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Best gardens and parks in North America

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New York City
Five boroughs of skyline, food and museums
9.5
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden's cherry walk turns pink each spring during the Sakura Matsuri festival. Its Japanese Hill and Pond Garden dates back to 1915. Visitors can cross a wooden bridge over koi filled water. The elevated High Line park nearby was built on an old freight rail line.
Highlights:
  • 🌃 Visit Times Square at night for unforgettable neon views
  • 🎭 Watch a Broadway musical in the Theater District
  • 🏙️ Admire skyline views from the Top of a skyscraper
Washington, D.C.
Capital of History and Culture
8.8
The United States National Arboretum keeps 22 sandstone Corinthian columns standing alone in a meadow. Builders salvaged them from the US Capitol during a 1950s renovation. Visitors can walk among the columns at sunset when the light turns them gold. Dumbarton Oaks across town adds terraced formal gardens above Rock Creek Park.
Highlights:
  • 🖼️ Explore the Smithsonian museums along the National Mall
  • 🕊️ Visit the Lincoln Memorial and reflect by the Reflecting Pool
  • 🏛️ Tour the U.S. Capitol and see American democracy in action
Victoria
Garden city by the Pacific
7.3
Butchart Gardens grew out of a limestone quarry that the Butchart family began planting in 1904. The Sunken Garden now fills the old pit with terraced flower beds. Visitors can follow paths through a Japanese Garden and a rose garden nearby. Summer evenings bring fireworks and illuminated displays after dark.
Highlights:
  • 🚶‍♀️ Stroll along the scenic Inner Harbour waterfront
  • 🏛️ Visit the Royal BC Museum to discover regional history
  • 🌸 Explore the beautiful Butchart Gardens and seasonal blooms
Vancouver
Where mountains, ocean and city life meet
8.5
Stanley Park's seawall runs for about 9 kilometres around the edge of the peninsula. Old growth cedar and Douglas fir tower over paths near the totem poles at Brockton Point. Visitors can cycle or walk the full loop with views across Burrard Inlet. VanDusen Botanical Garden across town adds a maze and a floating boardwalk.
Highlights:
  • 🛍️ Explore Granville Island’s public market and artisan shops
  • 🚡 Take a gondola up Grouse Mountain for city views
  • 🚴‍♀️ Walk or cycle around scenic Stanley Park’s seawall
Montreal
A city of festivals, food and culture
8.6
The Montreal Botanical Garden opened in 1931 and now ranks among the largest in the world. Its Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden sit side by side near the Insectarium. Visitors can walk stone paths past pavilions built by artisans from Shanghai. Each autumn the Chinese lanterns light up for a festival after dark.
Highlights:
  • ⛪ Visit the breathtaking Notre-Dame Basilica and its illuminated interior
  • 🌄 Admire panoramic city views from Mount Royal Park
  • 🏙️ Wander the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal
Atlanta
A City of Southern Charm and Surprises
7.0
The Atlanta Botanical Garden's Skyline Garden opened in 2018 beside the downtown connector. A canopy walk lifts visitors 40 feet into the tree line for views over Midtown. Inside, the Fuqua Orchid Center holds thousands of blooms in a humid glasshouse. Piedmont Park next door adds miles of open green space.
Highlights:
  • 🐠 Explore marine life at the Georgia Aquarium, one of the world’s largest
  • 💦 Walk through Centennial Olympic Park and see the Fountain of Rings
  • 🕊️ Visit the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park
St. Louis
Gateway to the West's Soul
7.3
The Missouri Botanical Garden opened in 1859, making it the oldest continuously operating garden in the country. Its Climatron greenhouse was built as a geodesic dome back in 1960. Visitors can walk through a Japanese garden called Seiwa-en, one of the largest outside Japan. Seasonal displays fill the grounds from spring bulbs to summer lilies.
Highlights:
  • 🏗️ Explore the quirky City Museum built from reclaimed materials
  • 🖼️ Visit the Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park
  • 🌆 Ride to the top of the Gateway Arch for city views
Chicago
Skyline, Deep-Dish and Jazz Nights
8.2
Lurie Garden sits inside Millennium Park behind a tall hedge called the Shoulder Hedge. Piet Oudolf designed its prairie style planting of grasses and perennials. Visitors can walk the boardwalk over a still reflecting pool called the Seam. The Garfield Park Conservatory across town grows palms under century old glass.
Highlights:
  • ⛴️ Take an architecture boat tour on the river
  • 🚶‍♀️ Stroll along the scenic Chicago Riverwalk
  • 🏙️ Admire the skyline from the Willis Tower Skydeck
Oahu
Hawaii’s Vibrant Island Adventure
8.9
Foster Botanical Garden in downtown Honolulu grows trees planted since the 1850s. A giant kapok tree spreads its buttressed roots wide enough to shelter a small crowd. Visitors can wander under a canopy of rare tropical species from Africa and Asia. Waimea Valley on the North Shore adds waterfalls and native Hawaiian plants.
Highlights:
  • 🏖️ Relax on the iconic Waikiki Beach and soak up sun
  • 🤿 Snorkel among vibrant fish at Hanauma Bay Marine Park
  • 🌄 Hike to the summit of Diamond Head for sunrise views
San Antonio
River Walk, missions and fiesta spirit
7.1
The Japanese Tea Garden sits inside a former rock quarry on the city's north side. Workers turned the abandoned limestone pit into terraced gardens in the 1910s. Visitors can cross stone bridges over koi ponds beneath a waterfall. A pagoda style pavilion at the entrance now serves coffee and tea.
Highlights:
  • ⛪ Explore San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
  • 🏰 Visit the historic Alamo site and explore Texas history
  • 🌊 Walk the picturesque San Antonio River Walk and dine riverside
Central Park
Nature’s Heart in NYC
Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed Central Park in 1858 after winning a public competition. The plan wove lakes, meadows and woodland into a park built entirely by hand. Visitors can cross Bow Bridge or climb the steps at Bethesda Terrace. Sheep once grazed on the wide lawn now called Sheep Meadow.
Highlights:
  • 🏰 Explore Belvedere Castle for stunning park views
  • ⛲ Visit the iconic Bethesda Terrace and Fountain
  • 🚣 Row a boat on Central Park’s scenic lake
Longwood Gardens
Enchanted floral landscapes await in Pennsylvania
Pierre du Pont built Longwood Gardens on a former Quaker arboretum in Pennsylvania. His Main Fountain Garden now shoots water more than 175 feet into the air. Visitors can watch choreographed fountain shows set to music after dark. A vast conservatory shelters orchids and palms through the winter months.
Highlights:
  • 🌿 Stroll through the historic greenhouse exhibits and sculptures
  • 🎶 Attend a seasonal music performance in the amphitheater
  • 🌸 Explore the expansive conservatory gardens
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