| The
1939-1940 New York World's Fair put on display an incredible array of
scientific and technological achievements. Though not scientific or even
technological, included in the World's Fair scenario was a spectacular,
5-acre horticultural exhibit. Then, almost on the heels of the Worlds Fair
came Pearl Harbor and World War II.
In 1946, peace now restored to a very tired but
exuberant nation, that 5-acre horticultural exhibit was rejuvenated and
expanded into a 20-acre showcase of native and exotic flora and renamed
the Queens Botanical Garden. Due to its tremendous popularity, the
'garden' was relocated to a 39 acre site at the northeast corner of
Flushing Meadows' Corona Park.
The Garden now attracts almost 350 thousand
visitors annually. Its annual outburst of tulips is a 'must see' for many
and its rose collection is among the best in the world. The Garden has
many special programs for the education and pleasure of its
visitors. |
Five
'teaching collections' (birds, bees, woodland gardens, an herb garden and
a 'pinetum') plus their six backyard demonstration gardens (Victorian
Wedding Garden, the seasonal tulips, chrysanthemums, the roses, the
annuals and the 21 acre arboretum) are well utilized by local schools'
field trips.
The Garden plays host to many weddings in the
Victorian Wedding Garden and community events such as cultural
celebrations and concerts (featuring the Queens Symphony Orchestra and
Queens String Society). It is estimated that well over 10,000 people a
year have attended these programs in recent years.
Admission to all of this is FREE!
The Q44 bus brings you to the Garden's Main Street entrance.
If you're driving, take the Long Island
Expressway to exit 23 (Main Street). Follow Main Street north to Dahlia
Avenue and turn left.
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