Best Parks & Gardens in the USA
19 parks & gardens • Updated August 2026
The best parks & gardens in the USA for a family day out. We have rounded up 19 parks & gardens, from The High Line to family favorites across New York, ranked by what actually matters with kids: age suitability, ticket value and how easy they are to get to. Compare the top five below, then browse every parks & garden by state. Need a different angle? Try our other things to do in the USA.
Editorial oversight by James Morgan. AI-assisted, human-edited. Our editorial standards
Parks & Gardens in the USA: what to expect
the USA has 19 parks & gardens we would happily take our own kids to. Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens is the one most families start with. A hidden two-acre garden in West Palm Beach where sculptor Ann Norton's towering brick-and-granite works rise among one of Florida's finest collections of rare palms and cycads. Balboa Park is the other name that comes up again and again. Pack museums, gardens, and theaters into one sprawling San Diego cultural park. Bok Tower Gardens rounds out the pick of the bunch. A 1929 landmark in Lake Wales where a 60-bell carillon rings out over hilltop gardens, a 20-room Mediterranean mansion, and miles of quiet woodland trails. Also worth your time: Great Park Balloon (OC Great Park), Texas Discovery Gardens, Wave Hill and Brooklyn Bridge Park (Piers 1‚ 6).
Published prices run from $3 at Zilker Botanical Garden up to $35 at New York Botanical Garden. 4 of the 19 listed here quote a starting price. The others vary by season or by what you add on, so check before you travel.
The parks & gardens on this page are spread across New York (9), Florida (4), California (3) and Texas (3), so it is easy to pair two into one trip.
All parks & gardens
19 parks & gardens across the USA
Parks Gardens
Balboa Park
San Diego, California
Pack museums, gardens, and theaters into one sprawling San Diego cultural park.
Parks Gardens
Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens
West Palm Beach, Florida
A hidden two-acre garden in West Palm Beach where sculptor Ann Norton's towering brick-and-granite works rise among one of Florida's finest collections of rare palms and cycads.
Parks Gardens
Great Park Balloon (OC Great Park)
Irvine, California
Rise up to 400 feet in a tethered helium balloon for 360-degree views of Orange County.
Parks Gardens
Texas Discovery Gardens
Dallas, Texas
An organic Fair Park oasis where free-flying butterflies share trails with garden trains.
Parks Gardens
Wave Hill
The Bronx, New York
A Bronx public garden where cultivated beds frame sweeping Hudson River views.
Parks Gardens
Brooklyn Bridge Park (Piers 1‚ 6)
Brooklyn, New York
Kayak, play ball, or picnic on a reclaimed waterfront with the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge as your backdrop.
Parks Gardens
Little Island at Pier 55
Manhattan, New York
An artificial island on concrete "tulips" over the Hudson, part park and part stage.
Parks Gardens
Gantry Plaza State Park
Queens, New York
A waterfront East River park with open lawns and skyline views over Long Island City.
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Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
Roam one of America's most-visited urban parks, packed with gardens, lakes, and museums.
Parks Gardens
Bok Tower Gardens
Lake Wales, Florida
A 1929 landmark in Lake Wales where a 60-bell carillon rings out over hilltop gardens, a 20-room Mediterranean mansion, and miles of quiet woodland trails.
Parks Gardens
New York Botanical Garden
The Bronx, New York
A 250-acre living museum of plants in the Bronx, crowned by a historic glasshouse conservatory.
Parks Gardens
Queens Botanical Garden
Queens, New York
A peaceful Queens garden made for slow strolls through the seasons.
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Zilker Botanical Garden
Austin, Texas
A downtown Austin garden weaving Japanese, prehistoric, and rose plantings into one oasis.
Parks Gardens
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Dallas, Texas
A 66-acre botanical showcase with 1.4 million plants a year, big-name art installations, and a hands-on STEM garden for kids.
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Dinosaur World Florida
Plant City, Florida
Hundreds of life-sized dinosaurs hidden in a jungle-like Florida setting, plus gem mining, fossil digs, and a dino playground.
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Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Brooklyn, New York
Wander 52 acres of themed gardens, from a Japanese Hill-and-Pond to a fragrant Rose Garden, in the heart of Brooklyn.
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The High Line
Manhattan, New York
Stroll an elevated park built atop a disused Manhattan railway, wild plantings and all.
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Sunken Gardens
St Petersburg, Florida
A tranquil St. Petersburg garden retreat to wander among lush plantings.
Parks Gardens
Domino Park
Brooklyn, New York
A reimagined Brooklyn waterfront park where a sugar-refinery-themed playground meets East River views of the Manhattan skyline.