The 10 Best Staten Island Botanical Gardens and Nature Centers for Families
Visit a Staten Island botanical garden or nature center to discover our borough’s natural beauty—New York City’s borough of parks.
Many of these nature centers feature engaging exhibits and offer brochures and other resources to help visitors connect with and learn about the beauty of the natural world. They often serve as gathering spots for fun, interactive activities, such as group hikes to spot local wildlife, walking tours to delve into a park’s natural history, and even kayaking or boat tours to navigate our picturesque waterways and wetlands.
Botanical gardens are vibrant and inviting places where you can discover a variety of plants and flowers from all over the globe, especially in spring when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom here in NYC. Check out our guide to local nature centers and botanical gardens, and get ready to embark on your adventure into Staten Island’s wonderful nature!
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Staten Island Botanical Gardens and Nature Centers
1. Blue Heron Park Nature Center
222 Poillon Ave.
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Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am- 12 pm and 1 pm- 3 pm
Admission: Free
This park is nestled into Staten Island’s South Shore and is a natural oasis of beautiful trees, ponds, and wildlife. It is named after the blue heron, a gray predatory bird that can reach more than 4 feet tall. The park and nature center offer a variety of events and activities for the public.
2. Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve
83 Nielsen Ave.
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Hours: The Park is open daily, from sunrise to sunset. The Interpretive Center is open Tuesday – Saturday, 9 am – 4:30 pm, and Sundays, 12 pm – 4:30 pm, with exhibits, classroom space, games, and access to Preserve trails.
Admission: Free
TClay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve is a beautiful 265-acre nature spot located near the southwest shore of Staten Island. It’s home to a diverse range of habitats, including wetlands, ponds, sandy areas, spring-fed streams, and lovely woodlands. The park is thoughtfully managed to keep its unique ecosystem thriving while offering fun and educational experiences for everyone, regardless of age!
3. The Freshkills Park Alliance
Freshkills Park
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Hours: Open on select days for events; check the calendar for upcoming events
Admission: Fees for certain programs. Many are free!
Freshkills Park spans an impressive 2,200 acres, making it nearly three times larger than Central Park and the biggest park to be developed in New York City in over a century! This park has a rich history, too, as it was once the Fresh Kills Landfill, the largest landfill in the world until it closed in 2001. Since then, the area has undergone some amazing transformations with layers of soil and infrastructure, turning it into a vibrant space for wildlife, recreation, science, education, and art.
4. Greenbelt Nature Center
700 Rockland Ave.
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Hours: Visit the website for calendar events and hours
Admission: Free to visit the grounds and hike the trail; some programs have fees.
The Greenbelt boasts a stunning 2,800 acres of protected land featuring lush forests, wetlands, meadows, and diverse wildlife. Explore 35 miles of hiking trails to soak in the gorgeous scenery. Plus, the Greenbelt offers a range of fun and educational programs focused on nature, conservation, and recreation for everyone to enjoy!
5. High Rock Nature Center
200 Nevada Ave.
718-667-6042
Hours: 6 am to 1 am
Admission: Call and visit website for information on all programs
Located in Staten Island’s Greenbelt, a nature preserve area, the center is a starting point for walking tours and workshop sites for educational programs. High Rock Park features five serene ponds and a variety of wetlands, including Walker Pond and Loosestrife Swamp. Visitors can enjoy six walking trails, where they’ll encounter clusters of red maples, highbush blueberries, and patches of skunk cabbage. The park is home to wood ducks, great blue herons, muskrats, hawks, owls, vibrant migratory warblers, woodpeckers, frogs, and turtles. Adventurous guests can also hike up Mt. Moses, a 260-foot elevation named after renowned city builder and Parks Commissioner Robert Moses. The breathtaking 360-degree views from this spot are celebrated as some of the finest in New York City.
6. Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden
1000 Richmond Terrace
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Hours: Grounds: daily, dawn to dusk
Admission: Outdoor grounds are free
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden embodies over forty years of dedicated restoration and transformation, turning a 19th-century charitable rest home for sailors into a vibrant regional arts center, botanical gardens, and public park. This popular cultural hub on Staten Island has 14 botanical gardens, a 2-acre urban farm, wetlands, and a park. Snug Harbor is also home to the Staten Island Museum, Staten Island Children’s Museum, and others.
7. New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden
1000 Richmond Terrace (It’s located within Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden)
Hours: Wednesday-Friday, 12-7 pm, and Saturday-Sunday, 11 am-7 pm through Oct. 1, 2023. Check the website for bonus open days and updates.
Admission: April 12 – 27, 2025, Saturday – Sunday: 11 AM – 7 PM
(last entry at 6:30 PM) Starting May 1, 2025: Wednesday – Friday: 12 PM – 7 PM, Saturday – Sunday: 11 AM – 7 PM (last entry at 6:30 PM)
This garden is a bit of China right on Staten Island. It features breathtaking rocks that inspired the poetry and paintings of Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist monks and other scholars. There are eight pavilions, a bamboo forest path, waterfalls, and more.
Botanical Gardens in NYC That Are Worth the Trek
1. Brooklyn Botanic Garden
990 Washington Ave., Crown Heights
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Hours: Tuesday–Thursday: 8 am–8 pm (last entry 7:30 pm), Friday–Sunday: 8 am–6 pm (last entry 5:30 p.m.), Except: April 22–25: 8 am –4 pm. (last entry 3 pm), Closed Mondays
Admission: Members: Free, Adults: $22, Seniors (65+): $16, Students 12+ with ID: $16, Children under 12: Free
BBG is dedicated to showing everyone how vital plants are to our daily lives. They offer a wide range of fun, nature-focused educational programs and events perfect for flower and plant lovers of all ages.
2. New York Botanical Garden
2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx
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Hours: Tuesday-Sunday and Monday federal holidays, 10 am-6 pm
Admission: View weekday/weekend pricing here
Home of a National Historic Landmark site on the northern half of Bronx Park, the New York Botanical Garden was established in 1891 and is one of the largest gardens in the U.S., containing more than 1 million plants. One of its greatest jewels is the Enid. A. Haupt Conservatory, a Victorian-style glasshouse, the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, or the Native Plant Garden. The NYBG was inspired by a visit from husband, wife, and botanists Nathanial and Elizabeth Britton to the Royal Botanic Gardens near London. The trip made the Britons feel New York should have its botanical garden to conduct original research in botanical science. Check out their website for all kinds of programs perfect for all ages!
3. Queens Botanical Garden
43-50 Main St., Flushing
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Hours: April-October: Tuesday through Sunday, 8 am to 6 pm, November-March: Tuesday through Sunday, 8 am to 4:30 pm
Admission: Varying admission prices are found here.
The garden evolved from the 5-acre “Gardens on Parade” exhibit showcased at the 1939-1940 World’s Fair. It remained at the original World’s Fair site until 1961, when it was moved to its current location in Flushing. Today, it’s a 39-acre botanical garden in the borough of Queens.
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