Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden

There are gardens galore to explore at Snug Harbor. The only problem is knowing where to start!

Pass beneath the white trellis that marks the entrance to The Rose Garden, where you’ll find over 100 different species in an explosion of vibrant colors and delicate fragrances. Pause for reflection at the tranquil pool in the center of the garden, which features a bronze sculpture of a heron drying its wings.

All gray-green foliage and snow-white blooms, The White Garden is inspired by Sissinghurst, the classic English flower garden owned by Virginia Woolf’s best friend Vita Sackville-West.

Access to the walled Connie Gretz Secret Garden is across a drawbridge and through a castle turret. It’s a wonderland for kids and adults alike, with access to the towers and a fun shrubbery maze that leads to another, smaller secret enclosure.

Entrance to the New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden (usually $5) is included with your pass. Inside, you’ll find eight elegant pavilions, a Koi-filled pond, a bamboo forest path and massive rocks to symbolize the mountains that so inspired the Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist monks. A 15-foot rock formation forms the centerpiece of the pretty courtyard.

Wander the gardens at your leisure, pausing to rest on the many benches, visiting the sensory areas, spotting butterflies and bees and – if you’re lucky – maybe even a common nighthawk scouring the Wetlands for dinner at sunset.