When my husband sent me a New York Times article about an O’Keeffe-in-Hawai’i exhibit in the Bronx, happening at the same time we’d be in Manhattan this summer, we agreed that we had to go. We both enjoy visiting gardens in different cities (there are must-sees in Portland, Singapore, and D.C.) — and I love Georgia O’Keeffe’s lush watercolors.

How to Get to the New York Botanical Garden

To get to the botanical garden, you can take the subway, the Metro-North train (a short 20 minutes from Grand Central), or a ride-sharing service. Because it was hot, we opted for a Lyft with a car seat. Tickets are $28 for adults, $12 for children 2-12, and free for kids under two. Seniors and students with ID are $25.

A tram service loops through the 25-acre garden and is a great way to cover a lot of ground quickly. It makes stops all around the park, including at the seedling/educational center, children’s discovery area, and rose garden. Once we got on the tram, we were too hot to get off. Note: They take strollers, but you have to be able to collapse them.

Mark Chai greets visitors at the reflecting pool near the entrance, and more of his artwork lights the path to the Conservatory.

As explained in the NYT piece, many native plants could not be part of the exhibit due to travel restrictions. The plants inside are tropical but not necessarily endemic to Hawaii.

Strollers are not allowed inside the conservatory. Since our baby was sleeping, we circled the park and came back to the conservatory later. Instead, we walked to the Library where the O’Keeffe paintings were on display (strollers are not allowed in there either, so my husband and I took turns viewing the art).

What to Eat at the NYBG – Food & Drink

The Georgia O’Keeffe museum was one of the highlights of our trip, along with sopapillas. Filled with meats or dusted with sugar, those fluffy pillows of heaven are reason enough to visit New Mexico!

Anyway, I was doubly excited for this exhibit since it involved my Hawaii home and one of my favorite artists.

Pretty, right? You can see them yourself at the New York Botanical Garden until October 28, 2018.