Brooklyn Botanic Garden facts for kids
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Brooklyn Botanic Garden
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| Date opened | May 13, 1911 |
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| Location | 990 Washington Avenue, Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York 11225 United States |
| Land area | 52 acres (21 ha) |
| Coordinates | 40°40′12″N 73°57′45″W / 40.67000°N 73.96250°W |
| No. of species | 14,000 |
| Annual visitors | 800,000 (2015) |
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) is a special garden in Brooklyn, New York City. It's a place where many different kinds of plants are grown and studied. The garden covers 52 acres (about 21 hectares) in the middle of Brooklyn. It is near famous spots like Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Museum.
More than 14,000 types of plants grow here. Over 800,000 people visit the garden every year. The BBG has many unique gardens, plant collections, and buildings. It also offers fun classes, works to protect plants, and helps local communities with gardening.
The idea for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden started in 1897. It officially opened in May 1911. Before that, the land was actually an ash dump! The garden grew a lot in its early years. In the 1980s, the garden was greatly improved and expanded. New buildings were also added over the years.
Today, BBG is a beautiful place with many different gardens. A small stream flows through it, from the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden to the Water Garden. Other special areas include a rose garden, a garden for native plants, a Shakespeare garden, and a children's garden. There are also important buildings like the Steinhardt Conservatory, the Laboratory Administration Building, and the Palm House.
Contents
History of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
How the Garden Started
Before the Brooklyn Botanic Garden was built, people in Brooklyn had a few ideas for similar gardens in the 1800s. One small garden was created in 1825, but it didn't last long. Another idea in 1855 for a "botanic garden" never happened.
A third plan for a garden was part of the design for Prospect Park in 1859. The idea was to have a large park area that included where the Botanic Garden is now. But the American Civil War stopped these plans. After the war, the land where BBG now stands was left out of the park. This area was used as an ash dump for many years.
Making the Garden a Reality
In 1897, the state government set aside 39 acres for a botanic garden. This land became part of Institute Park in 1902. The garden was meant to be run by the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. This group also managed the Brooklyn Museum and other cultural places.
Wealthy donors offered money to help create a "scientific botanic garden" next to the Brooklyn Museum. In 1907, city leaders agreed to the idea. Alfred Tredway White, a supporter of the Institute, leased 40 acres from the city for the garden.
In 1909, the famous landscape designers Olmsted Brothers were hired. They designed many parks, including Central Park. Architects McKim, Mead & White were chosen to design the garden's buildings. On December 10, 1909, the city and the Brooklyn Institute officially agreed to create the garden. C. Stuart Gager became BBG's first director in March 1910.
Building and Opening the Garden
Director Gager wanted the garden to be like a "living textbook" for plants. He planned for a Palm House and laboratories. The Olmsted Brothers wanted the garden to be beautiful, not just organized by plant types.
The first part of BBG, the Native Flora Garden, opened on May 13, 1911. This date was chosen to honor the famous plant scientist Carl Linnaeus. At first, the plants had temporary labels. Work on the main buildings was still ongoing.
In 1912, Harold Caparn became the landscape architect. He helped shape much of the garden. Construction began on the Laboratory Administration Building and the Palm House. The city also gave BBG an extra 3 acres of land.
By 1913, parts of the Laboratory Administration Building and the Palm House were finished. They opened in December 1913. The Palm House had about 250 different plant types. In 1914, BBG started a children's garden. It was one of the first of its kind anywhere! By the end of that year, workers were building a Japanese garden and a rock garden.
The Japanese garden opened in June 1915. BBG then started letting visitors in every day. More expansions were planned for the Palm House and Laboratory Administration Building. The rock garden was finished in May 1916. The main buildings were mostly done by early 1917. They were officially opened in April 1917. The children's building was also completed that year.
Growing and Changing (1920s-1970s)
By the early 1920s, BBG had 330,000 visitors each year. This included over 15,000 students. In 1925, BBG received a gift of 32 bonsai trees. This started its famous Bonsai Collection. A Shakespeare garden also opened in May 1925.
In 1928, a new rose garden opened. It was named the Cranford Rose Garden. An anonymous donor helped build a stone bridge over the garden's lake. In 1930, a large plaza was built in front of the Laboratory Administration Building. The Japanese garden was also expanded.
During the 1930s, new parts of the garden were finished. This included a redesigned native wildflower garden. Many workers from the Civil Works Administration helped improve the garden. By 1935, BBG had 1.35 million visitors every year.
The Cherry Esplanade was created in 1941 with new cherry trees. The Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden was closed from 1941 to 1947 due to World War II. Director Gager passed away in 1943. George S. Avery Jr. became the new director.
In the 1950s, BBG planned to make its children's garden bigger. A "garden of fragrance" was also built for visitors, including those who are blind. This garden opened in June 1955. BBG also bought land in Westchester County, New York, to use as a research center.
By the 1960s, BBG's finances were becoming difficult. Crime in the area also increased. Many exits were closed. Elizabeth Scholtz became the garden's first female director in 1973. She focused on BBG's "outreach stations" outside Brooklyn.
In the 1970s, BBG became separate from the Brooklyn Institute. Due to money problems, BBG started closing on Mondays in 1975. By the late 1970s, BBG had 800,000 visitors a year. The Shakespeare Garden was moved and reopened in 1979.
Modern Era (1980s-Present)
Donald E. Moore became BBG's director in 1980. Under his leadership, the garden grew. BBG started hosting events like parties and weddings. It also began its popular annual cherry blossom festival in 1982. The native flora garden reopened in 1983 after being closed for 20 years.
By the mid-1980s, BBG had over 600,000 visitors each year. The Palm House and other greenhouses were getting old. In 1984, BBG announced plans to build a new conservatory and fix up the Palm House. This was a huge project costing $16 million.
The new building, called the Steinhardt Conservatory, opened in May 1988. It was named after Michael and Judith Steinhardt, who donated a lot of money. The Palm House was also renovated. It became an education center and event space. A gift shop and a discovery center for kids also opened.
Judith Zuk became president in 1990. Many gardens were updated during her time. The Discovery Garden opened in 1992. The Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden was also renovated. In 1996, BBG started charging an admission fee of $3 for adults. This was to help with costs. The Japanese garden was renovated again in 1999 and reopened in May 2000.
In 2003, the Eastern Parkway entrance was rebuilt. It was made wider and easier to see. Scot Medbury became president in 2005. He planned to build a new visitor center and restaurant. The Cranford Rose Garden and Bonsai Museum were also restored.
The Laboratory Building became a city landmark in 2007. BBG started raising money for new gardens and a visitor center. The new visitor center opened in May 2012. In 2013, the Native Flora Garden was expanded.
In 2014, BBG received a special award called the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The Discovery Garden reopened in 2015 after being updated. The Water Garden was also restored in 2016. In 2019, BBG protested against a tall building project next to the garden. The project was later canceled.
BBG closed for a few months in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Adrian Benepe became the new president in late 2020.
Location and Features
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is in central Brooklyn. It is located between Eastern Parkway to the north, Washington Avenue to the east, Empire Boulevard to the south, and Flatbush Avenue to the southwest. BBG shares its block with the Brooklyn Public Library, Mount Prospect Park, and the Brooklyn Museum.
The garden covers 52 acres. It has over 14,000 types of plants. Long ago, about 17,000 years ago, glaciers shaped this land. They left behind hills and large rocks. Many of these rocks were used in the garden's design.
A stream flows through the garden. It starts in the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden and ends in the Water Garden. In 2019, a project was finished that helps reuse the water in the stream. This saves a lot of water each year.
Garden Entrances
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has three entrances. The main entrance is on Flatbush Avenue. It has a beautiful gate made of brick and limestone. This gate was designed in an Italian Renaissance style. A visitor center was added next to this entrance.
The northern entrance is on Eastern Parkway. It has a modern stainless-steel gate and tall steel walls. This entrance was rebuilt in 2003. It also has a tall glass cone and an information area.
The eastern entrance is on Washington Avenue. This entrance has the Diane H. and Joseph S. Steinberg Visitor Center. This building has a unique curved shape and a green roof. It is heated by a special system that uses heat from the ground.
Special Gardens and Plant Areas
Osborne Garden
At the very north end of BBG is the Osborne Garden. It is a 3-acre garden designed in an Italian style. It has special archways called pergolas. There is also a memorial with four tall columns and a fountain. The benches around the fountain are called "whispering chairs." If you whisper on one end, someone on the other end can hear you!
Native Flora Garden
The Native Flora Garden is in the northwest part of BBG. It was the first garden of its kind in North America. It shows plants that naturally grow in the New York area. The garden is divided into different "ecological zones," like a woodland or a wet meadow.
This garden was closed for 20 years due to lack of money. It reopened in 1983. It was expanded again in the 2000s and 2010s. Now, it has over 15,000 plants.
Cranford Rose Garden
The Cranford Rose Garden is in the northern part of BBG. It is named after Walter V. Cranford, who donated money for it. This garden was designed by Harold Caparn and Montague Free. It used to have 3,000 roses in 15 beds.
In the past, it was the third-largest public rose garden in the United States. Today, it still has many of its original plants. The garden features many types of roses, including famous ones like the 'Knock Out' rose and the 'Julia Child' rose.
Cherry Walk and Cherry Esplanade
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has over 200 cherry trees. They represent 42 different types of Asian cherries. These trees bloom from late March or early April to mid-May. The Cherry Walk connects the pond to the Cherry Esplanade.
The Cherry Esplanade has two rows of tall cherry trees. There are 76 trees here, with 21 different varieties. There is also a limestone fountain. The lawn on the esplanade is the only place in BBG where visitors can sit on the grass.
Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden
BBG's Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden is in the northeast corner. It was one of the first Japanese gardens in an American botanic garden. It was designed by Takeo Shiota.
The 3-acre garden has three man-made hills. These hills represent earth, heaven, and humanity. It also has a waterfall, an island, and many rocks. There's a curved pond with hundreds of Japanese koi fish. You can see them from the torii (gateway) or along the garden's path.
The garden also has wooden bridges, stone lanterns, and a viewing pavilion. There is even a small Japanese temple dedicated to Inari, a fox spirit. A large shogun lantern was added in 1980 to celebrate New York City's friendship with Tokyo.
Shakespeare Garden
BBG's Shakespeare Garden was first funded by Henry Clay Folger. It was moved in 1979 to its current spot. This garden has more than 80 plants mentioned in William Shakespeare's plays and poems. Each plant has a label with its name and a quote from Shakespeare.
Alice Recknagel Ireys Fragrance Garden
Next to the Shakespeare Garden is the Fragrance Garden. It was designed by Alice Recknagel Ireys. This was the first garden in the U.S. made for people with impaired vision. It has braille signs. Visitors can touch and smell the plants.
The garden has four sections: plants to touch, plants with scented leaves, plants with fragrant flowers, and kitchen herbs. It is also wheelchair-accessible. All the plant beds are high enough for people in wheelchairs to reach.
Children's Garden
The Children's Garden is in the southeast corner. It is one of the oldest children's gardens in the world. It was started by BBG educator Ellen Eddy Shaw. Children learn to grow vegetables here.
Historically, 200 to 300 children learned in the garden each season. By the 2010s, 1,000 children visited each year. It is still a place where children can learn about gardening.
Herb Garden
The Herb Garden is on the western side of BBG. It has fruit trees, corn, cabbages, and other plants used for medicine and food. There are 300 different herb plants. The garden has seven planting beds. Six beds are organized by how the herbs are used.
Discovery Garden
The Discovery Garden is designed for children. It is in the southwest corner, near the Flatbush Avenue entrance. This garden covers about 1 acre. It has meadows, marshes, and woodlands. There is a boardwalk that goes around four large trees. It also has fun exhibits for kids.
Water Garden
The Shelby White and Leon Levy Water Garden is in the south-central part of BBG. It is a 1.5-acre wetland area. The stream from the Japanese Garden ends here. The Water Garden was updated in 2016. It has plants like black tupelo trees and different types of grasses.
Other Garden Areas
- Lily Pool Terrace: This area is in front of the Laboratory Administration Building. It has two large pools with lilies and koi fish. Over 6,000 annual and perennial plants surround the pools.
- Elizabeth Scholtz Woodland Garden: In the northwest corner, this garden looks like a forest in the Northeastern U.S. It has an open-air "walled garden."
- Louisa Clark Spencer Lilac Collection: Also in the northwest, this collection has 150 lilac bushes. They represent 20 different types of lilacs.
- Rock Garden: On the western side, this garden has alpine plants. It is built around 18 large boulders left by glaciers from the Ice Age.
- Plant Family Collection: In the center of BBG, plants and trees are arranged by their family groups. This shows how they have evolved over time.
- Celebrity Path: This path honors famous people from Brooklyn. It has paving stones with names like Barbra Streisand and Walt Whitman.
- Robert W. Wilson Overlook: This overlook is on a hill at the northern border. It was built using dirt from the Brooklyn Museum's construction. It offers great views of the garden.
Buildings at BBG
Most of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's buildings are on the eastern side. These include the Steinhardt Conservatory, the Laboratory Administration Building, the Palm House, and a building for the Children's Garden.
Steinhardt Conservatory
The Steinhardt Conservatory is on the eastern side of BBG. It has four main parts: a large wing and three octagonal (eight-sided) buildings. These buildings are up to 60 feet (18 meters) tall. They are connected by tunnels. The outside is covered with 60,000 square feet (5,600 square meters) of glass.
The main building has a bonsai museum, an aquatic greenhouse, and the Trail of Evolution exhibit. The C. V. Starr Bonsai Museum has one of the oldest bonsai collections in the U.S. It usually displays 100 bonsai trees. The Robert W. Wilson Aquatic House has tropical water plants, insect-eating plants, and orchids. The Trail of Evolution shows how plants have changed over 3.5 billion years.
The three octagonal buildings are designed for different climates. They show plants from tropical areas, warm temperate zones, and deserts. The tropical building has a waterfall. The desert building looks like a real desert. The temperate building has plants from places like the Mediterranean.
Laboratory Administration Building
The Laboratory Administration Building is a famous landmark. It was designed by William M. Kendall in an Italian style. The building is 240 feet (73 meters) long. It has a terracotta dome in the center. Outside, there's the Magnolia Plaza with a compass design.
The building is made of concrete and brick with stucco. Its roofs are covered with Spanish tiles. The names of 68 famous plant scientists are written on the outside. The main entrance used to be on the second floor. Today, the main entrance is on the first floor.
When it was built, the building had laboratories and storage. It also had a library and classrooms. Today, the second floor still has BBG's library. The rest of the building is used for offices and as a visitor center.
Palm House
The Palm House was BBG's first conservatory. It was also designed by McKim, Mead & White. The central part of the Palm House is 104 feet (32 meters) long and 36 feet (11 meters) high. It was originally for tropical plants. It has two wings on each side.
In the 1980s, the Palm House was changed into an education center and event space. It also had a restaurant. Since 2017, one part of the Palm House has the Yellow Magnolia Café. The Palm House is often used for weddings and other events.
Programs and Activities
Education Programs
Since it opened, BBG has offered free classes and talks for students. Today, BBG still has programs for young people, plant protection, and community gardening. BBG also works with the New York City Department of Education to run the Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment (BASE). This is a public high school focused on science and nature.
The Garden Apprentice Program offers internships for students in grades 8 to 12. They learn about gardening, science, and environmental issues. Teenagers who work in the Children's Garden can also become junior instructors. The Discovery Garden has weekly workshops for children.
Project Green Reach is a science program for schools in underserved neighborhoods. It helps teachers and students in kindergarten through 8th grade.
Plant Science and Conservation
In its early years, BBG held special events for members. Scientists at BBG started the New York Metropolitan Flora project in 1990. This project studies all the plants growing in the New York City area.
BBG has also created new types of magnolia trees since the 1950s. One famous yellow magnolia, 'Elizabeth', was developed here.
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has a collection of over 300,000 preserved plant specimens. These help scientists track plant species and study changes in the environment. The BBG Library has many books on gardening and plants. It is open to everyone.
Community Gardening
Since 1993, BBG has run the Community Greening program. This program helps local groups with gardening. It includes the annual Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest, which started in 1994. BBG also hosts "Making Brooklyn Bloom" each year, with workshops and activities.
The Community Greening program also helps community gardens and teaches people how to care for street trees. The NYC Compost Project helps people learn about composting. This turns food scraps and yard waste into rich soil.
Publications and Online Resources
BBG started publishing a magazine called the Record in 1912. It also began a series of gardening handbooks in 1945. These books give advice on topics like growing lilies. BBG also publishes reference books, like the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Gardener's Desk Reference.
BBG launched its website in 1996. The website has information about events, classes, and the gardens. It also has a blog and gardening tips. You can see historic photos and slides online. The website has an interactive map called CherryWatch. It shows when each cherry blossom tree is blooming in the spring.
Former BBG Locations
BBG used to operate three other locations in the New York area.
- Kitchawan Preserve: In 1956, BBG bought 223 acres in Westchester County for a research center. It opened in 1960. BBG sold most of this land in 1988.
- Teatown Lake Reservation: In 1963, BBG received 250 acres in Westchester County. BBG and Teatown staff worked together on programs until 1980. Teatown became a separate organization in 1984.
- Clark Botanic Garden: In 1966, BBG received 12 acres on Long Island. It opened as the Fanny Dwight Clark Memorial Garden in 1969. This garden had small lakes, a children's garden, and a rock garden. The town of North Hempstead took over the Clark Botanic Garden in 1989.
Membership and Events
Being a member of BBG costs $75 for individuals. Members can attend special events in the spring and summer.
- Cherry Blossom Festival (Hanami): Each spring, a month-long festival celebrates the cherry blossoms. It used to end with a big weekend celebration called Sakura Matsuri.
- Chile Pepper Festival: This event has been held every year since the 1990s.
- Lightscape: This is a light art show held at the end of each year.
In 2019, BBG's yearly budget was $23 million. In 2015, over 800,000 people visited the garden.
See also
