The Real NYC #19 - The NY Botanical Gardens
Haupt Conservatory Up in the northern reaches of the Bronx lies an oasis of plants and flowers - The New York Botanical Gardens . Founded in 1891, the Gardens are a living museum and a research facility. They are also a wonderful place to spend a hot summer afternoon. Most of the 250 acres that now make up the Botanical Gardens were owned by the the family of Pierre Lorillard IV , whose parents founded what is today known as the Lorillard Tobacco Company - the oldest tobacco company in the United States. The estate is still present in the garden in the form of two buildings - The Old Stone Mill and the Stone Cottage. The Stone Mill, which sits along the Bronx River, began its life as a snuff mill. The Stone Cottage was a gate house for the Lorillard estate. Today The Mill is an event space, and can be rented for private affairs. The Old Stone Mill Mill Entrance - above the river The Mill's patio, along the Bronx River The Bronx River ...