The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), is a 250-acre museum of plants, one of the city’s top cultural attractions.
Fifty display gardens and collections, including the NYC Landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, contain more than one million plants and offer a vast natural world to explore. As being outdoors is still a prerogative, it’s refreshing to note that you can stroll through the Native Plant Garden, the Perennial Garden and the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, and then wander through the Thain Family Forest, the largest uncut expanse of New York’s original wooded landscape.
Families can spend a summer afternoon at the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, where children can actively investigate science and nature in a 12-acre landscape that features a series of lush environments, including a pond, woodland, and meadow. They can also head to the Edible Academy, a state-of-the-art educational facility featuring hands-on activities and innovative programs that help children, families, teachers, and the general public learn about growing and preparing vegetables, fruit, and herbs while encouraging a lifelong interest in gardening, nutrition awareness, and environmental stewardship.
Around the Table: Stories of the Foods We Love
The NYBG’s major, institution-wide exhibition, Around the Table: Stories of the Foods We Love, is on view through September 11, 2022. Throughout this multifaceted presentation that examines the art and science of foodways and food traditions, many dating back thousands of years, visitors will explore the rich cultural history of what we eat and learn that—from global dietary staples such as rice, beans, squash, and corn to the regional spice and flavor provided by peppers, greens, and tomatoes—plants are at the base of all culinary customs.
Expansive displays of living edible plants, art and science installations, weekend celebrations, and wellness and culinary-themed programming will provide opportunities to discover the diversity and beauty of plants that are grown for cuisine around the world; uncover the botanical origins of the foods people think they know; cultivate deeper understanding of the environmental and social impacts of food choices; and invite gathering at artist-designed tables set throughout NYBG’s 250 acres, bringing to life stories about the featured and other notable edible plants. For more information about Around the Table: Stories of the Foods We Love, please visit https://www.nybg.org/event/around-the-table-stories-of-the-foods-we-love/.
Shopping & Dining at the NY Botanical Garden
Unique gifts are the hallmark of NYBG Shop, from books and apparel to jewelry, stationery, and plants. Dining at the Garden is overseen by the Constellation Culinary Group, which operates two restaurants on the grounds. Nestled within the idyllic setting of the 40-acre Ross Conifer Arboretum, Hudson Garden Grill is a farm-to-table restaurant that offers intimate sit-down dining, using locally sourced, ethically produced ingredients from Hudson Valley farms and other regional producers. Pine Tree Café, set among NYBG’s collection of rare and unusual pines from Asia, Europe, and North America, offers casual fare.
