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Brooklyn Botanic Garden

4.5 star rating
based on 69 reviews

Category: Botanical Gardens  [Edit]

1000 Washington Ave
(at Sullivan Pl)
Brooklyn, NY 11225
(718) 623-7200
  • Nearest Transit:

    Eastern Pkwy (2, 3)

    Botanic Garden (2, 3, 4, 5, S)

  • Hours:
    Tue-Fri 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
    Sat-Sun 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
  • Good for Kids: Yes

69 Reviews for Brooklyn Botanic Garden

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Photo of Marty M.

 

0

10

Marty M.

Brooklyn, NY

5 star rating
07/17/2008

Go there in the middle of the summer. yes go when it's a hundred degrees and the clothes stick to your body and the kids are grouchy and the air condition brakes and you think you'll die
sit under a tree by one of the springs, watch the kids play ahhhh!
then run away from the security personnel because they don't LET you sit by the stream and dip your toes in. they don't LET you give your kids that snicker doodle at the cherry espelande (did I spell it correctly?) the only place you can sit at.
but nothing beats the japaneese garden where your kids can see the turtles and fish in the water (and feed them - shhh)
and the "maze" gardens!
and more and more

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46

50

Karen B.

New York, NY

5 star rating
07/19/2008

anyone who gives this place less than 5 stars just can't be my friend.

This garden is what I imagined central park to be before moving here. ...quiet, serene, peaceful and absolutely beautiful. --like heaven exhaled in the middle of brooklyn.

It's truly stunning. between the garden paths, the hideaway trails and the sheer magnitude of the place, you may just feel like you've entered Wonderland.

I have been looking for a place like this since I moved here.... somewhere where i can hide under a tree and no one (no one!) can find me. a place where I can rest my weary bones under a great big weeping willow and have Mother Nature's majesty soothe my soul.

bring a book and read under an oak. lay down your barefooted self on the fresh grass and stare at the sky. walk around and bask in the wonder of this magnificent awe-inspiring earth. harness your inner poet and write a song. ....if you're not careful, you may just break into one by the time you leave.

a blissful retreat indeed.  

17 bazillion stars.

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9

46

Ashley F.

Somerville, MA

5 star rating
07/02/2008

Where else can you find little box turtle running around NYC?  

Two good friends of mine took me to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden on one of the hottest, most humid days this summer.  It was so bad that we had to stop an hour in and sit due to heat stress.  Fortunately the garden comes well equipped with plenty of shade, benches, and best of all, water fountains.  I must've drunk my weight in water--thanks, Brooklyn tax payers!

The gardens themselves are expansive and filled with tons of wonderful and fragrant plants.  I only wish that the signs were a bit more descriptive of the more unique ones we found.  

The BBG also features a nice patio and concession stand.  The food is good and decently priced.  (I did feel a little cheated on the amount of brie on my sandwich, though).  The staff at the gardens were all very friendly, often surprisingly so.  I had the concession stand guy wait patiently while I chose what to order with a little fun banter thrown in.  Good times!  Next time, Frances and Tony, only take me when it's under 90 degrees.

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Elite '08

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577

Arnab M.

New York, NY

5 star rating
06/18/2008

I was here for the opening of their rose garden with Tali A. a couple of weeks ago, and boy, we were blown away by the beauty of the gardens. Sprawling and stunning, with 100s of kinds of roses and orchids and other plants and flowers. Bugs haven too, but that's okay. Tali had a bee in her hair at one point. We had a field day with photographs. They had a stage and some live jazz. It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon, so we sat out and enjoyed the music and the sun. I even ended up with quite the farmer's tan thanks to my stupidity (didn't take off my tank top). I am surely going to be back! I only wish that my corporate sponsorship (free access) was still valid.

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22

Noelia d.

New York, NY

4 star rating
06/17/2008

Nice on a day like today (75, sunny, breezy, my fav kind of weather!) with a group of friends.

And its free! (on Tuesdays)

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Elite '08

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202

Miguel d.

Brooklyn, NY

5 star rating
06/04/2008

Number 200!

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I've been to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden too many times within the past few weeks, but you can count on seeing me there more and more often as the days continue to get longer and longer.

Where else in the city can you be in a desert setting, surrounded by cacti and aloe?

Where else in the city can you see over 2200 different orchid plants?

Where else in the city can you see a well-manicured bonsai collection in the same building as a tropical rainforest plant display?

Where else in the city can you experience magnolias one month, tulips the next, and waterlilies following that, all from the same bench?

Where else in the city can you take pictures of peonies larger than your head, and irises in every color imaginable?

Where else in the city can you walk for hours on end and feel energized afterwards?

Where else in the city can you smell over 1200 different varieties of roses in mid-June?

Where else in the city can you see names like Tony Danza, Isaac Asimov, Lauren Bacall, Maurice Sendak, and Judge Judy next to each other?

Where else in the city can you climb rocks deposited by glaciers from the last Ice Age?

Where else in the city can you be surrounded by tens of thousands of cherry blossoms floating in the wind?

Where else in the city can you learn about the native flora of New York and its environs, unchanged for about 400 years?

Where else in the city can you see an Elizabethan-style garden made entirely of herbs?

Where else in the city has a tactile and olfactory garden, where signs are in Braille and visitors are encouraged to touch the exhibits?

Where else in the city can you find an English cottage garden that contains plants mentioned by Shakespeare in his plays and poems?

Where else in the city can you sit down, read a book, listen to music, sketch, and play while surrounded by blue indigo flowers and bright blue bellflowers?

Where else in the city can you fall in love with nature all over again?

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If Prospect Park were a girl, it would be the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

She's classy, sassy, and is more overt about her natural cycle.

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Seriously, when do you want to go with me? It's free on Tuesday. Every Tuesday.

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354

Andy H.

Brooklyn, NY

5 star rating
06/11/2008

Each borough has a botanic garden and I have been to them all. This one is my favorite by far. It is so nice that you forget you are in Brooklyn. Definitely go check it out. So many beautiful flowers,plants,trees and a greenhouse with a cafe nearby.

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3

Noah S.

Brooklyn, NY

5 star rating
06/07/2008

This place made me want to LIVE in the Garden! So I did the next best thing and got an apartment across street.
The Garden is always perfect. The grounds are well-kept, there is something for everyone (kids, the blind, etc...), convenient hours, reasonably priced memberships, interesting classes and nice employees.
It is truly world class!

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JP B.

New York, NY

5 star rating
04/29/2008

This is a world class botanical garden.  

The $8 entrance fee seems entirely reasonable in a town where going to see a movie costs $10 or more.  A few hours spent here is a much better time than most movies I've seen.

The Japanese cherry trees are one of the garden's highlights.  They bloom in mid to late April.  They're breathtaking.  The Garden hosts a yearly event to celebrate with music, food and beverages under the blossoms.  Personally I think they ought to sell sake at the site the entire time the trees are in bloom, but I understand why that doesn't happen.

Two other Japanese style highlights of the Garden are the peony plantings and the beautiful Japanese garden adjacent to the cherry trees.  I've seen better Japanese gardens (in Japan, of course), but this one is still wonderful and all the more special for being in Brooklyn!  The essential elements of plantings, rocks and water come together beautifully.  On crowded weekend days one might not be able to experience the tranquility the garden is designed to evoke, but its soothing beauty manages to shine through the throngs of people that frequently crowd its pathways and wooden structures.  A brilliant red-orange Torii gate in the pond is the garden's focal point, making it seem as much like a shrine as a garden.

Before the cherries come into bloom the Garden is well worth a visit for the numerous varied magnolias that erupt into a riot of blossoms signaling the arrival of spring.  If you miss the earliest bloomers there are varieties that continue to bloom until June, but in early April the magnolias give the yet to come cherry blossoms a run for their money!

Other highlights include aquatic gardens (full of water lilies and goldfish), amazing rose gardens, lilac plantings, a cafe, gift shop and greenhouses.  The native plants garden might be the least flashy of the plantings here, but it's great so see some of the beautiful things that would probably be growing here had a city not risen up.  There is also a children's garden, and the BBG has many events aimed at families and children.

One can become a member for $40 ($75 for a dual membership) per year, meaning that in five visits it pays for itself.  Membership allows free entrance to the BBG and many other gardens across the country (including the Bronx Botanical Garden).  There are other perks to membership (such as members-only events and discounts), but the coolest one might be the ability to picnic there on Wednesday evenings in summer.  That's right, members can show up with their picnic supper at 6PM on summer Wednesdays (while everybody else is getting kicked out of the garden) and have the place to themselves until 8.  

That sealed the deal for my wife and me.  We became members this year.  Now you'll know where to find us on Wednesday evenings this summer!

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Photo of Lina K.

 

2

21

Lina K.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
06/03/2008

Sakura!
This place is beautiful and packed with a lot of colorful flowers.  And if you love Cherry Blossoms, you much make it here in the Spring time, around April.  I was there at the end of April this year, when it was in full bloom and it only lasts for about two weeks.  The Cherry Blossom Lane is very famous and it works with the climate in the East Coast.
The place is kind of big, I wouldn't say huge, so you can spend a few good hours there.  Their admission prices are pretty cheap in comparison to Botanical Gardens in Cali.  Also, if you have a student ID, I'd bring it with you because you get half off the admission!

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1

9

Jennifer S.

Brooklyn, NY

5 star rating
04/29/2008

So happy to live just down the street from the BBG. This means that I can check in on a nearly weekly basis just to see what has changed. It's really amazing what a week can do in the life of a flowering plant. The majority of the cherry trees were mere buds 2 weeks ago. This past weekend, they were in bloom. This weekend, they will be fuller and puffier and more spectacular. And then they will fizzle out even faster than they revealed themselves. Lilacs are also beginning to bloom now and it just smells so divine.

This is my first spring in Brooklyn and I miss all the spring flowers that surrounded me down south. It is nice to have a place to go to be surrounded by all the color that spring has always provided me up to this point. I am looking forward to the roses in the summer, but I have a strong feeling that spring will remain my favorite season--even with the crowds! (Luckily, living so close, I can usually avoid them.)

The only downside I see to the Gardens is the fact that you cannot bring food in. I always want to sit and have a picnic on the lawn. I guess I will have to be satisfied with taking my lunch down the street to the park.

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Elite '08

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453

Rachel A.

Jersey City, NJ

5 star rating
04/25/2008

Let's face it. I'm not going to Japan anytime soon. Are you? If not, let Brooklyn bring Japan to you by a walk through the cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The cherry blossoms give a whole new meaning to the phrase pretty in pink.

Feel free to frolick. Feel free to take lots of photos. The place is so picturesque. The Garden is peaceful and each section is a whole different world from the next. Everything is perfectly pruned and impeccable. The admission is a steal. In conjuction with the Brooklyn Museum, I paid $16 all in all for the Museum, Murakami exhibit, and Botanical Garden.

I literally got lost in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The place is huge! I didn't have a map. I just wandered and I had no idea where the paths would lead me. I found so many cool spots. The place is really unbelievable. Its wonderful for families, dates, tourists, single people, etc. Something for everyone. Lots of open grass to roll around in, lounge, and play.

Most importantly, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is great for those who love plants and flowers. Every plant and flower you can ever imagine are in bloom. Tulips and roses from reds to hot pinks to yellows and creams. There is a pond with koi and turtles, an italian style garden, many park benches, and the Steinhardt Conservatory where it is really humid inside. This place is like Central Park, Prospect Park, Japanese Tea Gardens and Conservatory of Flowers all rolled into one.

And if I ever decide to join the status quo, I'll have my wedding reception at The Palm House. Brooklyn Botanic Garden you make me swoon.

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414

diana m.

Brooklyn, NY

5 star rating
05/06/2008

This place is beautiful especially during the springtime when the rose garden is in full bloom.  The Japanese garden is my favorite part of the BBG.  Many of my happiest Sunday afternoons were here.

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228

sugar b.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
04/20/2008

This place is like magic.

The cherry blossoms, the old trees, and the seemingly endless flowers make a really beautiful afternoon.  

The only downer is the MILLIONS of other folks who feel the same way.

But it was entertaining to watch the security guards bust people for sitting on the grass and saying things like, "He's an Asian male, 10 years old, wearing blue pants. Get him out of the daffodils."

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Elite '08

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157

amy s.

Brooklyn, NY

5 star rating
06/18/2008

just when im feeling to frazzled and spazzy and full of F train/61 bus rage and i simply feel i cannot take living in nyc for another millisecond, just then i remember the soothing loveliness that is the botanical garden. there is something incredibly calming about this lush oasis plop next to the bk museum. just seeing that much brilliantly green lawn is enough to coax me into a calm collected state. the japanese garden area is wonderful and honestly, you really need to be around more trees right?

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213

Diana N.

NY

4 star rating
05/05/2008

It's spring!  The cherry blossoms are in full/peak bloom and so are many of the flowers in various gardens at the BBG.  My friends and I were impressed by the size of the park and the variety in the gardens.  The cherry blossom esplanade is a bit squished compared to the set up in DC, but nonetheless, it is a fabulous way to spend time with family and friends and also appreciate various aspects of Japanese culture, which for some, means dressing up as manga characters and Japanese schoolgirls.  We just wandered around and took pictures =P

It's very peaceful here, even with hordes of visitors.  Highly recommend this to everyone.

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107

Jasmine T.

New York, NY

4 star rating
04/30/2008

Aah, it's spring or so the calendar says. Last Saturday my friends and I had our picnic in the garden blotched by two things.

One: You are not allowed to smoke, eat, drink or sit on the grass with a blanket.

Two: There were hordes of people speaking every language elbowing you in their search of flowers.

This is one of those places you come on a "sick" day.

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5

163

one n.

Brooklyn, NY

5 star rating
04/08/2008

Pros:  This is your most serene and cool place in the borough (and probably in any of the boroughs also).   No stress, nice lawns, beautiful flowers, pleasant people.  

(If you join , join on the 18. dollar a year plan for individuals, that's the best bargain).

Cons:

Food at this place (if you are bringing children or families) can cost a fortune.  Eat at Wendy's across the street or bring your own snacks and eat dinner at home. (You are not permitted to eat your own food at the cafe tables and that is the only area where you can have any food).

Going alone - best bet, buy a salad there for the day or wait till later.

It's a great place for taking pictures, meeting friends and families and their events are totally cool and interesting .

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163

Formicas ..

New York, NY

3 star rating
04/19/2008

These gardens had the cherry blossoms in bloom, and they were breathtaking.  The rest of the garden wasn't quite in bloom yet (as of April 19th), but the layout and design made it clear we'll have to come back later in the season.  The tulips and daffodils were beautiful, though.  All in all, a beautiful garden, well maintained, not too expensive to get in (and free on Tuesdays and 10-12 on Saturdays), and worth the trip.

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2

28

Megan H.

Bronx, NY

5 star rating
03/14/2008

When I worked at the Brooklyn Museum this was my favorite place to go during my lunch breaks or when I just needed some alone time. The cherry blossoms are just beautiful. The only negative is that it does get very crowded in the spring.

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103

Mo P.

Brooklyn, NY

5 star rating
01/08/2008

Have a friend that goes to Pratt? Tackle them. Make them go with you to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens - and be sure they bring their student i.d. Pratt students not only get into the gardens for free, but they can bring a friend (or twelve, or forty..) with them for free. That little i.d. works like hot fudge on a sundae!

The gardens are best in the Spring...duh. When everything is in bloom - especially the cherry blossoms, wow, it's breathtaking. This is a great place to stroll around on a lazy afternoon or even bring a blanket and book to camp out at. The lily pad pools are me favorite, but there are also some attention-demanding weeping willows that get me gape every time. Some of my best photographs of NY are from here... I think they'd turn out beautiful even if I had no skills with a camera...the place is too pretty for bad pictures to be captured here. Oh, and the turtles. TMNT!!!!! Not really, but there are rather a lot of turtles hanging out at the Japanese garden area. Animals with a shell automatically get five stars. Eggs don't count, freakin chickens.

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Denis K.

Parsippany, NJ

5 star rating
02/10/2008

It's the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.. what more is there to say?

We went for the Sakura Matsuri cherry blossom festival. After winding around the area to find parking.

The cherry blossoms were lovely and just how one would imagine it. Perfect blossoms floating down like snow. The larger botanic gardens are beautiful as well. There is a little lake and a wooden walk way around it that is quite serene. Enjoy sitting down on the grass and feel the warm sun against your face. Smell the scents of the flowers and water and grass in the air. It is really peaceful.

review 2/10/2008
I.M.Y.

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259

Cassidy P.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
11/21/2007

I just love this place.  It feels like you're in the middle of Alice's Wonderland, with all of its twists and turns and amazing hidden treasures.  I came here with my mom & her boyfriend on a very hot NYC summer day and we ended up lying down under the shade of a tree in the grass to listen to classical music played by a live orchestra.  Absolutely magical!

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Sarah M.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
01/30/2008

This place is great, and a wonderful break from all the city sight seeing we were doing.  Definitely take Mo P's advice and tackle your friend from Pratt.  She took me, so we didn't have to pay, but it's definitely worth the price if you know no one at Pratt.  I loved all the lily pads, turtles, and amazing diversity of plants.  I could spend hours here, and probably will when I go back.

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Ariela B.

Brooklyn, NY

5 star rating
11/09/2007

I adore the BBG, and used to visit all the time as a kid. I don't always have the occasion to go now, but I try to attend the Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom) Festival every year, where they exhibit everything from tofu-making to rare plants and gardening tips, and of course the fantastic cherry blossoms. It's definitely one of the most beautiful places in Brooklyn, and a must-see for tourists and plant/flower enthusiasts.

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Tina E.

Alameda, CA

4 star rating
09/21/2007

Brooklyn Botanical Garden is not as grandiose as its Bronx counterpart but it is well worth a lengthy and leisurely afternoon. I have been here several times with my friends with kids, and the wonder in their eyes is enough to make you fall in love with nature all over again. Taking time to smell the roses becomes quite important when living in "the city".

Many varieties bloom in the Cranford Rose Garden. Even if they aren't your favorite flower, they will certainly woo you with their unbelievable scent.

Be sure to make your way into the conservatory to see the orchids, the bonsai and the desert plants. On your way, stop to see the beautiful water lilies.

The koi fish in the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden are not to be missed. They often swim close to the surface and are accompanied by turtles and sometimes baby ducks.

Last time I went to the garden, I went with my good pal and her two young boys. They played, learned some new plant names, got dirty, rolled down hills and were absolutely amazed by everything. I made daisy chains out of clover flowers and we all took off our shoes to feel the grass under our feet. I was a kid again, happily daydreaming and pulling weeds from in between my toes.

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125

Jeffrey Y.

Rego Park, NY

4 star rating
12/12/2007

I usually visit during the Spring when the Cherry Blossoms are in bloom. It's not particularly large but the flora is diverse. A very peaceful place to collect your thoughts or for a stroll to reconnect with nature.

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309

Arthur O.

Brooklyn, NY

5 star rating
09/29/2007

Be sure to take your parents to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  

They may consider the idea that you aren't completely crazy for living in a city where cost of living is high, the streets are piled with garbage, subways are dirty and smelly, parking space is sparse, and traffic is horrendous.

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Martino C.

Bronx, NY

4 star rating
06/21/2007

Beautiful gardens surround a white wood and glass pavillion. Nice event space and perfect venue for a celebration. It was a pain in the ass to get to by car, but once we arrived, the serenity and lovliness enveloped us with it's splendor. Definitely a must see if you're in the area.

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haley p.

Brooklyn, NY

5 star rating
02/25/2007

I want to get married here.

Edit: Okay, I've actually been, so now I can write a little more:

$4 admission for students already made me extremely happy before I walked through the entrance into paradise. Well, not quite, I have to admit I was a little underwhelmed by the path by the entrance; it looks a little bit like an herb garden. However, as you continue to walk and take in the ivy, the trees, the grass and the FLOWERS, the Botanic Garden becomes more and more impressive. If it wasn't so humid, I would have liked to have stayed longer, but we walked around for about an hour and a half. Great place to bird watch, I saw the first cardinal I've seen  in the city. There were tons of turtles and huge goldfish and catfish in the Japanese pond. Also, a couple other duck ponds... Awesome place to take kids (although the babies I saw were screaming), go on a date or just hang out and take pictures.

The grounds are pretty well maintained, but maybe my boyfriend and I should have mentioned the bird carcas in the lower branches of a tree.

The restaurant is overpriced and the people are kind of cranky... although, I would be too, if I had to work outside in that heat. On the other hand, I would only work where it's air conditioned in that kind of heat.

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66

Kristin N.

New York, NY

4 star rating
08/05/2007

I love this place! They have some beautiful landscapes and it is very serene. It's a great place to take walks with a friend or friends. I would come again. They have a great number of plant species which make it so interesting.

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127

Oliver T.

New York, NY

5 star rating
06/03/2007

It was nice and sunny yesterday, so I decided to take my gf to Brooklyn Botanical Garden. We hop on the M23 bus, to get to 7th Ave and take the 3 train south to Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum stop.

This place is beautiful. We walked through the rose garden. And, walked around the small lake. The lake was shallow and you can see so many huge fish in there. It looks very cool. I also saw a few turtles swimming in there.

They have a small outdoor restaurant there, so we enjoyed lunch there as well.

After that, we went to the several different green houses there, which all have different themes and climate environments. I especially liked the Tropical greenhouse. Inside the Tropical greenhouse, they have a Fragrance Forrest.

Tickets cost $16 for both of us. Cash only. They also have special discounts if you want to visit Brooklyn Museum as well.

-Oliver T.

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Elite '08

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157

Peter D.

Brooklyn, NY

3 star rating
09/16/2007

Admission is fair (heck it's free sometimes!) and the grounds are well kept; you'll fill up a memory card every time. The festivals are another story. They put the tents up in the midst of the cherry blossoms, with some sad attempt at a VIP section. (Sake in plastic cups is really classy). The chili pepper festival is a repeat of this, and in both times, the facilities for food and restrooms is less than adequate. It's not entirely their fault though; the crowds these events bring in have no manners or awareness past their strollers. In short; go during the off-days/seasons.

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Elite '08

233

513

Stevey P.

Phoenix, AZ

5 star rating
04/30/2007

Thank you New York Times!   If it wasn't for your article on Friday I would not have known about this past weekend's Sakura Matsuri thang and would have completely forgot about the blooming cherry blossoms and tulips.  

Only $8 admission ($4 if you still use your old college ID).  It's a total great way to work off your Sunday hangover. Why lay down on the bathroom floor, when you can lay down on a grassy knoll under flowering trees?

Human clusterfuck aside, this was a beautiful space - much more enjoyable and a more manageable scale than Central Park.  Gorgeous grounds, with the Japanese fish pond, tulip gardens and of course, cherry blossom trees blowing me away.

I, too, totally want to get married here (when it's legal and Mr. Right pops up).  But I digress.

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Elite '08

225

334

Bora K.

Fullerton, CA

5 star rating
04/27/2007

This weekend is the perfect time to go to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden- it's the Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom festival) 4/28/07-4/29/07. This time of year is the best time to visit because with all the cherry blossoms in bloom, it looks like it's snowing on a beautiful spring day.

The gardens itself are lovely to walk around and it would be a perfect outing with your family on a weekend. There's lots to see and huge rolling lawns of fresh grass to sit and lie down on to catch some rays.

I love this place, it is so beautiful.

Parking really really sucks here.

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Christina A.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
06/27/2007

I recommend going during Cherry Blossum season which is usually the last week of April when they run the festival.

It reminds me of that scene in Anne of Green Gables when Matthew takes Anne back to GG for the first time and during the carriage ride , they happen upon a field of cascading flowering trees that fill Anne with wonder and excitement .  It's a similar feeling I get when I go to the Blossum festival at the Garden.

You'll got a ton of beautiful shots (I will post pics soon!)

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Elite '08

46

267

Jason K.

Santa Monica, CA

5 star rating
08/26/2007

Great place to spend a day to escape the bustle of the city.  Japanese gardens, ponds (with turtles!), and a greenhouse are just a few of the things to see here.  The cafe is great and reasonably priced, unlike many other "museum" cafes.

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Elite '08

128

1259

Dee W.

Evanston, IL

4 star rating
05/08/2007

Simply stunning and beautiful - we came here to see the cherry blossoms but instead, ended up seeing almost everything.  I don't even know where to start - first of all, if you have a student id, bring it - you pretty much get 50% off or if you have a BofA credit card, pay with that - you get another nice discount.  

But for an afternoon of delight for the senses, my $4 (with grad student id) definitely paid off - the beauty was stunning, the peaceful sounds of nature in the city was calming, the sun shining down on us with the soft breeze with cherry blossoms falling everywhere and little kids running around shrieking in delight - what a wonderful way to spend my afternoon.  We checked out the indoor sights and found ourselves peeling off our sweaters and jackets as we entered the tropical and dessert rooms.

And to top it all off, food was priced a little on the high side, but as my fiance put it - the chicken/walnut salad sandwich was as big as my head!!

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K. W.

Brooklyn, NY

5 star rating
07/18/2007

It's free (and crowded) on Tuesdays.  You can usually find parking within a few blocks.  It's big, so you can avoid most of the people if you're feeling anti-social.  The sit down and enjoy some grass (no, not that kind!) area is actually green and plush.  (Be prepared to actually sit on the grass...you're not supposed to use any blankets!)  The cafe has really good sandwiches and decent gazpacho.  You can run through the sprinklers to cool off.  

There's not much more to say that hasn't been said...this place rocks.

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Elite '08

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131

Amanda B.

New York, NY

4 star rating
04/29/2007

wow, seems like everybody downstairs are all supporters of the botanical garden. don't kill me for the minus star, it really is my drawing teacher's fault. He brought us on a cloudy depressed and cold day.
Yes, it was spring, but apparently it seemed like it was never coming. Some of the flowers bloomed but had brown edges because they were confused about the season. If they could talk, you'd hear them chatter, "Huh? but! but... I thought spring was here... damn you human beings with your green house effect... ahhh(shedding again)..."
But it really is a nice space to stay at whenever you need to break from the concrete jungle of Manhattan.
Next Stop: the Bronx botanical garden!
-also, the little gallery exhibitions of artists' works down the cafe, they show nice things, don't miss it!

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