Storm King Art Center, NYBG, Boldt Castle and more: Outdoor activities and things to do this spring in New York State

Longer, warmer days signal it’s time to break out of the house and explore the great outdoors. Head to Manhattan and discover one of Central Park’s most serene spots or to the Bronx for a whimsical garden display. Or plan a weekend road trip for a visit to a unique roadside zoo, a castle, a historic fort or an open-air museum set in the hills of the Hudson Valley. 

Storm King Art Center

1 Museum Rd., New Windsor

The 500-acre museum without walls invites artists to use the sprawling hills to create site-specific installations that flourish in the open air. “Our incomparable landscape allows artists to achieve new and ambitious directions,” said chief curator Nora Lawrence. This season sculptures by famed artists like Louise Bourgeois and Alexander Calder will be joined by the work of Arlene Shechet, whose exhibition “Girl Group,” opening on May 4, consists of six large commissions (some up to 20 feet high and 30 feet long). Her work is “bold and audacious,” said Lawrence. Shechet said she’s “honored and thrilled” to exhibit at the center. The rolling hills and mountain views at Storm King, she said, are “for a sculptor…the promised land.” Visitors can walk the paved or gravel paths or take a hop-on-hop-off tram. Starting May 1, you can rent a bike (no personal bikes allowed).

Cost: $25; Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. except Tuesday

More info: 845-534-3115, stormking.org

Animal Adventure Park

85 Martin Hill Rd., Harpursville

Just 15 minutes from upstate Binghamton, you can spend the day with lions, tigers, giraffes and more than 100 other species. Well known for its giraffe cam (more than 2 million watched the livestream as the giraffe April gave birth in 2017), the park encourages visitors to get close to, and in some cases feed, animals like camels, kangaroos and giraffes. The park also offers a variety of encounters—you might connect with some playful capybaras, hang out with the resident rhino Tank or watch as penguins create a painting. The adjacent Preserve is a 3-mile drive-through safari with about 100 acres of grasslands and forests where the animals are in geographic groups—the Americas, Australia and Africa.

Cost: $19.99, $16.99 ages 3-11; Open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More info: 607-760-4429, visitAAP.com

New York Botanical Garden

2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx

Head down the rabbit hole this spring and summer, as the garden embraces the classic tale, “Alice in Wonderland.” Starting May 8, oversized installations will bring to life the world of Alice’s fanciful imagination--larger-than-life mushrooms, a gigantic chessboard, perhaps you can even find the Cheshire Cat. For fashion lovers, the garden’s annual orchid show running through April 21 has been created by several up-and-coming designers. Or just take the tram tour to explore the garden’s 250 acres, including more than 200 cherry trees, and the Thain Family Forest, 50 virtually untouched acres that were once part of the growth that covered most of New York City.

Cost: $35, $15 ages 2-12; Open Tuesday-Sunday (and Monday federal holidays), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

More info: 718-817-8700, nybg.org

The Ravine, Central Park

Entrance on East 103rd St., Manhattan

Even though it’s known as a respite from the bustle of the city, Central Park can be bustling at times. But on the northern end of the park, an area known as the Ravine, beckons with a serene path around a wandering waterway called the Loch. Originally designed for New Yorkers unable to escape to the Adirondacks or the Catskills, it’s a popular spot for birdwatching and three waterfalls. Two rustic stone arches—Glen Span on the west side and Huddlestone on the east—mark the entrances to the area. Check out the park’s website for a 30-minute self-guided tour of the North Woods.

Cost: Free; Open daily, 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.

More info: 212-310-6600, centralparknyc.org

Fort Ticonderoga

102 Fort Ti Rd., Ticonderoga

There’s so much to do at this 18th-century fort, tickets can be used on two consecutive dates. Best known for its role in the Revolutionary War, the fort was built near the southern end of Lake Champlain by the French in 1755. Even people with no knowledge of military history “can see the geographical significance of Ticonderoga’s commanding place between land and water,” said curator Matthew Keagle. “The spirit of human endurance pervades the place,” he said. Visitors can tour exhibitions of weapons and other military artifacts, see living history events including a Memorial Day weekend reenactment of troop life; or walk through the historic gardens, and drive or hike to the top of Mount Defiance for a picnic and some amazing views. Starting May 25, the Carillon, a replica of a cruise boat, offers 90-minute tours, where a narrator covers the area’s maritime history.

Cost: $29, $13 ages 5-15 (admission good for two consecutive days), combination tickets that include boat ride: $46, $33 ages 5-15; Opens May 4, Tuesday-Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More info: 518-585-2821, fortticonderoga.org

Boldt Castle

1 Heart Island, Alexandria Bay

Hotel magnate George C. Boldt (the Waldorf Astoria) started construction of the 120-room castle as a summer home in 1900, but when his wife died in 1904 everything came to a stop. The unfinished building on Heart Island in the St. Lawrence River was ignored until the Thousand Island Bridge Authority took it over in 1977. Now visitors can take a boat tour (Uncle Sam Boat Tours, usboattours.com) to see the castle and grounds, as well as the nearby Yacht House and its collection of antique wooden boats. 

Cost: $16, $9 ages 5-12; Open daily starting May 11, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

More info: 315-482-9724, boldtcastle.com