2. Queens Botanical Garden
The Queens Botanical Garden as we know it today evolved from the “Gardens on Parade” exhibit showcased at the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair. After the fair, The Queens Botanical Garden Society was formed in 1946 and local residents worked to save and expand the original exhibit. The garden was moved to its current location, at the northeast corner of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, in 1961 and has since grown to a 39-acre oasis of blooming plant life.
You can still see two blue Atlas cedars from the 1939 fair today. The historic trees frame the iconic tree gate sculpture at the Garden’s Main Street entrance. Today, the garden boasts a variety of different sections including a fragrance walk, a children’s garden, a farm and compost center, an herb garden, a pinetum, and more!