The lawn and formal gardens on the Brooklyn Parkway entrance.
The beautiful fountain at the end of the formal gardens at the main entrance.
The daffodils in full bloom at the entrance of the gardens.
I have been a member of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden since 2002 and have never been bored on a trip to the gardens. In every season there is something new to see.
On a recent trip to the Gardens in 2024, the Garden was ablaze with the colors of almost a thousand purple crocuses that lined the hills on the Prospect Park side of the lawns. Beautiful purple and while colors were in full bloom and Mother Nature shined in the COVID era with all of us socially distanced but still enjoying the park.
Crocus Hills ablaze in purple in 2024
The purple crocuses in full bloom in 2024.
The beautiful purple crocuses in full bloom.
The crocuses only last about a week or two and with the inconsistency with the weather in 2024, they lasted only about ten days and then the weather went back down to the low 40’s. While I was taking pictures of the crocuses, I walked around the gardens and came across the Snowdrops and the Ironweed flowers were also in bloom. These sensitive flowers are only in bloom for just about two weeks.
The Snowdrops in full bloom in the gardens in 2024.
The Snowdrops up close.
The Ironweed just as beautiful. To see these graceful flowers in bloom are a real treat.
The Ironweed flowers in bloom right by the stream.
The Ironweed flowers in full bloom.
An Azalea that was early blooming in the garden in 2024.
The Virginia Bluebells came out just as the Daffodils were at their peak in bloom. When you walked around this part of the Gardens, it was quite spectacular with colors.
The Virginia Bluebells at their peak during the Eclipse.
The Virginia Bluebells in bloom in early April.
In the beginning of the Spring, Daffodil Hill is in full bloom and is a very impressive site. Hundreds of trumpet Daffodils line the hill of this side of the gardens surrounding the old oak trees.
Daffodil Hill in the Spring of 2023
The Hybrid Oak plaque of this gracious oak tree.
There are fields of yellow on yellow and yellow on orange flowers surrounding the paths against the backdrop of the green lawns. The whole hill is a sea of yellows and whites against the trees which are bursting with new buds. This beautiful scene lasts only about a week to two weeks at full bloom in the first weeks of April.
Daffodil Hill in Spring 2023
Daffodil Hill with the Magnolia Plaza in the background
Daffodil Hill in 2024
Daffodil Hill in March 2024 was in full bloom even in the cold weather.
The beauty of Daffodil Hill in March of 2024.
The Daffodil Hill plaque in the garden.
Another beautiful flower was in full bloom all over the garden on the hill across from Daffodil Hill. I was not sure what these tiny flowers were called but they blanketed the hills and lawns around the greenhouses during the Solar Eclipse in 2024.
The tiny yellow flowers in bloom during the Solar Eclipse.
These tiny yellow flowers were in full bloom on the day of the Solar Eclipse in 2024.
I visited the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in March of 2024 and took the 1:00pm ‘Highlights” tour of the garden. The tour guide was shocked that we had almost twenty people on a tour on a cool Friday afternoon but we were an enthusiastic bunch. We got to see most of the garden and the one hour tour went from one hour to an hour and a half.
We toured the Bonsai Garden first and we admired these well pruned trees some of which are over thirty years old.
The Bonsai Tree display in March of 2024.
The beautiful flowering trees of the Bonsai display.
The flowering and well pruned trees of the Bonsai gallery.
Magnolia Plaza where all the old flowering Magnolia trees bloom in full force in the Spring. The bright white and pink flowers are quite brilliant in colors and the sweet smell of the trees is wonderful. All the trees were just bursting with colors of pink, mauve and white.
Magnolia Plaza in the Spring of 2023
When it comes to the end of the season, you will be walking into a snow shower of colorful petals practically ‘snowing’ on you. You can smell the sweet petals on the flowering trees, and it is the most amazing site with the daffodils on the hill in the background. The scents of everything are just enjoyable. It is Mother Nature at her best.
The beauty of the Magnolia trees in the Magnolia Plaza
The next beautiful display is the Cherry Blossoms’ that bloom at the end of April. It is ablaze in all sorts of shades of pink and white. It brings the whole city out to see Mother Nature’s display of art.
Day Seventy-Four “Cherry Blossom Festival-Sakura Matsuri”:
The big Japanese festival happens during this time and the park is full of all sorts of artists, dancers and musicians who have come to perform for the many members entering the park.
The Cherry Blossoms in 2023
The Cherry Blossoms were just blooming in April of 2023
In 2021, the growing season on the Cherry Trees was hit with many days of rain that knocked the petals off the trees early. Still, I was able to get into the gardens by the end of the first week of May and they were still spectacular but limited in their petals. There are many species of Cherry Trees, so they are timed differently in flowering.
The Cherry Blossoms in the Japanese Gardens in Spring 2023
In 2022, the fluffy cherry blossoms were in full bloom, like a graceful wish. When I went to visit them in early May, they were in full bloom and all the paths in the main garden were awash with pink and green. With the lawn being a deep green, the effect was really beautiful, and people were all over the place taking pictures and smelling the flowers. This was the same at the height of their blooming in 2024.
The Cherry Blossom Lawn in 2024.
The lawn was packed with visitors that afternoon in early April 2024.
The beautiful canopy of blossoms that afternoon were just breathtaking.
People like myself just relaxed on the lawn and enjoyed the sunshine and the blossoms.
Spring has arrived in the gardens in April 2024.
The Cherry Blossom canopy path.
The canopy of trees.
The blossoms were amazing this year
The Golden Rods were also in full bloom when the Cherry Blossoms were and it made quite a site.
The beauty of ‘Golden Rod Hill’ in the early Spring April 2024.
I had not seen the Cherry Blossoms in full bloom in Brooklyn in over three years, concentrating on seeing the ones in Newark, NJ’s Branch Brook Park and Washington DC Tidal Basin. All three are quite amazing in their own way.
I had to walk through the main lawn, the Japanese Garden and the back paths several times just to take it all in. The next rainstorm they would be gone again but for now you could bask in these gorgeous blossoms.
The Japanese Gardens in Spring 2023
The Japanese Garden in the Spring of 2023
Later in 2023, the gardens sponsored an open-air art show with artist Jean-Michel Othoniel entitled “The Flowers of Hypnosis-The Gold Rose”. These interesting golden globe sculptures were located in different parts of the gardens especially in the Japanese Gardens and pools.
The Jean-Michel Othoniel exhibition
One of the sculptures in the Frangrance Garden
The sculpture “The Golden Lotus” in the Japanese Garden Pond
The sign on the event
The “Golden Lotus” sculptures at the Japanese Gardens.
“The Gold Rose” sculptures in the Japanese Gardens.
When the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is in full bloom with these trees, there is nothing like it. The Japanese Festival had been cancelled and the blooms in Washington DC had bloomed two weeks early and Branch Brook Park in Newark had already peaked so this is where to be at to see Cherry Trees at their finest.
In 2023, the Cherry Blossoms in the gardens were the last ones to bloom behind both Washington DC and Newark, NJ. The species that is dominate in the gardens are the last to bloom and the big pink fluffy flowers were just sprouting in April of 2023.
The bluebells were blooming at the same time and showed their beauty in the gardens just as the trees started to sprout their buds. It was natures way of welcoming in the Spring. It is amazing to see all of this knowing that I was just in the gardens five months ago walking through the Christmas Light Show.
The Bluebells and Ironweed are in full bloom in April 2023
Right off the Cherry Tree Arcade is the paths leading to the back part of the gardens and you will see all the purple and blue Bluebells and Ironweed as well as the purple corn flowers lining the paths. It is quite spectacular as you see hundreds of these flowers surrounding the trees and walkways. I had never seen this before.
In May 2025, the Bluebells had really spread through this section of the gardens and had taken over this corner of the gardens.
The sea of light purple was spectacular
The crowds really enjoyed looking at the flowers
It was a gorgeous day
These flowers really spread
In June, The Rose Garden festival takes place with hundreds of types of roses blooming in the same time period. This is when the members Rose Night happens with an evening of music, cocktails and looking over the flowering bushes all over the gardens. They even create a Rose Petal cocktail for the event that is interesting.
Recently in May of 2021, the Garden sponsored “An Evening of Remembrance and Reflection” with the anniversary of the George Floyd incident and New Yorkers came out to show their support. It was an evening of jazz that brought members out on this warm spring evening.
It also gave everyone a chance to walk through the Cranford Gardens which were in full bloom and perfumed the gardens with sweet scents of the flowers. There were roses of all colors in full bloom about two weeks ahead of schedule. So it was nice to see all the flowers at full peak lining the pathways.
Rose Garden Rose Night in 2017 and at “An Evening of Remembrance and Reflection” in 2021
In July 2021, as the Gardens have opened to the public since the COVID pandemic rules have lifted, there have been weekly Jazz Concerts in the Cherry Tree lawn. Recently I attended the concert of the Brownstone Jazz Ensemble who performed with a few guest singers. It was a cool sunny summer night and the perfect evening to have a picnic in the Gardens and enjoy the music.
The Cranford Rose Garden in bloom
The Cranford Garden shows its true colors in early June and pre-COVID, Rose Night was when all the roses were supposedly at their peak. They were at their peak about two weeks earlier but the display was still amazing.
Becoming a member of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden has its advantages too. In August, in the height of the summer they have the member’s movie night where members from all over the area sit in the Cherry Blossom field to watch an outdoor movie. I have seen family films “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, “The Goonies”, “Moonstruck”, “The Fabulous Mr. Fox” (which was not too fabulous of a film) and in 2023 “The Muppets take Manhattan”.
Day Eighty-Seven “Members Movie Night 2017 and 2022:
It is a nice evening of relaxing on the cool grass, eating a light picnic dinner and sitting under the stars watching a film. Could there be any other New York moment to enjoy?
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was the best film in the gardens.
“The Goonies” was another popular hit with the members.
“The Moonstruck” trailer
The “Muppets take Manhattan” trailer
“A Bugs Life” Trailer
The Fall months bring the changing of the leaves on the trees and all the late flowers that come out in September and October. During the holiday season there is not much to see in the park, especially during the winter months outside but there is a tropical display under glass in the enclosed buildings on the property and the Bonsai Garden display of plants also in the glassed-in enclosure. There are lots of walking tours of the new water gardens, rock gardens and of the Japanese Gardens.
The Japanese Gardens at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden
In the winter months though, there is a quiet elegance to the gardens. It is so quiet with all the plants in hibernation that it is nice to just walk through the gardens and imagine what they will look like in four months when Spring arrives again. Most of the gardens were shut due to COVID in December of 2020 but still you could walk around most of the gardens.
The Rock Garden in the Spring 2023
The Rock Garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
The robin’s arrival in the garden means that Spring in on its way
The Rock Garden in the June 2024
The Rock Garden in June 2024
Don’t miss the Japanese Garden’s during the winter months as the pine trees and green bushes add a little Spring to the cold months of the Winter. There is still so much green in this area of the gardens. There is something to be said about walking around the gardens in the cool weather.
The Cherry blossoms as you enter the Japanese Gardens
The Japanese Garden in Summer 2023
In March of 2024, the tour took us through the late Winter/early Spring Japanese Garden. Things were just coming into bloom.
The Japanese Gardens just starting to bloom in March of 2024.
The Japanese Gardens just coming into bloom.
The Japanese Garden in the middle of the afternoon.
White Cherry Tree in the late Winter/early Spring
The Japanese Pieris Tree in the gardens was in full bloom on this early Spring day
The Japanese Pieris tree was in full bloom in March 2024.
The Paper Bark Cherry Tree was in full bloom too and smelled of Butter and Lemon. It had the most amazing fragrance.
The Paper Bark Cherry Tree has the most amazing smell.
I passed this little bird chopping away at the berries left on this tree.
The Holly-Leaved Hellebore in full bloom by Daffodil Hill.
The Holly-Leaved Hellebore was in full bloom at this time.
The complexity of the gardens shows their true beauty from season to season when flowers and trees come into bloom and show their true beauty.
The beauty of the Spring at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
The Frangrance Garden was in full bloom both in the Spring and later summer months. The beauty of this garden is the array of flowers and plants that make a perfect design in the small space flanked by a small fountain of a boy who always looks so mysterious.
The Frangrance Garden in the late summer
The Frangrance Gardens in the Spring
The beauty of the Frangrance Gardens.
The mysterious little boy in the fountain.
The plaque near the fountain dedicated in Memory to Leon Gilbert.
Walking through the Children’s Garden when it was at the end of the season and harvest time, you could see the last of the summer vegetables being picked and some fall vegetables coming up.
The Children’s Cottage where the magic happens.
The Children’s Gardens in the Summer months.
The Marsh Gardens
The Marsh Gardens
The Marsh Gardens
The flowers by the Lilly Pond in the summer of 2023.
The Lotus Pools are in full bloom in late July and the pools were wash with pinks, purples and yellows both in the main pools and the fountain by the Rose Garden. This was in the summer of 2024.
The Rain Garden by the Washington Avenue entrance.
Being a member also has its privileges. You have a great restaurant in the late Spring and Summer months, the Magnolia Cafe, which has been closed because of COVID but will reopen soon. The Cherry Blossom Festival and Rose Garden Nights for members and the August Movie night which is really a treat. Hundreds of people picnicking on the lawn watching family friendly films like ‘The Goonies’ and ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’.
The gift shop at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
The gift shop on Rose Night 2024
The gift shop on Rose Night 2024
The Lightshow in December 2022
The Lightshow in December of 2022
The Japanese Gardens during the Lightshow in December 2022
The lightshow during the holidays is an experience.
During the Summer of 2023, the Gardens had a wonderful exhibition in the greenhouses “Plants of Little Caribbean”, which highlights the important culinary plants that grow in the region. Some of these plants are staples of the Caribbean food supply.
The “Trees of Little Caribbean” exhibit
Plants of the Caribbean
Plants of the Caribbean
Plants of the Caribbean
Plants of the Caribbean
Plants of the Caribbean
The greenhouses are home to many exotic plants and trees.
Another special event that happened in 2024 was the viewing of the Solar Eclipse. The Gardens were packed with people viewing the first major Eclipse in almost 100 years.
I finally settled in and sat in a small incline across from Daffodil Hill so I could admire the flowers in between the glimpses of the solar eclipse. We lucked out and it started off as a sunny day. We had some cloud coverage during the show but with the glasses on, it was an interesting show.
The sun as the celestial show begun.
The problem with the eclipse was that we were too far away from the path to really see the show so you could only see it through the glasses. The sun still looked like it was shining.
Just as the moon started to cross the sun.
The clouds kept rolling in and out, but it was not as gloomy as they thought the weather would be that afternoon.
The start of the show as the moon started to cross the sun.
Only through the glasses could see the passing which took a little over two hours to finish and it was not a complete eclipse from our viewpoint. It was still interesting to see.
The crowd was really getting into it and everyone was becoming the experts by the end of the afternoon.
In between the moon crossing the path of the sun (you could not look at this all the time), I admired the flowers blooming around us.
The Magnolia Gardens right across from the incline where we were all sitting.
It was a nice break from looking at the sun. I picked the best location in the garden to both view the eclipse and the flowers.
The moon crossing the sun at the midpoint. You could see nothing without the glasses.
The sun was totally covered by about 3:20pm and then started its movement away from the sun.
The moon moving away from the sun.
By 4:20pm, the eclipse was over, and most people left the gardens by that point. Others just relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful sunny afternoon that we were finally having. It had been such a cold early Spring (so much for Phil’s prediction). with temperatures in the low 40’s until just recently.
Some of the crowd lingering at the end of the show.
I left the gardens around 5:00pm after most of the crowds left and enjoyed one more walk around the gardens. Some of the flowers were at their peak and would not be in bloom when I returned the next time. I wanted to enjoy them now.
Leaving the Magnolia Garden.
Passing the Japanese Gardens when the crowds were gone, I finally got to enjoy the paths.
The path by the Japanese Garden
The Magnolia trees around the corner from the Frangrance Gardens.
The Cherry trees in the Japanese Gardens were in full bloom and were quite a show themselves. It was so colorful reflecting off the pool.
The beauty of the Cherry trees in full bloom.
The paths around the Japanese Gardens pool were crowed.
The vibrant light and dark pinks and mauve of the trees.
The Japanese Gardens at their peak bloom.
I went to the “Lightscape” show again during the Holidays in 2024 and they were even more amazing than the last time I went:
On the Sunday of the last day of the Christmas season, I visited the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to see their lightshow ‘Lightscape’ which I had seen a few years earlier. It was the last night to see it and it was crowded and really cold.
The problem was that the weather had turned really cold and it was in the low thirties even in the early evening. So I really had to bundle up for these visits. The show itself was well worth the trip.
The map would take us all over the gardens
The lit tree army the entrance of the gardens
Then I entered the ‘Canopy of Light’ with its magical lights and music
At the entrance of the show was the breathtaking ‘Canopy of Light’
The beautiful multi lights with music
The lights moved to ‘Let it Snow’
I continued down the path to the Japanese Garden and saw the most spectacular light and water show in the lake of the garden.
The colors and fountains swayed to the music
What gorgeous colors
The movements and music were wonderful
The amazing water show in the Japanese Garden
The end of the show was beautiful
I ended up seeing the water show twice because I knew they would not let me turnaround to see it again. The I turned down the path.
The lights in the trees were amazing
The field of white lit roses
A closer look at the white roses
I continued down the path to the next display
I next moved on to the main lawn where the sculpture ‘Singularity’ was displayed. You could not stare at it too long or it could hypnotize you.
The sculpture ‘Singularity’
The sculpture ‘Singularity’
I walked around the Water Lilly ponds whose flowers would bloom again in the summer but had sculptures of Butterflies floating around in them.
These were called ‘Butterfly Effect’
The ‘Butterfly Effect’
I love the way the sculptures swayed and moved in the pond to the music. The Yellow Magnolia, the Garden’s restaurant was open that evening and was packed with people eating dinner. There was no way of getting in so I moved on down the path.
The pathways were lit with all sorts of colors
The next sculpture was ‘One Small Thing’ and the sculpture ‘Halo’ that lit the way in the back of the Gardens.
‘One Small Thing’
The lights alone the path for ‘One Small Thing’
The came the sculptures for ‘Halo’
The next interactive and musical sculpture was ‘Alumine’ which looked like trees in a Dr. Seuss book. Colorful and fun!
Walking through the ‘Alumine’ sculptures
The experience of walking through ‘Alumine’ is like walking through ’Whoville’ in the winter
The lights here changed color every minute and were so amazing.
As I left ‘Alumine’, the next series of sculptures were light shows with dazzling colors and music. This is what made this show stand out more than the shows of the past.
The beautiful lights lit the path through dormant trees
The colors kept changing
As I walked down the path, I entered ‘Rainbow Road’ with it colorful disco lights and energetic soundtrack.
The outdoor lights and music makes you feel like you are in a discotheque
I stayed here the longest to listen to the 70’s soundtrack
The music was fantastic that night
I moved on to the area of the gardens between where the crocuses will grow in two months and near Daffodils Hill was another amazing display entitled ‘Anemonia’. These sculptures looked like futuristic lamps.
The ‘Anemonia’ sculptures
The ‘Anemonia’ lit beautifully
The next light display rivaled the ‘Happy Waters’ was ‘Interface’, a display of memorizing lights and music. I stayed for three shows as it was so dazzling.
The ‘Anemonia’ sign
The lights and sounds of ‘Interface’
The sights and sounds of ‘Interface’
The show ended with some of the spectacular lights
I then walked through the ‘Neon Network’ to get to where the Cherry Blossom Esplanade dazzled everyone in April with its beautiful, fluffy pink blossoms. It was other bright colors showcasing this part of the gardens.
The ‘Neon Network’ sign
Walking through the ‘Neon Network’
The ‘Neon Network’
Walking through the ‘Neon Network’
The ‘Neon Network’ led to the last spectacular displays of lights in the Cherry Blossom Esplanade, ‘Winter Reflection’, a celebration of lights, trees and snowflakes.
The colors of ‘Winter Reflections’
The colors of ‘Winter Reflections’The
Video on ‘Winter Reflections’:
The tree brightly lit in ‘Winter Reflections’
The dazzling colors of ‘Winter Reflections’
To really appreciate the shoe of ‘Winter Reflections’ you had to walk up the pathways overlooking the Esplanade.
The pathway through the Cherry Esplanade was spectacular
The lightshow for ‘Winter Reflections’ was most entertaining from the top of the hill
The video of the show from the top of the hill show it’s true beauty and entertainment:
One of the most memorable show off ‘Lightscapes’
After I saw the show twice before I headed out of the gardens. I walked through the ‘Winter Cathedral’ which had been the biggest part of the light show a couple of years ago. This is most impressive.
The ‘Winter Cathedral’ at the end of the tour
The lights are so spectacular in the evening
The last display before I left the park was the ‘Lantern Garden’ at the original area of the gardens entrance.
The sign for ‘The Lantern Garden’
The ‘Lantern Garden’ at the end of the garden
The ‘Lantern Garden’
I exited the gardens after almost two hours of walking around and it started to get cold outside. It was still really busy in the gardens as the later ticket holders will still coming in.
The exit of the show at the Eastern Parkway entrance
In January of 2025, I attended a talk about the plants associated with the Lunar New Year by member Sabrina Lee. Ms. Lee who is a docent at the Gardens pointed out all the plants that were part of the Chinese New Year tradition.
Docent Sabrina Lee giving the talk on Chinese New Year at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The Orchid and Clementine plants for gift giving
The Bamboo plants which are part of the celebration
What I learned from the talk was the symbolism that comes from these plants and why they were they were so important to the holiday.
Then she gave us about forty-five minutes to travel to through the various exhibits in the Steinway Conservatory and visit the various plants associated with the New Year which were marked with special red Snake signs.
The Chinese Rain Bell plant
The Banana Tree
The Aloe plant for healing
The Banana tree
The Papaya tree
The Golden Shrimp Lollipop plan
The Starfruit plant
As we walked through the various halls of the Conservatory with the warm tropical halls, we got to see other plants in bloom and growing in the temperature controlled climate.
The Cactus display
The beautiful tropical flowers
The lushness of the Tropical exhibition
Ms. Lee even gave a beautiful calligraphy page with the symbols of the New Year After the Tour was over, I walked around the gardens which were still covered with snow from the recent storm. It made all more beautiful.
The beauty of the Japanese Garden in the Winter
The Japanese Garden during the Lunar New Year
The pond at the Japanese Garden
Then I visited the gift shop at the Gardens that was decked out for the Spring.
The new ‘Terrarium’ gift shop
Even the gift shop was in full bloom that day
I am always amazed by these Gardens. Even in the dead of Winter there is always something
The summer months offer all sorts of activities but the weather has been a pain. Either it is too hot or it rains. They have cancelled two evenings concerts on us.
This is when it is great to be a member of the Gardens!
History of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden:
Early plans for Prospect Park called for the park to straddle Flatbush Avenue. The City of Brooklyn purchased the land for this purpose in 1864. When Fredrick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux brought their final plans to the city for approval in the 1860’s, they had eliminated the problematic decision along Flatbush. The northeast portion went unused, serving as an ash dump (WIKI).
Legislation in 1897 as the city moved toward consolidation reserved 39 acres for a botanical garden and the garden itself was founded in 1910. The garden was initially know as the Institute Park. It was run under the auspices of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, which included (until the 1970’s) the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Children’s Museum and Brooklyn Academy of Music. It opened as the Brooklyn Botanical Garden on May 13, 1911 with the Native Flora Garden being the first established section (WIKI).
Harold Caparn was appointed as the landscape architect in 1912. Caparn designed most of the rest of the grounds over the next three decades, including the Osborne Gardens, Cranford Rose Garden, Magnolia Plaza and the Plant Collection. Construction of the Laboratory Building and Conservatory began in 1912 and the building was dedicated in 1917. The building-now simply the Administration Building-was designed in the Tuscan Revival style by William Kendal for McKim, Mead & White, the architectural firm that built the Brooklyn Museum, Manhattan Municipal Building and many other prominent New York City buildings. It was designated a New York City Landmark in 2007 (WIKI).
The cherry blossoms starting to bloom
The Magnolia trees in full bloom in 2023
The Specialty Gardens & Collections include:
The Cherry Trees
Japanese Hill-Pond Collection
Cranford Rose Garden
Native Flora Garden
Alice Recknagel Ireys Fragrance Garden
Children’s Garden
Water Garden
The Water Garden in April 2023
The Water Garden in April 2023
Other Gardens:
Plant Family Collection:
The Bonsai Collection
The Bonsai Collection
The Bonsai Collection
Steinhardt Conservatory
The Reflection pool by the Steinhardt Conservatory
The Garden Fountain
The Lion Fountain
The beautiful tulips in bloom by the reflection pool
The magnificent Fish Fountain by the reflection pool
Fighting Developers trying to build around the gardens perimeters:
Fight For Sunlight!
Text Sunlight to 484848 to help protect Brooklyn’s Garden from new buildings that would block vital sunlight to our plants.
bbg.org/sunlight
Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Fight for Sunlight!
Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s Fight for Sunlight!
Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s plant collections are under serious threat from a proposed massive building development including two 39 story towers at 960 Franklin Avenue (the spice factory site) just 150 ft from the Garden.
The buildings for the ‘Fight for the Sunlight’ proposal (The proposal was struck down in 2022!)
Towers of this size would block hours of sunlight to the Garden’s 23 conservatories, greenhouses and nurseries. These facilities grow plants for the entire 52 acre Garden and serve as a hub for community and educational programs.
Current zoning protects the Garden’s access to sunlight by capping building height at this location. These laws must remain in place to prevent irreparable damage to the Garden. Join us in signing a petition to City officials to protect the integrity and beauty of Brooklyn’s Garden.
Three ways to take Action!
Enroll in mobile updates by texting SUNLIGHT to 484848. We’ll text you new ways to get involved and important upcoming campaigns dates.
Sign the Garden’s petition at bbg.org/sunlight urging elected officials to protect the irreplaceable assets of Brooklyn Botanic Garden and oppose high-rise construction at this location. While you’re there, opt in to receive campaign updates so you can make sure your voice is heard on this issue.
Check out our Fight for Sunlight exhibit in the Conservatory to learn more about this project and why it has to be stopped. Share your support on social media using #FightFor Sunlight to tag your photos taken at the Garden.
Magnolia Plaza and Daffodil Hill in Spring 2023
bbg.org/sunlight
Disclaimer: Please call the Brooklyn Botanical Garden for more information on the gardens. The “Fight for the Light” campaign can be found online and on the Garden’s website for more information.
The front of the Staten Zoo on Groundhog’s Day in 2025
The ceremony for Groundhog’s Day in 2025
I wanted to celebrate Groundhog’s Day this year and had fully planned to go to Punxsutaway, PA to see the Groundhog’s Day festival again (see Day Thirty-Seven of ‘MywalkinManhattan’) but a ‘Arctic Vortex’ swept all over the Midwest with its fringes reaching the middle of Pennsylvania. It would be 30 degrees on Groundhog’s Day with a temperature of 4 degrees that night. The thought of sitting in Gobbler’s Knob in almost 0 weather had no appeal to me and I changed my plans. I had remembered that there was a festival on Staten Island at the Staten Island Zoo with ‘Staten Island Chuck’ on Groundhog’s Day so off I went early the next morning to see the groundhog see his shadow.
Staten Island Chuck during the ceremony in 2025
The Staten Island Zoo had a fun and engaging Groundhog’s Day ceremony (see Day One Hundred and Thirty One of ‘MywalkinManhattan’) with a musical concert with the students of P.S. 29 and a private band who made up a song to go with the festival. At 8:00am, they presented Staten Chuck to the audience and he told us that there would be an early spring (its still freezing out!).
The Groundhog’s Day ceremony in 2025
The video on the event in 2025:
After the ceremony was over, the Zoo gave us plenty of time to explore the park before it opened to the public. With it being so cold outside, a lot of the outdoor animals were not in their pens outside but I was able to most of the exhibits.
Map of the Staten Island Zoo
I was able to visit all the inside exhibitions which was nice because the crowds began to thin as the morning went on. It is a nice sized zoo with a lot of indoor exhibitions for a rainy or cold day. I visited the Birds of Prey exhibit which contains many types of birds in their simulated natural habitat. There were some interesting colorful birds that the zoo keepers took out so that we could see them up close.
The Bird display at the zoo
There was a Fox exhibition where the small furry creatures were crawling and climbing all over the rocks and formations. They just stared at me looking at them leading me to believe that they were used to humans looking at them. There were all sorts of animals that stare back at you. The Meerkats were very playful and really started at me like they knew who I was.
The Meerkat display inside
The Meerkats are so playful when I was visiting
The video on these Meerkats playing in front of me:
The Meerkats being playful and trying to get my attention:
The furry anteater
I walked through the African, Tropical Forest and the Aquarium which were located towards the front of the zoo. I walked through the aquarium which is small but still nice and you are able to see many types of fish and plant life.
The Aquarium tanks at the zoo
The Aquarium tanks from the Asian River Tank
The Starfish tank in the tanks
The Pacific Kelp Forest with kelp and starfish
The Red Bellied Pacu fish display in the Jungle exhibition
The Pacu sign describing the fish
The Pacu fish in the display
In the African exhibition, I loved looking at the bearded monkeys who just looked back at me and then it was off to the reptile wing to look at snakes, turtles and frogs.
The display of the Lemur monkeys
The Lemur just stared at me
I went outside later in the morning and looked at the horses (who looked freezing) and the kangaroos, who looked at me like they wanted to run back inside (it was about 35 degrees at that point). The emus looked at me with desperation as well like ‘at least he is going to feed us’ look.
The Llamas and Pony looked at me like they were shivering
None of the outdoor animals looked comfortable in this weather. Even Staten Island Chuck was inside because his keeper said that it was too cold even for him to be outside.
The Llamas looking at all of us when we were walking around
The one thing about the Staten Island Zoo is that it is compact and you can see the whole zoo in one afternoon. There is also plenty of parking behind the zoo in the park.
The small goats at the zoo
The Leopard exhibition and the poor Leopard looked so cold
The Leopard looked so cold
The Zoo also has a nice gift shop, where a ‘Staten Island Chuck’ stuffed animal will cost you $20.00 ( in 2020 I bought the little stuffed animal. It is really cute). There is also a restaurant with stand kid fare like chicken fingers and burgers in the afternoon hours. There selection of doughnuts are really good. For a dollar, it is worth the trip.
The Staten Island Zoo Snack Shop
The menu is very basic but the food is really good
I ate a early lunch at the Snack Shop and the food is very reasonable. I got a Grilled Cheese with Bacon with a side of French Fries and a Coke and it was really good. The selection of items are the typical items that appeal to children and adults alike.
The Grilled Cheese lunch at the Staten Island Zoo Snack Shop
I would highly suggest the Grilled Cheese with Bacon as savory and buttery and was really gooey. The perfect comfort food on a cold day.
The Grilled Cheese with Bacon was the perfect lunch on a cold day
The gift shop has a lot of fun things to buy and I did buy a Staten Island Chuck in 2020 when I visited the second time. It really is a great toy and memento of the event.
The stuffed Staten Island Chuck is the perfect gift to remember the event
The Groundhog Day ceremony in 2020!
Watch the video on the event right before the country’s shutdown:
Check out my blog on ‘Visiting the Staten Island Zoo for the Groundhog’s Celebration Day One Hundred and Thirty-One’:
After visiting the zoo, take time to walk through the park and then walk down Forest Avenue to visit the shops and restaurants. Don’t miss Bruno’s and Moretti’s Bakery’s for a snack.
Very clever cartoon when the Mayor dropped the Groundhog.
Chuck predicted Spring would come early in 2025
Spring is in the air in 2025
The History of the Staten Island Zoo:
(from the Zoo website)
In August 1933, the Staten Island Zoological Society was created and the park built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. On March 25, 1935, the Egbert-Robillard Bill was passed by the New York State Senate to have the city provide maintenance for the zoo. Two months later on May 7, 1935, the Governor of New York signed an agreement to allocate public fund for the zoo to cover operational and maintenance costs while the exhibits, animal care and educational programs were to be maintained by the Staten Island Zoological Society. With the land now owned by the city and a program to convert the 8 acre estate into a zoo. The zoo opened to the public on June 10, 1936 and was considered the first U.S. “educational zoo”. (Wiki)
The murals made of tile in the Jungle exhibit
Staten Island Zoological Society:
(from the Zoo website)
Unlike all the other zoos in New York City, which are operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Staten Island Zoo is operated by the Staten Island Zoological Society which was created in August 1933 under the organization of Harold O’Connel. Local legend maintains that the society was partially formed from the Staten Island Reptile Club, which was located nearby on Britton Street and Broadway.
The Reptile Room at the Zoo
The snakes in the Reptile Room
Although no written documentation exists regarding the merger it would explain the newly formed Staten Zoological Society’s affinity for reptiles and why the zoo was (and still is) known for its extensive reptile collection. Just short of one year after its organization on July 24, 1934, the Staten Island Zoological Society was officially incorporated. (Wiki)
Chuck’s Home at the Zoo
Chuck looked really cold in 2025
The zoo is home to Staten Island Chuck, a groundhog who is the official Groundhog Day forecaster for New York City and Grandpa, a black-handed Spider Monkey, who made local newspapers when he accurately ‘predicted’ the outcome of six out of nine matches during the U.S. Open Tennis Championship. (Wiki)
The presentation in 2019:
Staten Island Chuck Festival 2019
The presentation in 2025 at the Staten Island Zoo:
The musical performance of the band live singing ‘Staten Island Chuck’:
The live musical performance at the event
There was also a second song about Groundhog’s Day:
The second song on Groundhog’s Day
The ceremony was a little on the long side because every politician had to chime in but still was a lot of fun:
The Opening Ceremony in 2025
The next person to talk was the Zoo Director:
The Staten Island Zoo directors speech
It was nice to welcome back the choir of P.S. 29 in Staten Island who had entertained us back in 2019. They had not been there in 2020 during the start of the pandemic.
The musical performance of P.S. 29
The prediction of an early Spring:
The prediction was of an early Spring
Meanwhile in Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of Winter. It depends on who you want to listen to in the forecast. Once they finished the ceremony, everyone took pictures with Chuck and then they put the poor, cold guy away.
Chuck’s home at the Zoo
Chuck’s private home at the zoo
His personal sign
The story of the Groundhog
The sign on Groundhog’s Day at the Staten Island Zoo
I have been visiting Carl Schurz Park many times while walking the neighborhood for my project, “MywalkinManhattan.com”. You can see the entries from Days One Hundred and Ten, Six, Four and Two. I also visited again when touring Gracie Mansion for this blog, “VisitingaMuseum” (see write up under Gracie Mansion).
The entrance to Carl Schurz Park in the Summer of 2024
The park is such a nice place to relax in the warmer months. Being so close to the river in the winter months when the wind kicks in from the river can be brutal. In the Spring and Summer, it is one of the nicest parks to just sit and relax in. During the day, it is fun to watch the kids play in the large playground in the middle of the park. On the weekends the place is packed with kids, parents, and nannies all vying for space.
The Cherry Blossoms at the entrance of the park.
The same spot on the first day of Summer 2024
The gardens are beautiful and are very nicely maintained between the City and the Carl Schurz Park Association, who I have seen members weeding, landscaping and planting in the park during the times of my visits. It is relaxing to just sit by the river and watch the river go by and the boats sail by in the warmer months.
The entrance to the park.
The flowers return during each part of the season almost on cue and the park is awash with colors of daffodils, tulips, irises and tiger lilies. There are many flowering plants in the summer that add to the rainbow of colors that accent all the trees. It is a nice place to sit and read a book while watching people walk their dogs.
The back of the park in Spring 2024.
At twilight, it is fun to watch the lights go on in Queens across the river and the whole city come to life again in the evening. In the warm summer months, the kids are playing in the park, residents have their dogs running around the Dog Run and you can hear the activity at Gracie Mansion. Trust me, security is tight in that section of the park.
The Tulip Garden at the back of the park.
The same garden in the Summer of 2024
The pathways by the playground in the Summer of 2024
The paths that line East 84th Street to York Avenue
The Polly Gordon Walk sign in the front gardens
The Polly Gordon Walkway in the Summer of 2024
This is a nice residential park to relax in when you visiting the Upper East Side.
The walkways in Carl Schurz Park in the Summer of 2024
The History of Carl Schurz Park:
Carl Schurz Park, named by the Board of Alderman in 1910 for the soldier, statesman and journalist Carl Schurz (1829-1906), overlooks the turbulent waters of Hell Gate. The first known Dutch owner of the land was Sybout Claessen, who was granted the property in 1646 by the Dutch West India Company. Jacob Walton, a subsequent owner, built the first house on the site in 1770. During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Army built a fort surrounding the Walton residence to guard the strategic shipping passage of Hell Gate. After the British attack on September 8th, 1776, the house was destroyed and the Americans were forced to retreat from the fort, which the British retained until the end of the war in 1783.
Looking at the park from the East River walkway.
The land was purchased from Walton’s heirs in 1798 by Archibald Gracie, a Scottish shipping magnate. He built a mansion there in 1799, where his illustrious guests included future United States President, John Quincy Adams and future French King Louis Phillippe. The estate, sold by Gracie in 1819 was acquired by the City from the Wheaton family in 1891. The first home of the Museum of the City of New York from 1924-32, the mansion served as the official residence of New York’s mayor’s since Fiorello LaGuardia moved there in 1942.
Gracie Mansion during my tour of the mansion in 2025
The southern portion of the park was set aside by the City as East River Park in 1876. The former Gracie estate was added in 1891 and a new landscape design by Calvert Vaux and Samuel Parsons was completed in 1902. Maud Sargent re-landscaped the park in 1939 when the East River Drive underpass was under construction. Charles Haffen’s sculpture of Peter Pan, created in 1928 for a fountain in the lobby of the old Paramount Theater was installed in the park in 1975.
Carl Schurz Park in the Summer
The park name honors Schurz, a native of Cologne, Germany. It was strongly supported by the large German community of adjacent Yorkville. After emigrating to the United States in 1852, Schurz quickly made his reputation as a skilled orator and proved to be instrumental to Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 election campaign. His most significant political offices were that of United States Senator from Missouri (1869-1875) and Secretary of the Interior (1877-81) during the Hayes administration. In later years, Schurz was editor of the New York Tribune and an editorial writer for Harper’s Weekly. Schurz is also honored by Karl Bitter’s statue of 1913, located in Morningside Drive and 116th Street.
Recent improvements include rebuilding of the stairs, the complete restoration of the playground and the opening of Carl’s Dog Run. These and other projects, including the planting of flowers, have been accomplished through a partnership between the Parks and the Carl Schurz Park Association, which has demonstrated the community’s commitment to restoring, maintaining and preserving this park since it formed in 1974.
Admission: $5.00 for Adults/$3.00 for Seniors & Students/Children under 12 are free/General Admission is free on Wednesdays. Guided and group tours are available.
The entrance of the Van Cortlandt House decorated for the Revolutionary era Christmas
I visited the Van Cortlandt House Museum for the their Annual Christmas Decorated House event. The mansion was decorated for Christmas in the 1700’s so it was not overdone as it would during the Victorian times. The front of the house entrance was done with sprays of holly, mistletoe above the door and garlands of pine around the banister and fireplaces. The windows had candles in them and the dining room was set for Christmas luncheon in post-Revolutionary War era.
Van Cortlandt House for Christmas is Post-Revolutionary War in 2019
The entrance hall welcomes you to a Revolutionary era holiday season
While most of the house is represented during the Dutch era with floors with no rugs, vintage furniture and decorations and the second and third floors are set for family entertainment. The first floor is set for entertaining for the holidays with the formal dining room, family parlor and the formal living room for games and dancing. The formal dining room was the only room decorated post-Revolutionary War era.
Van Cortlandt Mansion at Christmas 1800’s
The current entrance to the house from the back of the building
Until the Victorian era, Christmas was a more religious affair with church service in the morning and luncheon in the afternoon. Things were formal and less elaborate. The acts of gift giving, sleigh rides, tree decorating and card giving came during the affluence of Queen Victoria’s reign in the post Civil-War era. This is the reason why the house is decorated so simply and elegantly.
Dining Room set for Christmas lunch circa 1780’s
In 2019, the site celebrated the holidays with a Sinterklaas, a Dutch Christmas celebration, a candlelight tour and a reading from Santa Claus. Please check their website for more information on future events. The house was closed for most of the COVID years and nothing had been planned. The house was open in December of 2022 for touring again for the holidays but was not decorated as much as in the past.
In 2022, when the house reopened after a long period of COVID, the self-guided tours were back and you could tour the house at your own pace ($5.00 donation) and tour the three floors of furnished rooms. You can see how the family lived from the three generations that lived in the residence.
The tour starts at the front hallway where guests would be received for formal affairs and for business meetings with the head of the household.
You would be greeted by servants at the entrance of the home
On either side of the front hallway is the East and West Parlors where you would be directed where the family would receive you. The West Parlor would have been used for business calls and more informal meetings when meeting with the Van Cortlandt family. The family’s wealth would be on display with fine furniture, china and bric-a-brac that would show off the family’s merchant roots and business.
The West Parlor
The West Parlor decorated for Christmas
The East Parlor on the other side of the entranceway would have been used for more formal affairs. The East Parlor is where the family would formally entertain guests with dancing, music and card playing. This is where long evenings of entertaining would take place and the family would enjoy their holiday celebrations.
The East Parlor
The East Parlor decorated for the Christmas holidays
The Dining Room was toward the back of the hallway and was decorated in the Empire Design of the late 1700’s to early 1800’s. The look is very similar to styles used today and the wallpaper is a copy from one of the styles used by the family that was imported in from France. The table was set for Christmas luncheon circa the late 1780’s.
The Dining Room
The Dining Room at the Van Cortlandt House
There are two sets of stairs to the second level of the house where the family bedrooms were located. There was the formal stairs and then there was the stairs that the servants used to go from floor to floor so that they would not be seen.
The steps upstairs to the second floor
On the second floor of the home are the bed chambers of the family. The main bedrooms for the family were located here and then the nursery and servants quarters were located on the Third floor of the home.
The West Chamber:
The bedroom
The ‘Washington Bedroom’ in the Van Cortlandt House
The East Chamber Bedroom:
The Bedroom:
The Landing of the stairs to the third floor lead to the Nursery, an additional guest room and the enslaved servants quarters. These were kept out of site from the other members of the household. It is a reminder of the pecking order of the household and the conditions that people lived under at this time.
The Second Floor Landing leads to the nursery and servants quarters
The Dutch Chamber was formerly a guest room that is used to show life in early Colonial New York City:
The Dutch Chamber:
The Dutch Chamber shows early life in Colonial America
The Second Floor Setup:
The Nursery:
The nursery set up room:
The servants quarters were to the back of the house and were not the most glamorous place to live in the house. There were drafty and not insulated. The amount of time a servant would be here would have been minimal.
The servants quarters:
The servants quarters:
History of the Van Cortlandt’s:
The Van Cortlandt House Museum, also known as Fredrick Van Cortlandt House or Van Cortlandt House, is the oldest surviving building in New York City’s borough of The Bronx. The Georgian style house, begun in 1748, was build of fieldstone by Fredrick Van Cortlandt (1699-1749) on the plantation that had been owned and farmed by his family since 1691. Fredrick intended the house to be a home for him and his wife, Francis Jay and daughters, Anna Maria, 14 and Eve, 13. His sons, Augustus, 21 and Fredrick, 19, were not intended to be permanent residents of the house.
Sadly, Fredrick died before the new house was completed. In his will written in 1759, Fredrick left the house to his son, James Van Cortlandt (1726-1781) and a lifetime tenancy to his widow, Francis Jay Van Cortlandt (1701-1780).
The Van Cortlandt House gardens in the Summer
The Van Cortlandt’s were a mercantile family prominent in New York affairs. Fredrick’s father, Jacobus, established a thriving wheat growing and processing business on the plantation including a grist mill for processing the wheat into flour and a fleet of shallow draft boats to carry the flour from the south end his lake down Tibbet’s Brook and out to the Harlem and Hudson Rivers to market. During the Revolutionary War, the house was used by Rochambeau, Lafayette and Washington.
(From History of Van Cortlandt House and Museum)
In 1887, after 140 years of occupancy by the Van Cortlandt family and the community of plantation workers, the property was sold to the City of New York and made a public parkland. Before the house became a museum, it saw a variety of uses including as a temporary police precinct house and as a dormitory for ranch hands responsible for taking care of a herd of buffalo.
Van Cortlandt House historic marker
By 1895, The National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York expressed their interest in restoring the house as a museum open to the public. There was only one obstacle keeping the Colonial Dames from this important project, there was no provision in the New York State Law allowing the stewardship of a publicly owned building by a private organization. Undaunted, the first Society President, Mrs. Townsend, took the Society’s cause to Albany where on May 22, 1896 in the 199th session of the New York Legislature, Chapter 837 was approved by the governor and passed by a 3/5 majority to become law.
The Van Cortlandt House dollhouse
After nearly a year if repairs and restoration, Van Cortlandt House Museum was opened to great fanfare on May 25th of 1897. The original license agreement grained custody of the house to the National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York for a period of 25 years at a ‘peppercorn’ rent of $1.00 per year. Although the Society no longer pays the city rent, they remain, to this day as dedicated to Van Cortlandt House as they were in 1896.
Van Cortlandt Park in the Summer Months
In 1967, Van Cortlandt House was added to the National Register of Historic Places and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967. The house was declared a New York City Landmark on March 15, 1966, recognizing the historic and architectural importance of both the exterior and interior.
(From the Van Cortlandt House Museum NSCDNY)
The Van Cortlandt House gardens during the winter of 2022
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 