The Glass Garden552

One of NY's best-kept secrets, the Rusk Rehabilitation Institute harbors a public botanical garden just right for little ones.

The 1700 square foot Glass Garden conservatory, opened in 1959, was the first facility in the world designed to be totally accessible to people in wheelchairs. The collection includes an aquatic garden, orchids, ferns, palms, bromeliads, succulents, caudate, and insectivorous plants (always a big hit with kids). Koi, goldfish, turtles, and catfish make their home in the pond, and kids can play in the sand pit and explore botanical pursuits.

The Children's PlayGarden is located on the north side of the conservatory, and it integrates a teaching garden, a playground, a treatment clinic, and a classroom for children, their families, and friends.

The custom-designed play components are used by therapists and teachers to increase cognitive, language, social and motor skills, and abilities. But they're also just plain fun, and include a hammock and a sling swing. On sunny days, the PlayGarden fills with rainbows projected by a revolving prism sculpture.