One of Brooklyn’s most picturesque attractions, this 52-acre garden is home to thousands of plants and trees, as well as a Japanese garden where river turtles swim alongside a Shinto shrine. The best time to visit is late April or early May, when the blooming cherry trees (a gift from Japan) are celebrated in Sakura Matsuri, the Cherry Blossom Festival.

A network of trails connect the Japanese garden to other popular sections devoted to native flora, bonsai trees, a wood covered in bluebells and a rose garden.

There are multiple entrances. The best one is at Washington Ave, south of the Brooklyn Museum, which is scheduled to be sporting a remarkable new visitors center in May of 2012. The structure, designed by Weiss/Manfredi, will feature a 'living' roof covered in 40,000 living plants.