"Legacy: The Preservation of Wilderness in New York City Parks" at the Museum of the City of New York

Elementary-school students gape at the magnificent floor-to-ceiling photo of a gnarled black tree trunk. No wonder: Although it looks like something out of a fantasy film, the picture was taken at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, the home borough of photographer Joel Meyerowitz, whose stunning exhibit gives visitors a glimpse into the magical pockets of park that make up a large part of the city.

Upon entering, you immediately get lost in the photographic forest: Giant prints of foliage cover the walls and floor, and framed pictures of woods, beaches, swamps and thickets from all five boroughs abound. Explore the city’s only freshwater river, which snakes through the Bronx in thick woods of striking red, orange, yellow and green leaves. Peek into the pinewoods at Queens’ Forest Park, where fallen needles create a carpet of burnt copper. A photo of Staten Island’s High Rock Park shows the greenspace eerily shrouded in mist, while Brooklyn’s Prospect Park looks expansive and lush. Fans of the classic children’s book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge will savor the image of the title characters standing proudly, shot from the banks of Manhattan’s Fort Washington Park.

So many of the pictures exude such a fantastical aura—a cluster of balloons lost in the woods at Central Park’s Hallett Nature Sanctuary; the twisting tree branches of the Literary Walk; the rolling, ivy-covered humps at Van Cortlandt Park—and yet every one was snapped right here in the concrete jungle. No doubt your brood will be inspired to explore the outdoors. Happily, that’s easy: Central Park is right across the street from the museum.—James Lobo

"Legacy: The Preservation of Wilderness in New York City Parks" is on view at the Museum of the City of New York through Mar 21.

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