8. The Queens Botanical Garden Was Originally An Exhibit for the New York World’s Fair

Most New Yorkers are familiar with the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, but Queens has its very own floral oasis, which has been in operation since the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The Queens Botanical Garden first had its start as a five-acre exhibit called “Gardens at Parade,” which was so well-received by the public that it was ultimately preserved and renamed the “Queens Botanical Garden Society” in 1941. It has since expanded and was moved to the northeast corner of Flushing-Meadows Corona Park to clear room for the 1964 World’s Fair. Today, the Botanical Garden stretches 39 acres, offering public access to thematic gardens and variety of horticultural programs.

As a lasting testament to its origins, the two blue atlas cedars that frame the tree gate sculpture at the Garden’s Main Street entrance were taken from its original 1939 site.