Inspired by an 1888 visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens in England, Nathaniel Lord Britton and his wife, Elizabeth, both botanists, spearheaded a public campaign to establish, with New York City and State, a new botanical garden in 1891, which would become the home of The New York Botanical Garden.
Calvert Vaux, co-designer of another New York landmark, Central Park, was among one of the designers and architects who contributed to the creation of the iconic National Historic Landmark. To this day, the New York Botanical Garden maintains one of the world’s greatest collections of plant life. Its 250 acres include dramatic rock formations, rolling hills, waterfalls and some of the most beautiful natural terrain of any botanical garden in the world, in addition to the ponds, the Bronx River, and a 50-acre remnant of the forest that once covered New York City.
50 gardens and plant collections house over 1 million plants and breathtaking displays such as the Arthur and Janet Ross Conifer Arboretum; the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden; the Jane Watson Irwin Perennial Garden and Ladies’ Border; about 30,000 distinguished trees, some over 200 years old. In addition to the most sophisticated behind-the-scenes greenhouses in the United States, the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections, which opened in 2005 and houses an exquisite orchid collection of over 8,000 plants.
The New York Botanical Garden’s Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, which opened in 1902, was named a New York City Landmark in 1973, and it is the nation’s largest Victorian-era glasshouse. It is home to A World of Plants, a permanent ecotour of the world, including tropical rain forests, deserts, carnivorous and aquatic plants, and the world’s most comprehensive collection of palm trees under glass. The Conservatory also houses the Garden’s seasonal flower shows, including the popular Orchid Show and Holiday Train Show.
The Holiday Train Show®
A city in miniature featuring more than 150 iconic buildings, all re-created with bark, leaves, twigs, stems, fruits, seeds, pine cones other natural materials. Iconic and architectural landmarks such as: the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, the original Pennsylvania Station, Yankee Stadium, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Radio City Music Hall are among the must-see and must-attend New York tradition where the magic and innocence of model trains zip past all of these popular landmarks!
Visitors of all ages will enjoy every turn and every image of this work of art, which is open for the season though January 18, 2016. Now in its 24th annual exhibition, the New York Botanical Garden presents New York’s Favorite Train Show, which takes place within America’s premier Victorian-style glasshouse. With activities for everyone, there are plenty of things to see and do including children’s activities, poetry, classical music, cocktail evenings, and more.
Directions & Contact Info:
The New York Botanical Garden is a museum of plants located at Bronx River Parkway (Exit 7W) and Fordham Road. It is easy to reach by Metro-North Railroad, bus, or subway.
