Brooklyn Greenway Initiative built the Naval Cemetery Landscape (now called the Greenway Botanical Garden at the Naval Cemetery) in 2016 on the site of the former Naval Hospital Cemetery at the Brooklyn Navy Yard as a place for retreat and remembrance while honoring its rich layers of natural and cultural history. This site was designed as a native plant meadow and pollinator habitat, and provides visitors with an escape from urban life. Many rare birds and insects can be seen here. There are magnifying glasses on site and visitors are encouraged to bring their own binoculars to observe the bird species from the boardwalk
Wednesday-Sunday: 10:00am-7:00pm
Monday and Tuesday: Closed
Learn about upcoming events at the Greenway Botanical Garden.
Check out the live map on birdweather and zoom into the Greenway Botanical Garden or look up PUC-3386 to see the latest bird song detected in the Garden. The bird monitor and the solar panel that powers it are generously on loan from our friends at Voltaic Systems, a Navy Yard neighbor! The Greenway Botanical Garden has close to 90 bird species confirmed in sighted and photo or video observations as well! Ask us about hosting your next bird walk at the landscape and check our events page for guided birding during migration season.
Pick up a self guided tour brochure at our entrance to learn more about our native meadow, the history of the Greenway Botanical Garden, and our site’s features. Follow up with our staff with your questions and observations!
Find the Nature Sacred Bench and journal behind our Sacred Grove and take a moment to sit, breathe, be present, and enjoy space in nature. Feel free to record your thoughts, observations, and reflections in the journal, or to explore others’ musings as you relax in the shade of our native trees.
The Greenway Botanical Garden is excited to partner with Brooklyn Book Bodega on their mission to ensure that all children have access to and ownership of books. We invite you to come out to the NCL with your children this summer to pick up a free nature book from our bookshelf (1 per child). Follow this link to find reading tips from Brooklyn Book Bodega for children of all ages!
The Plant Heroes program is connecting young learners to nature, plants, and forest systems through engaging lessons and creative, science-oriented activities. We offer free resources including lessons, journal pages, field guides, and activity books for grades K-5.
Science skills are essential, and we believe nature education is for everyone — so Plant Heroes created ready-to-go lessons and activities to help educators and parents facilitate exploration and learning.
Bring your child and complete these together at the Greenway Botanical Garden or take home activity books for grades K-5. Find out about plants, insects, forest health, ecology.
The Greenway Botanical Garden is officially recognized as a Monarch Waystation by Monarch Watch, due to the amount of nectar rich annuals and milkweed varieties planted in the meadow. Monarch butterflies are in decline, due mostly to the lack of habitat and foraging resources along their migration routes. Pick up a Monarch Butterfly Coloring Page at the NCL to learn more about the Monarch Butterfly’s life cycle, its migration, and the importance of fostering native habitats as a way of helping this beloved insect!
Greenway Botanical Garden at the Naval Cemetery (formerly Naval Cemetery Landscape): Enter at 63 Williamsburg St West, between Kent and Flushing Avenues.
Greenway Botanical Garden – 61 Williamsburg St West, Brooklyn, NY 11249 / GPS Pin: Kent Ave + Hooper Street
Transit:
We are located on the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway and have free bike parking (racks) on site!
There is no parking lot for cars on site but street parking is nearbly on Kent Avenue or on Williamsburg Street West near Steuben Park.
Public Transit:
B57/B62Bus to Flushing Av/Classon Av (2 min walk)
B48 Bus to Wallabout St/Wythe Av (5 min walk)
J/M/Z Train to Marcy Ave (11 min walk)
G train to Flushing Ave (13 min walk) or Classon Ave (10 min walk)
