At the Movies, Starring NYBG

Posted in NYBG in the News on August 28 2008, by Plant Talk

Kate Murphy, a junior at Fordham University, interned in the Communications Department this summer.

The summer blockbuster has become as much a staple to the season as sunshine and warm weather. And this summer is no different, bringing a continuous buzz of “must-see” movies. If you can’t decide whether you’d like to spend an afternoon at the Garden or at the movie theater, why not combine the two?

The 250-acre enclave in the Bronx has played host to many film shoots due to its convenient location, its beautiful grounds, and the lush interior of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Following is a list of movies featuring scenes at the Garden. Rent a few of them and see if you can spot NYBG!

The Manchurian Candidate (the 2004 version) includes scenes shot in the Haupt Conservatory, the nation’s largest Victorian-era glasshouse. The all-star cast, featuring Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, Meryl Streep, and Vera Farmiga, attend a gala in the Conservatory in this political thriller.

Autumn in New York (2000), a sad, romantic film starring Winona Ryder and Richard Gere, utilized the Botanical Garden’s colorful autumnal grounds.

Age of Innocence (1993), a period piece chronicling the love triangle of three 19th-century New York aristocrats, also has scenes that featue the iconic Haupt Conservatory. The movie stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder, and Daniel Day-Lewis.

Other films shot at the Garden include Awakenings (1990), starring Robert De Niro and Robin Williams, and The Seven-Ups (1973), starring Roy Scheider.