Families who visit QBG enjoy hands-on experiences, winding through such collections as the Bee Garden, with its live observation hives showcasing honeybees at work; the Herb Garden, where they marvel at the delight of a familiar fragrance, learn about plant parts, and later create a sachet to take home; and the Woodland Garden, where they discover an entire new world in the leaf litter while learning a valuable lesson about nature's way of recycling.

QBG's Environmental Tours and Workshops encourage inquiry and are based on science curriculum, satisfying National and New York State Science Standards and helping teachers to meet New York City Performance Standards. The workshops and tours address interdependence, plant and animal adaptations, biomes and plant communities, as well as special seasonal and academic subjects such as Color Me Autumn, Dr. George Washington Carver, and Plants in the Lives of the First Americans.