Queens can be explored on very different scales. The Panorama of the City of New York was designed for the 1964–1965 World’s Fair and covers 9,335 square feet. At a scale of 1:1200, it depicts every one of New York City’s 895,000 buildings built before 1992, every street and park, and about 100 bridges. Its combination of precise scale and extensive detail directs attention not only to individual landmarks, but to the structure of the entire city.
City History and Cultural Collections
The Queens County Farm Museum offers a very different perspective on history, with a past that dates back to 1697. Its grounds include historic farm buildings, a greenhouse complex, livestock, farm vehicles and equipment, cultivated areas, an orchard and an herb garden. Here, history and agriculture are not separate: the buildings, animals and tools are as much a part of the site as the areas devoted to fruit, herbs and other crops. This brings the historic context together with the tangible features of a farm.
The Museum of the Moving Image focuses on moving images in all their forms. It is the only museum in the country devoted to the art, history, technique and technology of this subject. Its collection includes more than 130,000 artifacts from every phase of the production, marketing and presentation of film, television and digital media. The museum also offers a fully interactive core exhibition. The collection and exhibition provide two different ways to engage: the artifacts reveal the many stages behind media, while the interactive exhibition invites visitors to explore actively.
Gardens and Open Landscapes
The Queens Botanical Garden grew out of the five-acre exhibition garden “Gardens on Parade” at the 1939–1940 New York World’s Fair. Today, it has become a 39-acre oasis in one of New York City’s busiest and most diverse neighborhoods. The garden celebrates people, plants and cultures through its gardens, educational programs and practical applications of environmental stewardship. Its evolution from an exhibition garden to its present-day site connects the history of the World’s Fair with a program that brings together garden culture and environmental responsibility.
The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge showcases another dimension of the landscape. Covering more than 12,600 acres, it includes open water, salt marshes, freshwater and brackish ponds, upland fields and forests, as well as open bays and islands. Comparing it with the botanical garden reveals two different kinds of natural space: the garden focuses on cultivated gardens and educational programs, while the refuge is an expansive protected landscape with diverse habitats.
The zoo and public art also offer their own distinctive experiences. The Queens Zoo opened in 1968 on the grounds of the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs in Flushing Meadows. Its paths offer views of wildlife native to the Americas. The Socrates Sculpture Park, by contrast, is a community-oriented waterfront park that supports artists in producing and presenting public art. Together, these nature and cultural experiences range from wildlife to the creation of art in public spaces.
Jazz History, Architecture and Seasonal Cuisine
The Louis Armstrong House Museum is one of New York City’s most significant jazz landmarks. Visitors must purchase tickets in advance to tour the historic house. Because booking requirements may change, check the current ticket terms before your visit. Another historic highlight is Flushing Town Hall, a landmark building dating from 1862.
The Queens Night Market adds a seasonal offering to these historic sites: more than 100 independent vendors sell food there, with the selection changing by season. The options are quite different: visiting the historic house requires tickets purchased in advance, while the market offers a seasonal variety of vendors.
Discover more destinations: Flushing, Ulster, Essex, Broome, Erie, Montgomery County, Chautauqua, Steuben.
View the main travel guide: New York.
