Construction closes Flatbush Avenue entrance to Brooklyn Botanic Garden

October 7, 2013 Heather Chin

Image courtesy of BBG.

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One of the four entrances to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) has closed and will remain closed for approximately 24 months (two years), to facilitate construction on Phase 1 of the South Garden Project.

The Flatbush Avenue entrance, off Empire Boulevard, has shut its gates temporarily, but the garden will remain open throughout construction, so visitors are encouraged to enter and exit through either via the Visitor Center at 990 Washington Avenue or via the Eastern Parkway gates.

The Project includes:

A relocated and expanded Discovery Garden to offer children an extraordinary new space for hands-on exploration and fun;
A new Flatbush Avenue entrance with a small entry pavilion containing restrooms and a ticketing booth, an Early Spring Garden, and a renewal of the historic McKim, Mead & White brick archway;
A relocated and expanded indoor café and outdoor food kiosk to better serve BBG’s increasing visitorship and open up new gardening space.

The affected areas of the Garden will reopen ahead of the Flatbush Avenue entrance–between 12 and 18 months from now.

Phases 2 and 3 are slated to begin in 2015 and will include the creation of a new Water Garden and the completion of a larger water conservation project.

According to the BBG’s website, parents and families who regularly visit the Discovery Garden need not worry about a lack of kids programming. Drop-in activities at the Alice Recknagel Ireys Fragrance Garden invite visitors to gently touch and smell plants, while hands-on programs for kids of all ages are offered April through November. Seasonal activities, like the Ghouls and Gourds event, will also take place throughout the year.

The Project is part of an effort to revitalize the over-a-century-old Garden, making its mini-gardens, programs and services more sustainable over the long term.

For more about the Project, ongoing construction and available services, visit bbg.org.