New York City’s Central Park is an 843 acre designed park in the middle of Manhattan going from 59th street to 110th street, between Fifth Avenue and Eighth Avenue which has beautiful meadows, ponds, lakes, a zoo, a skating rink, baseball fields, volleyball courts, an English garden, numerous sculptures, a theater, a concert hall and stunning views. It first opened in the 1850’s to counter the unhealthy effects of the city and provide for recreation and relaxation. It helps bring a sense of calm to the bustling city. There are tons of activities from hiking, biking, ice skating and picnicking to model boat racing and fishing. In the summer there are numerous concerts, performances and the famous Shakespeare in the Park plays.
The Park goes all the way up to 110th street but the main spots are from 59th street up to about 85th street, the highlights (outlined below) and the order I recommend to see this wonder are:
Grand Army Plaza entrance
The Pond & Hallet Nature Sanctuary
Wollman Skating Rink
Central Park Zoo
The Dairy
The Carousel
The Mall
Bethesda Terrace
The Conservatory Water & Alice in Wonderland
The Ramble
Belvedere Castle
The Delcourte Theater, Shakespeare Garden and Swedish Cottage
The Great Lawn
The Lake
Strawberry Fields
Sheep Meadow
Tavern on the Green
For food besides the many vendors, you can stop at Tavern on the Green or the cafes at the Zoo, the Conservancy Water or Wollman skating rink.
(maps are on the walkways around the park and also at end of this article)
Lets start walking here.
The Entrance
While there are many places to enter the park, the two main places are 5th Avenue and 59th Street known as the Grand Army Plaza and 8th Avenue and 59th street known as Columbus Circle, I think there is more to see on the east side so I would suggest going in at 5th Avenue and 59th Street.
While most people walk you can also rent a bike, take a bike drawn carriage or the famous horse drawn carriage.
The Pond & Hallet Nature Sanctuary
As you enter and go down the slight hill, there are small lawns, rock outcrops and paths with benches along the shore offering great views of the Pond There are also many birds including egrets, black-crowned night herons and several types of ducks. Next to the Pond is the Hallet Nature Sanctuary, a hill with rock outcrops crossed by a trail. This is a great place to see the juxtaposition of nature with the city skyscrapers towering over.
Wollman Skating Rink
Opened in 1949, Wollman Skating Rink has been a favorite attraction of Central Park to skate or watch. Wollman Skating Rink is open daily from October 24th to March 15th, 2023. There is a also nice cafe in front of the rink.
Public Skate Session Hours
- Monday & Tuesday: 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM
- Wednesday & Thursday: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
- Friday & Saturday: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Sunday: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Central Park Zoo
A 6.5 acre zoo which is actually 4 integrated zoos and an aquarium containing 130 different species ranging from sea lions to gorillas to polar bears and numerous bird species in habitats created to resemble their natural habitat. There is also a smaller children’s zoo next the zoo. In front of the Zoo is the famous Delacourt Clock which has bronze animal musicians rotating as nursery rhymes and other music is played on the hour from 8am to 6pm.
Zoo entrance fee: Adults $20, kids $15 and seniors $17.
The Dairy
This Victorian country cottage, opened in 1871, was originally a place where children could get fresh milk. It was closed for many years and it reopened as the Park’s first visitor center and gift shop. Here you can get maps of the park, ask staff questions and buy books, gifts, and other items. Also many tours start here.
The Carousel
This famous ride has been very popular since 1871 when the original attraction opened. Over 250,000 people take a ride on the Carousel every year. $3.50 per ride
The Mall
The Mall is a long paved pedestrian promenade with many sculptures along with vendors and street performers.
The Literary Walk at the southern end of the Mall, contains statues of literary figures such as William Shakespeare, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Burns. In 2020 the Woman’s Rights Pioneers Monument was added. The walkway leads to the beautiful Bethesda Terrace.
Bethesda Terrance & Fountain
One of the most iconic features in Central Park is the Bethesda Terrace, a large plaza consisting of two levels as well as covered passageways with arches and a fountain.
The terrace has paintings and carvings that represent night and day and that depict the four seasons.
The staircases from the Terrace lead down to the Bethesda Fountain (there is another set of stairs at the end of the Mall that allows you to go under the street in front of Terrace to avoid traffic to reach the lower level of the Terrace).
The main focal point of the lower part of the Terrace is the Bethesda Fountain. This is one of the most well known fountains in the world, and the statue at its center known as the “Angel of the Waters” was the only sculpture to have been commissioned as a part of Central Park’s original design. The Angel is an eight-foot bronze angel who stands above four small cherubim representing health, purity, temperance, and peace.
Angel of the Waters was designed by Emma Stebbins in 1868 and dedicated in 1873, at which point Stebbins became the first woman to receive commission for a major work of art in the city of New York.
Loeb Boathouse
Across from the Bethesda Terrace you can see the famous Loeb Boathouse, an iconic Central Park landmark. Unfortunately due to rising costs the restaurant is temporarily closed. Fortunately however you can still rent row boats here to go on the Lake during the spring and summer ($20 an hour, $5 every additional hour- Cash only)
Conservatory Water & Kerbs Boathouse
Conservatory Water is a ponds where people watch, sail and race model boats .
You can rent model boats at the Kerbs Boat House which is on the east side of the Conservatory Water. There is also a cafe here to relax for a coffee or a bite.
Around the pond is home of some of the park’s loveliest foliage including Lebanon Cedars, willows, pine and beech trees and Cherry Trees (which blossom in the spring).
($11 per 30 minutes to rent a model boat)
Just north of the Conservatory Water is one of the most popular artworks in Central Park. The bronze Alice in Wonderland Sculpture where Alice and her kitten sit atop a giant mushroom, surrounded by her friends: the Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, Dormouse, and the White Rabbit. This is very popular with kids who climb all over it.
The Ramble
This is the most wooded and secluded area of the park. It is hard to believe you are in the middle of a city. The 36 acres Ramble is designed to look like the forests of upstate New York with winding trails, rustic bridges, a meandering stream, rock outcroppings and dense plantings. The Ramble is a popular destination for birdwatching. The design of the Ramble was intentionally intricate, with twisting paths that encourage wandering and create a sense of mystery and surprise, but also make it challenging to navigate. The Ramble is located along the Lake and some of its most beautiful scenery is found along its shoreline.
Belvadere Castle & Turtle Pond
Belvedere (“Beautiful View”) Castle offers amazing vistas from its two balconies. From here you can see views of some of Central Park’s most beautiful and famous landmarks: the Delacorte Theater, the Great Lawn, the Turtle Pond and the Ramble.
You can go to the top of the castle (2nd floor for the views). Entrance is free.
Delacourt Theater & Shakespeare Garden and Swedish Cottage
The Delacorte Theater, established in 1962, has a number of plays and events but it is best known for The Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park which occurs in the summer.
The Swedish Cottage, built in Sweden in 1875, was placed in Central Park in 1877 and has served a variety of purposes; headquarters for the Civil Defense during World War II, a tool house, a library, and an entomological laboratory.
In 1947, the Swedish Cottage became known, as it is today, as the home of the Marionette Theater. Since then, hundreds of thousands of children and families from around the world have enjoyed its original Marionette productions.
Next to the Swedish Cottage is a four-acre space with densely planted with trees, shrubs, flowers, and herbs mentioned in William Shakespeare’s plays and poems. Scattered throughout the Garden are bronze plaques with quotes from Shakespeare that reference plants.
The Shakespeare Garden is fittingly located near the Delacorte Theater which hosts Shakespeare in the Park but the garden predates the theater by several decades. The Garden became more focused on Shakespeare in 1916, in part because of celebrations of the tricentennial of Shakespeare’s death, and was dedicated and officially named that on April 23, 1916.
The Great Lawn
In the center of Central Park lies the Great Lawn, a green pasture of 55-acres that is considered one of the most famous lawns in the world. Located mid-park from 79th to 85th Streets, the Great Lawn is a wonderful place to have a picnic, sunbath or frisbee. There are also eight baseball fields here.
The Great Lawn is also the venue for many large concerts hosting annual concerts such as the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera and Global Citizen Festival, as well as other memorable performances by world-class acts such as Elton John and Bon Jovi and even an outdoor mass held by Pope Paul.
After the Great Lawn if you still want to explore I would recommend coming down south to the west side along the Lake, to Strawberry Fields and then to Sheep Meadow and Tavern on the Green and out to Columbus Circle.
(the Metropolitan Museum of Art is also in Central Park near the Great Lawn so you might want to plan to see that in your Central Park Day if you have time).
The Lake
The Central Park Lake is a stunning and picturesque 20-acre lake
The Lake provides wonderful opportunities for viewing its abundant flora and fauna from rowboats, which as mentioned you can rent during the spring and summer months at the Loeb Boathouse. Other options for nature sightseeing include taking a Venetian-style gondola ride around the Lake, or simply walking along the shore.
Strawberry Fields
As John Lennon lived across the street and came here often, they named this field “Strawberry Fields” in his honor and put the “Imagine” plaque here to commemorate him.
The design of the five acre Strawberry Fields incorporates a couple of small meadows lined with trees and shrubs and a path that winds through a small, wooded area to the “Imagine” plaque.
Sheep Meadow
This 15-acre lawn is one of the most popular destinations for relaxing, sunbathing, reading, and picnicking.
Sheep Meadow was designed to give visitors a taste of an idealized country landscape. Many years ago, A flock of sheep grazed there giving it the name Sheep Meadow, and kept the grass manicured. The sheep lived in a building known as the Sheep Fold, now home to the restaurant Tavern on the Green.
While the lawn may look natural, like the rest of Central Park it was completely constructed. The feat involved blasting large rock outcrops, leveling the land, adding several feet of soil, and planting trees and grass. The construction of Sheep Meadow ended up being one of the most expensive Park construction projects.
Tavern on the Green
Tavern on the Green is an American cuisine restaurant housed in a former sheepfold.
Throughout its history, Tavern on the Green has been frequented by prominent actors, musicians, politicians, and writers. It has also received several awards, including those for the best restaurant in the Upper West Side, and the best wine menu.
Map
See below for a map or go to Central Park Map.
Conclusion
Central Park is a world landmark for its beauty and design and a needed place for the thousands upon thousands to relax in the middle of the most bustling city in the world. Its a wonderful place to see, explore and take a little break from the craziness of the City.
For more information and an event calendar of what’s going on in the park check the official site : Central Park.
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments below.
