Brooklyn Botanical Garden

Opened in 1911 on the site of a former ash dump, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden spans 52 acres and holds more than 14,000 kinds of plants. Its Japanese garden, among the first built at an American botanic garden, centers on three man-made hills and an artificial waterfall. The Cranford Rose Garden nearby carries close to 5,000 bushes across 900 varieties, and the Cherry Esplanade's more than 200 trees draw crowds every spring. The Steinhardt Conservatory holds a bonsai museum and an aquatic greenhouse.