Accessibility

The Holiday Train Show Touch Tour
Friday, December 15; 2 p.m.

This tour, led by an NYBG Tour Guide, gives visitors who are blind or partially sighted an enhanced 90-minute sensory experience through the Holiday Train Show at The New York Botanical Garden. Nearly 200 scaled iconic buildings and structures are displayed under thousands of twinkling lights. Step into a miniature city where famed New York architecture is re-created using bark, leaves, and other natural materials.

Free, though advance registration is required. Space is limited. To register, contact 718.817.8765 or volunteerservices@nybg.org.

Women Leaders of the Garden ASL Tour
Saturday, December 16; 12:30 p.m.

Throughout its history, women cultivated NYBG as pioneers in botany, gardening, philanthropy, and the arts. Explore the ways these leaders contributed to horticulture, education, and scientific discovery across Garden grounds. The tour on December 16 is led by an NYBG Tour Guide accompanied by an American Sign Language interpreter and gives visitors an enhanced experience of learning about the women who helped establish the Garden.

Register

Holiday Train Show Sensory Friendly Morning
Sunday, January 7; 9–11 a.m.

Join us for a Sensory Friendly Morning for anyone who would like a calmer visit to the Holiday Train Show. Additionally, your ticket provides access to NYBG’s outdoor gardens and collections. Does not include evening access to special events, including NYBG GLOW and Bar Car Nights.

Get Tickets

Seasonal exhibitions are held in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and Mertz Library. These buildings are fully accessible for visitors using wheelchairs, scooters, and walkers.

The closest accessible public transportation stations are the Bedford Park Blvd. B/D and the Botanical Garden Metro-North Station. For elevator status at each station, please check the MTA website.

Designated parking locations are found near the Main and Mosholu Entrances as well as at the Watson Education building and offsite at The New York Botanical Garden Parking Garage. Detailed directions can be found here.

Wheelchairs
Manual wheelchairs are available to borrow free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis at the Leon Levy Visitor Center and Mosholu Entrance. Reservations are not accepted and an ID must be left with Visitor Services for the loan. Power-driven wheelchairs are permitted.

Scooters
Three- and four-wheeled power-driven scooters are permitted. Scooters are not available to borrow or rent. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own mobility devices. These devices cannot be accommodated on tram vehicles. Devices will be left unattended at the main tram stop.

Other Power-Driven Mobility Devices
Two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicles as outlined by the U.S. Department of Justice in accordance with the ADA are permitted on outdoor pathways at NYBG when being used by visitors with mobility disabilities. These devices cannot be accommodated on tram vehicles or any buildings on grounds including, but not limited to, the Mertz Library, Haupt Conservatory, Watson Education Building, Hudson Garden Grill, Pine Tree Café, and Shop. Devices will be left unattended at the main tram stop or building entrances. We are not able to accommodate personal golf carts or and devices powered by fuel or other combustion engines.

Suggested wheelchair routes as outlined in the Accessibility Guide (available at the Garden or to download) should be followed with speed not exceeding pedestrian traffic (or a maximum speed of 3 mph).

All Ticketing Booths and Trams are equipped with T-coil compatible induction loops. Additionally, Assistive Listening Devices and T-coil compatible neck loops are available in Ross Hall. Please ask a staff member for assistance.

The tram is manual- and power-driven wheelchair accessible. Each tram can accommodate one wheelchair. Every effort will be made to accommodate groups of wheelchair users. Trams cannot accommodate three- and four-wheeled scooters or other power-driven mobility devices.

Accommodations to use the tram are made for visitors with mobility disabilities regardless of ticket type. Please inform Tram Attendants you need to use the tram for accessibility.

Large-print transcripts of the Tram Tour are available from the Tram Attendant.

Trams are equipped with a T-coil compatible induction loop. Headsets are available; ask the tram attendant.

The Garden’s Audio Tours are accessible by cell phone.

Large-print and regular-print transcripts of the Audio Tours are available at the Visitor Center Information Booth.

Assistive Listening Devices (head sets and T-coil compatible neck loops) and Open Captioning are available upon request. Please ask a staff member for assistance.

Wheelchair and companion seating areas are reserved at the top of the Ross Lecture Hall.

The New York Botanical Garden does not allow pets on Garden grounds. Service animals are permitted in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA defines service animals as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA and are not permitted on Garden grounds. Read the full Service Animal Policy.

The Garden offers complimentary admission to paid and unpaid Personal Care Attendants (PCA) accompanying guests with disabilities during their Garden visit. This applies to all general admission, special program, and performance tickets. PCAs should identify themselves at a ticket booth upon arrival to receive complimentary admission with a paying guest. Guests who wish to purchase advance tickets should contact 718.817.8716, and request a complimentary ticket for an accompanying PCA at the time of the reservation.

An Accessibility Guide is available at the Garden or can be downloaded here. You can also download our Social Guide, providing an introduction to the Garden for visitors with developmental disabilities and their families and friends.

Read a first hand Accessibility Guide to NYBG by one of our Visitors, Lakshmee Lachhman-Persad, from September 29, 2021.

DOWNLOAD MAP DOWNLOAD SOCIAL GUIDE

For accommodation requests related to a disability, questions, comments, or more information about the accessibility of specific programs or tours, please contact our Accessibility office by emailing access@nybg.org or calling 718.817.8564.