5 Reasons to Visit the New York Botanical Garden

Last Updated on April 13, 2024 by Adam Watts

Below are five reasons to visit the New York Botanical Garden.

After five years in New York, we finally got around to visiting the New York Botanical Garden. Now, I know what you’re thinking. This is a freaking travel website and I live in New York, so I’m basically cheating by writing about New York. But let me tell you something, the NYBG is in the Bronx and I live in Queens. We had to take two trains and a bus to get there. It’s far. Anyway, here are those five reasons to visit the New York Botanical Garden:

1. The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory

Enid A. Haupt was an American publisher and philanthropist, and once told the New York Times, “Books are the most important things in my life besides nature”. So while unlikely to liven up any dinner party, she left a lasting horticultural legacy. The Conservatory named in her honor is the star attraction of the New York Botanical Garden, and should be the first stop of your day.

The Conservatory showcases a variety of plants in different habitats: from lush, tropical rainforests to cactus-filled deserts, to aquatic and carnivorous plants. To see everything in detail, plan to spend at least 30-45 minutes here. Depending on when you visit, there may be an additional exhibition outside the Conservatory.

2. Enjoy the tram ride around all the smaller areas

The Conservatory is far from the only attraction of the NYBG. On our visit we saw almost everything on offer over the course of 4-5 hours, including the beautiful Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, the trails through the Thain Family Forest, and the Rock Garden.

Helpfully, there’s a frequent tram that loops around every corner of the Botanical Garden, operating on a hop-on, hop-off system. So if you don’t want to, or can’t, walk for very long, hop on the tram to take you around. And even the most able-bodied will probably want to rest their feet sometime. The tram ride is also narrated, so you’ll also learn a thing or two along the way. It’s win-win.

3. Get fresh air

New York City has a lot of things: culture, opportunity, wealth, people, smells. What it doesn’t have is fresh air. No one in the history of this city has ever written, “strolling the broad avenues of Manhattan, in happy camaraderie with fellow city dwellers, one is struck by the wonderful freshness of the breeze.”

But the New York Botanical Garden is way up in the Bronx, past all the skyscrapers and (most of) the traffic. And while the Bronx itself is fairly populated (almost 1.5 million people live there), the NYBG sprawls over 250 acres and rarely can you hear the traffic of the city outside. Think of it as an oasis in the middle of a concrete desert. Spend an afternoon reminding your lungs what fresh air feels like. They’ll thank you for it later.

4. A variety of events to suit everyone

Look at the New York Botanical Garden’s calendar of events. Just look at it! On any given day, there’s a whole bunch of stuff to keep you occupied. From the “Edible Academy” to the historical flora of New York City to the “Spooky Pumpkin Garden”, you’re bound to find something that takes your fancy. If you don’t, well, you must really hate plants in all their forms and I feel sorry for you.

Oh, but you can’t visit on Mondays. The New York Botanical Garden is closed every Monday. I guess plants, like the rest of us, get cases of the Mondays and can’t get out of bed no matter how hard they try. Well, I suppose plants can literally never get out of their beds given they’re literally rooted there. Anyway, you’ve gotta find something else to do on a Monday, sorry.

5. Different displays depending on the season

After four reasons to visit the New York Botanical Garden at all, here’s one for repeat visits: We put the price of our admission towards membership to the Botanical Garden (roughly double the cost of one regular ticket), so we just need to go back once to get our money’s worth.

And as luck would have it, nature gave New York four varied seasons, although admittedly most years it feels like endless winter followed by perpetual summer. But there are actually two very small friends by the name of Spring and Fall in there too, and each of the four seasons brings something different to the NYBG, so we’re looking forward to going back. We just have to make sure we don’t miss the two weekends of pretty Fall foliage before the subzero temperatures engulf us.

And there you have it. From the iconic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory to the cute tram ride to just the actual fresh air itself, there are five reasons to visit the New York Botanical Garden.

After visiting I have a new-found appreciation of botanical gardens, so if you’ve been to any great ones, let me know in the comments or on social media!

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