Experience Queens Botanical Garden after hours! The Garden regularly closes at 6pm, but every Thursday now through the end of August, you can explore the Garden for two additional hours—the “Golden Hour”— as calming, soft evening lighting basks our botanicals, surrounds you for glowing selfies, and welcomes all walks of life in our urban oasis.
Continue reading to learn how to make the most of your visit during Extended Summer Evenings:
Join Urban Sketchers for “Drawing During the Golden Hour” on Thursdays, July 19 and August 23, to try your hand at pencil, pastel, and charcoal drawing. Included with admission. Click here to register.
It gets better for Members! Extended Summer Evenings are always free for Members and, as part of Member Appreciation Week, enjoy a glass of wine at “Wine on Us” on Thursday, July 19 from 6 to 8pm! Click here to become a Member. There’s also Members-only tours, Beer on Us, and Coffee & Cookies taking place July 15 through 20! Be on the lookout for the following plants and animals easily spotted during summer evenings:
PHOTO CREDIT: Jess Brey
Juvenile red-tailed hawks are very brave and can be seen sitting in low-hanging branches, underneath trees, and in waterways. Listen for their distinctive call echo!
PHOTO CREDIT: Wai Li
Hummingbirds sip nectar from flowers such as pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) in the Herb Garden.
PHOTO CREDIT: Shari Romar
Mallard ducks, a mating pair selects their bed for the evening’s slumber near the Biotope.
PHOTO CREDIT: Shari Romar
A large white egret appears, usually to eat our goldfish, but we admire its beauty.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jess Brey
Lastly, the bats begin to leave their houses (Yes! Bats have houses, look for houses in the Woodland and Arboretum) and capture bugs for dinner as they fly throughout the Garden.