Shakespeare Garden050

It's not easy to find, and many people don't know about, Central Park's lovely little four-acre garden dedicated to William Shakespeare (who, it turns out, was quite a plant-lover). The garden is nestled between Belvedere Castle, The Delacorte Theater, and The Swedish Marionette Theatre, between 79th and 80th streets on the western side of Central Park.

Plants are grouped according to colors, textures, and bloom time, and there are several bronze plaques with quotes from Shakespeare's plays, in addition to a marble bust of Shakespeare himself.

If you have a little budding botanist, bring along a plant book and make a game out of finding quince, cowslip, larks heel, and rue. It's also fun to conjecture and discover how plants get their names.