Most 250th-anniversary programming reaches for founders and battles; NYBG reached for crops, which turns out to tell the harder and more honest story — Indigenous foodways, the plants and knowledge carried through the Transatlantic Slave Trade, what the Great Migration moved north, the victory gardens of the 1940s, and what presidents put on the table. The Mertz Library carries the illustrations, ledgers and cookbooks; the Barnsley Beds grow the actual plants. Together it is the rare history sho
What to expect
In the Mertz Library, expect rare botanical illustrations, agricultural ledgers, books and historic cookbooks laid out chronologically. Outside, the Barnsley Beds grow living examples of the food plants under discussion, so the archive and the crop sit within a short walk of each other. Library hours are Tuesdays through Fridays; the beds are open Tuesdays through Sundays.
Good to know
- Take Metro-North Harlem Line to Botanical Garden, or the B/D/4 to Bedford Park Blvd
- Mertz Library is open Tuesdays through Fridays; the Barnsley Beds Tuesdays through Sundays
- Included with Garden admission — check the ticket page for coverage
- It runs into the fall; plan around the library gallery open days
- Great for history readers, gardeners and anyone interested in American food history
- Combine it with the Edible Academy for the hands-on version
Common questions
Where is the exhibition?
In two places at NYBG — the Mertz Library for archival material and the Barnsley Beds for living plant displays.
What does it cover?
Indigenous foodscapes, the Transatlantic Slave Trade's agricultural impact, the Great Migration, WWII victory gardens, presidential food traditions and modern American eating.
How long is it on?
July 4 through October 18, 2026.