NYBG Ticket Counter

The NYBG Ticket Counter at the Southern Boulevard entrance is the starting point for visits to the New York Botanical Garden — one of the largest botanical gardens in any American city, spread across 250 acres in the Bronx with 50 gardens and plant collections, a Victorian-era conservatory, a children's adventure garden, and an old-growth forest.

For families, the most useful thing to know about the ticket counter is that you can avoid it entirely by purchasing tickets at nybg. org before you arrive. This matters most on summer weekends and during the Holiday Train Show season (November through January), when lines can extend 20-30 minutes.

On a summer Saturday with two tired kids who've already been in the car for 45 minutes, standing in a ticket line is a rough start to the day.

Children 2 and under are always free and require no ticket. Children 12 and under visit free on Wednesdays and Saturday mornings (until noon) with a paying adult — these are the best value days for families on a budget. Members of NYBG bypass the ticket counter via a separate member entrance, another reason the membership pays for itself quickly for families who visit 2-3 times per year.

The All-Garden Pass (the standard ticket) covers everything: the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, the Everett Children's Adventure Garden, the Thain Family Forest, and all 50 outdoor gardens. If you're visiting specifically for the Holiday Train Show, note that those tickets are priced higher and should be purchased weeks in advance, as the show frequently sells out during peak dates.

Once ticketed, the garden opens a full day of exploration. Pick up a map at the counter, or download the NYBG app, and plan your route before the kids start asking which way to go.