2 Best Sights in Niagara Falls and Western New York, New York

Even in the middle of winter you can soak in the sights and scents of the tropics under the domes of this Victorian glass conservatory. The greenhouses shelter cacti, fruit trees, palms, and orchids. The American Ivy Association certified the claim of the largest ivy collection of any botanical garden in the world. Formal gardens and a park with a golf course (the park is popular with runners) surround the conservatory. Guided tours are given by reservation.

Begun in 1977 as an adjunct to the Cornell Cooperative Extension facility, the arboretum occupies 8 acres with more than 400 unusual trees and shrubs. The herb garden has 300-plus species, and there's a popular Japanese meditation garden. The entrance is marked by a little shack on the far side of the Cooperative Extension Center parking lot.