Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Central Park
New York's “backyard,” an 843-acre swathe of
green, provides recreation and beauty for over two
million visitors each year. Designed by Frederick
Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1858, the park
took 16 years to create and involved the planting
of over 500,000 trees and shrubs, the hauling in of
vast amounts of stone and earth
to form hills, lakes, and meadows,
and the building of 30 stone-
and-iron bridges and arches.
Bethesda Terrace
Overlooking the lake
and Ramble, the ornate
terrace and its fountain are
the focal point of the park.
On the adjacent tree-lined
Mall inline skaters often
show off acrobatic stunts.
Top 10 Features
1 Great Lawn
2 Bethesda Terrace
3 Belvedere Castle
4 The Ramble
5 Reservoir
6 Strawberry Fields
7 Conservatory Garden
8 Hans Christian Andersen
Statue
9 Wildlife Center
0 Delacorte Theater
The Beresford apartments
on Central Park West
Refreshments and
light lunches are
available at the Boat
House snack bar;
The Boat House
restaurant serves
gourmet meals.
Make your first stop
The Dairy, a Victorian
Gothic building
housing the Visitor
Center. Ask about the
free nature workshops
and guided walks.
Great Lawn
This is a 13-acre oval
of green lawn. In summer,
free concerts by the Metro-
politan Opera and New
York Philharmonic draw as
many as 100,000 people.
Rent bicycles, row-
boats, and gondolas
from the Boathouse,
and skates at the
Wollman Rink.
Belvedere Castle
A 19th-century stone
castle atop a rock, complete
with towers and turrets,
offers peerless views in all
directions. Inside is the
Henry Luce Nature Observ-
atory with exhibits covering
the surprisingly diverse
wildlife found in the park.
Rent horses at the
Claremont Stables,
175 West 89th Street.
• From Central Park
South to 110th Street &
between Fifth Avenue
and Central Park West.
• Map D3-H3
• www.centralparknyc.
org
• Open dawn-dusk
The Ramble
This wooded 37 acres
of land is crisscrossed by
paths and streams and is a
paradise for bird-watchers.
Over 270 species have
been spotted in Central
Park, which is on the
Atlantic migration flyway.
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The Visitor Center is open 10am-5pm Tue-Sun, and can be
contacted on: 212 794 6564
