Exploring the Queens Botanical Garden


To experience nature in its true sense, you don’t have to go far from the city hub. You can find vibrant flora and fauna within the state of New York. However, getting tired of the same old activities is understandable.

If you are tired of visiting local parks, perhaps you might want to try New York’s botanical gardens. The Queens Botanical Garden is the largest botanical Garden in New York City. It is situated near the city’s largest zoo and park, so you can easily visit multiple attractions in one day.

Botanical gardens include flora-based attractions from all over the world. They are known to flaunt beautiful plant species in differing climates. The botanical Garden depends on an artificial stream and beautifies an area that covers the sewer underground.

Your trip to Queens Botanical Garden will introduce you to flora you have never seen before;

The History of Queens Botanical Garden

The gardens are a great way to utilize the existing property and cover the waste that the city produces. However, the history of the gardens goes a long way back. In 1735, William Prince formed the Flushing nursery, inspiring subsequent nurseries across New York.

As people began introducing to their nurseries the different plants they came across on their travels, their interest in botany grew. During the World’s Fair in 1939, people flocked to the Flushing Meadows plants exhibit. This birthed the Queens Botanical Gardens.

The gardens were moved to the landfilled region of Flushing Meadows Park and have been there since. These plants are essential to the Queens Botanical Garden attractions and shouldn’t be missed on your trip to Flushing Meadows Park.

All About Queens Botanical Garden

One of the many Queens Botanical Garden activities includes strolling through the irregularly shaped 39-acre site, which contains different gardens, a greenhouse, and a beautiful art gallery. The Garden is situated within Flushing, Queens, at 43-50 Main Street.

One of the distinct features of the Garden is its location. It is easily accessible and contains mostly exhibits that are free for visitors from November to March. The charges vary for the other months according to the season.

The land that is allocated to the botanical garden dips in a beautifully awkward manner due to the landfill that it covers. This landfill is on top of a much older Kissena Creek. As water tends to direct itself toward the Garden, the state has worked to develop the area in the past, preserving it against sinkholes.

How to Get to the Garden

You can visit the Botanical Garden through the 7 line on the subway to Main Street. The gardens are just an eight-block walk to the south of the street.

Visiting the Park

Before visiting the park, make sure you know what plants are in season to avoid disappointment. The closer you are to spring, the more vibrant the exhibits. On most Mondays, the park is closed. However, it is open every other day.

You need to pay $6 for adults, $4 for seniors, and $2 for toddlers. However, it is free for children under three, and the prices are lowered for students. If you are looking to visit the Garden for free, visit it from 3 to 6 pm on a Wednesday (except for holidays).

Queens Botanical Garden Activities

The activities coincide with famous Queens Botanical Garden attractions. Listing the Garden’s main attractions can give visitors a fair idea of what places they can expect to encounter. Here are some areas of the park you should not miss;

1.      The Visitor’s Building

This is the heart of the park as it helps maintain the area. It is called the Visitor and Administration Building and has been operational since 2007. The building allows you to explore admin offices and multiple offices that run on energy-efficient resources.

This building is an exciting attraction that connects to the city life while existing within the botanical gardens. It applies geothermal heating and sustainable waste disposal systems, which are way ahead of their time.

You can also explore renewable energy roofs, which involve solar energy, rainwater collection, and insulation systems that operate with the help of plants. Plus, a detour to the art gallery within the building is one thing you don’t want to skip.

2.      The Annual Events

The Queens Botanical Garden also organizes multiple events for its visitors throughout the year. These involve cultural and seasonal events which highlight flora. The Garden also encourages children’s events and awareness-based workshops that teach them the value of the flora around them.

3.      The Gardens

The Queens Botanical Garden site provides a map and a guide on the kinds of flowers that are in bloom for the current season. Go through the guide before visiting the park to enhance your experience. The best time to visit is when the most vibrant flowers bloom.

Amongst the Wedding Garden and the Bee Garden (and others) is the Annual Garden which displays a variety of plants annually. These are used to create beautiful exhibits that will take your breath away.

Grab a Bite Before You Go!

It is prohibited to eat in the gardens. However, you can go for a picnic in the Arboretum. Pack some lunch from home or buy food at Main Street, which is overflowing with cuisines from different cultures all year.

Final Thoughts

The Queens Botanical Garden attractions are a noble effort to preserve the flora and cover an area that otherwise would have gone to waste. We must assume responsibility for caring for it.

It is essential to heed the directions the park’s management provides. This includes no littering, smoking, eating in the gardens, or plucking flowers, among other rules you can easily find on the website. A little attention goes a long way. Ensure the park benefits from us just as much as we do.

The McClain Family

We hope we helped. Please let us know of any place that you want to know about in NYS or if we did a poor job with any part of this. Our goal is to help as many people as possible.

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