and Attractions
Today, the garden is a National Historic Landmark, hosting more than a million annual visitors and serving as an urban oasis within the Bronx neighborhood. It encompasses 250 acres of Bronx Park, serving as an advocate for plant life, a horticultural research facility, and an educational center.
Several historic buildings located throughout the facility are historic landmarks of their own, including the Goldman Stone Mill, built around 1840. The iconic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is the park's most recognizable site, designed in 1902 by the architectural firm Lord and Burnham. It hosts the World of Plants exhibit, containing rainforest, desert, palm, aquatic, and carnivorous plant exhibits. The 1901 LuEsther T. Mertz Library Building, along with a Fountain of Life and Tulip Tree Allée, comprise the facility's neo-Renaissance beaux arts complex.
The park's arboretum collections include the Arthur and Janet Ross Conifer Arboretum, one of the facility's oldest gardens, containing more than 250 species of American and Japanese trees. The Thain Family Forest is New York's largest remaining woodland expanse, dating back thousands of years and featuring preserved glacier carvings, Native American trails, and a 2.5-acre rock garden. A historic maple collection showcases unusual Japanese maples, and the Benenson Ornamental Conifers walk highlights conifers of all shapes, colors, and sized. In spring, Magnolia Way comes to life with fragrant blooms, along with more than 100 specimens in a tree peony collection. Collections of flowering cherry and crabapple trees also sprout seasonally in spring and fall.
The award-winning Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden is one of the garden's top attractions, and is considered one of the finest rose gardens in the world. The Ladies' Border Garden dates back to the 1930s, named for the Women's Auxiliary Committee, an influential organization in developing many of the garden's collections. A Native Plant Garden contains more than 100,000 trees, flowers, shrubs, and grasses native to the northeastern United States. The Mitsubishi Wild Wetland Trail, home to ducks, turtles, and red-winged blackbirds, educates visitors about wetland habits. Four themed areas comprise the Jane Watson Irwin Perennial Garden, and the Nancy Bryan Luce Herb Garden grows hops, nasturtiums, and other culinary herbs.
Renovated in 2014, the Marjorie G. Rosen Seasonal Walk features year-round displays of perennial and bulb blooms. The rare Amorphophallus titanum, also known as the corpse flower, has recently returned to display for the first time since 1939. Other special collections of flowers include an azalea garden, a water lilies and lotuses display, and collections of peonies, lilacs, daffodils, daylilies, and orchids.
The Everett Children's Adventure Garden invites young visitors to explore nature through hands-on activities and play on a variety of natural landscape areas. At the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden, families can learn about foods from around the world and find out how to grow healthy foods of their own. The Home Gardening Center offers tips from experts about gardening, landscaping, and composting.
Ongoing Programs and Education
The New York Botanical Garden is a world leader in botanical research and conservation. In addition to housing the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, the world's largest botanical library with more than 555,000 volumes and 11 million archival holdings, and a research herbarium containing more than 7,800,000 specimens, the garden works with 168 international institutions to protect endangered plant species and strive toward conservation solutions to ensure the future diversity of Earth's plant life.
The garden is a national leader and model for horticultural education, with unique programs serving over 300,000 annual participants. The nationally accredited School of Professional Horticulture, established in 1932, is a 2-year diploma program offering courses in botany, horticulture, and landscape design. A renowned adult education program presents more than 700 courses throughout the New York and New England areas, awarding certificates in seven areas of study. Hands-on courses are also available for students and teachers, emphasizing curriculum integration and STEM principles.
An annual orchid show, the largest curated orchid exhibition in the country, is hosted at the conservatory every spring, and the Holiday Train Show recreates more than 150 New York landmarks as a backdrop for model train displays. Other popular events include a summer concert series, a Mother's Day weekend garden party, and evening events such as Bar Car Nights.
2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458, Phone: 718-817-8700
You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in New York State " Back to Top
