Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Next door to the Brooklyn Museum [1] is the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (1000 Washington Ave., 718/623-7200, www.bbg.org [2], 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Tues.–Fri. and 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Apr.–Sept., 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Tues.–Fri. and 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Oct.–Mar., adults $5, students and seniors $3, children under 16 free), another unusual and much beloved Brooklyn [3] institution.

Though considerably smaller than the world-famous botanical gardens in the Bronx [4], the Brooklyn gardens are in many ways more conducive to a visit, as they’re more manageable in size.

Spread out over 50 carefully designed acres are a rose garden, a children’s garden, a Japanese scholar’s garden, and a garden for the blind, complete with Braille signs. The Steinhardt Conservatory houses tropical and desert plants, along with the country’s largest collection of bonsai.

The best time to visit is May, when the cherry blossoms burst forth, all pink and white froth.