New York State is highlighting its diverse range of gardens and arboretums as destinations for fall foliage. Across the state, these locations offer opportunities for visitors to enjoy seasonal colors, nature walks, and a variety of autumn events.
In the Adirondacks, Fort Ticonderoga’s King’s Garden features heritage flowers and agricultural practices set against mountain views. Visitors can participate in apple picking and explore corn mazes through October 26.
Near Albany in the Capital-Saratoga region, Pine Hollow Arboretum maintains over 3,300 tree and plant species on its 25-acre preserve. On October 11, it will host workshops focused on tree identification and folklore. Congress Park in Saratoga Springs offers guided trolley tours that include historical highlights.
The Catskills’ Mountain Top Arboretum provides trails through meadows and woodlands at an elevation of 2,400 feet. A guided forest bathing event is scheduled for October 26.
Central New York’s Landis Arboretum overlooks the Schoharie Valley with more than 15 miles of hiking trails. The site will hold a bird-watching event on October 12. Cutler Botanic Garden in Binghamton displays themed areas featuring native plants and hosts a farmers market on Saturdays.
In Chautauqua-Allegeny, the Chautauqua Institution continues to open its gardens after summer programs end, offering self-guided nature tours and an Oktoberfest event on October 25. The Nannen Arboretum in Ellicottville contains trees, shrubs, a Japanese stone garden replica, and perennial flower beds across eight acres.
The Finger Lakes region includes Cornell Botanic Gardens’ F.R. Newman Arboretum in Ithaca with cultivated gardens and natural areas accessible to visitors free of charge. Sycamore Hill Gardens near Skaneateles has planted thousands of native trees and shrubs to support local wildlife; visits are by reservation only.
Greater Niagara’s Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens are located within South Park—one of Frederick Law Olmsted’s designs—and feature interconnected greenhouses with global flora collections as well as outdoor topiary exhibits until November 2.
Hudson Valley attractions include Boscobel House and Gardens in Garrison with historic landscapes overlooking the Hudson Highlands; it will host Applefest this fall. Innisfree Garden blends design traditions from China and Japan around a central lake while Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers showcases horticulture alongside architectural features like the Vista overlooking the Hudson River.
On Long Island, Planting Fields Arboretum presents formal gardens across historic estate grounds with events such as a Halloween-themed run scheduled for late October. Old Westbury Gardens holds weekly activities including yoga sessions along with seasonal harvest celebrations through October 31.
In New York City, major sites include the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx which offers forest walks during Fall Forest Weekend (November 1–2), Wave Hill along the Hudson River known for its scenic views and cultural programming, Brooklyn Botanic Garden famous for its Japanese maples during autumn months, and Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden on Staten Island where multiple themed gardens provide changing foliage displays throughout fall.
These public spaces provide residents and tourists opportunities to experience New York’s natural beauty during peak foliage season while participating in educational programs or recreational events.
