 |
 |
 |
Bethesda Terrace Fountain |
California Sea Lion Tank |
Kerbs Memorial Boathouse |
Northern End of Central Park
 |
Lasker Pool |
offers visitors Park information, art exhibitions, environmental displays and information. An adjoining terrace overlooking the Harlem Meer serves as a performance space. There are weekend programs in arts & crafts, nature, storytelling and free walking tours. ice skating November - March. The Rink has two oval rinks, one used by high school hockey teams and one for the general public. The Rink during the summer is a public swimming pool. Open July 1st and closes after Labor Day, open 365 days a year. , is a fort from the War of 1812 and is just a short walk west of the rink. enter the six-acre Garden from Fifth Avenue and 105th Street, at the Vanderbilt Gate. The Garden is made up of three gardens representing different landscape styles: Italian, French, and English. The Conservatory Garden is Central Park's only formal garden. Out for a leisurely stroll, or just want to sit on a bench with a good book the Garden is a beautiful and quiet spot to veg-out. the North Meadow at 23 acres, is the Central Park's largest open space, with 12 fields for baseball, softball, and soccer. The NMRC, is at the south end of the Meadow. The Center has an indoor climbing room with a 20-foot climbing wall; classrooms and other recreational activities. Outside there are basketball and handball courts, and a 25-foot climbing wall (weekend climbing is also available). NMRC provides field day kits on loan, visitors can borrow a kit with a variety of balls, bats, hula-hoops, frisbees, and jump ropes. Visitors must present a photo ID for the kit.
Middle of Central Park
 |
Alice in Wonderland Statue |
 |
Strawberry Fields |
 |
The Delacorte Theater |
 |
The Obelisk |
west side at 96th Street. The center has 26 clay and 4 asphalt tennis courts. This is one of the best bargains in town. To use the courts you can purchase a single-play permit (one-time use) at the Center. The Tennis Center offers private lessons and sponsors clinics and tournaments. Engineers’Äô Gate at 90th Street and Fifth Avenue. The Reservoir is 106 acres, 40 feet deep and has over a billion gallons of water. It no longer used for fresh water to Manhattan residents. The Reservoir is best known for the 1.58 mile jogging track surrounding it. It is a good location for bird watchers and tourists who enjoy the great views of the Manhattan skyline. The New York Road Runners Club sponsors weekly races and organizes most running events in Central Park. Detailed Park track mileages are in our Jogging Legend just above this text to the right. Usually referred to as "the Met", is one of the world's top art museums, at more than two million square feet and almost a quarter mile long. The Met's permanent collection spans the history of world art and is divided into 19 departments. In the permanent collection are works of art from classical antiquity, Ancient Egypt, Paintings and Sculptures from nearly all the great European Masters, American art, African, Asian, Greek, Roman, Oceanic, Byzantine, Islamic and Modern art, Musical Instruments, Costumes & Accessories, Antique Weapons, Armor and over 20,000 photographs. Don't miss this great museum there is something for everyone here. Closed most Mondays - for info call 212-535-7710. also called Cleopatra's Needle, west of the Met at 81st st. The Obelisk was originally erected in Egypt's ancient city of Heliopolis around 1500 BC, later moved to Alexandria, and from there to the United States in 1881. The Obelisk is made of Red granite and is 71-feet high and an approximate weight of 244 tons. 80th to 85th Streets, is 55 acres (the oval is 13 acres) of green grass with baseball fields, basketball courts, and lots of room for sports and leisure activities. The Great Lawn is also the site of free concerts every summer by the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera. is an outdoor performance venue and is the summer home of the Public Theater/New York William Shakespeare Festival. this romantic garden was dedicated to Shakespeare in 1916, on the 300th anniversary of his death. Only flowers mentioned in Shakespeare's plays and poetry were planted in the garden. The Garden changes with every season, visit for a while on one of the many rustic benches. contains a small children's theater and design workshop. On the West Side at 79th Street, the Cottage can be identified by the American and Swedish flags flying from its roof. The Cottage is a model schoolhouse and was built as Sweden's exhibit for the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The theater seats 100 children an has central air conditioning. This is only public marionette theater company left in the US. They produce their own shows and make most of the costumes for the marionettes. Call for reservations. sits upon Vista Rock, the second highest natural elevation in the Park. Visitors can look down at the Delacorte Theater to the left; straight ahead is the Great Lawn and the Turtle Pond. The Castle is home to the Henry Luce Nature Observatory. Inside there are telescopes and microscopes and skeletons etc. On the Castle's second floor, there are papier mache reproductions of birds often seen in Central Park. The U.S. Weather Bureau has had a Meteorological Observatory in the Castle since 1919. is more familiarly known as the Model Boat Pond. The Kerbs Memorial Boathouse, houses a cafe and a storage area for model boats. Visitors can watch members of the Model Yacht Club race their a radio-powered model boats and yachts. Visitors can also rent radio-powered miniature boats. Just north of the pond is the Alice in Wonderland bronze sculpture, here you will see Alice, March Hare, Mad Hatter and the lovable Cheshire Cat all on giant mushrooms. Just west of the pond is the Hans Christian Andersen bronze and granite sculpture, during the summer, children will gather around the statue for the storytelling program. you can rent rowboats and bicycles or take a ride in an authentic Venetian gondola. Visitors can also dine year round on the deck overlooking the Lake. is a 38 acre "wild garden" One of the first parts of the Park to be built, the Ramble is totally artificial. The ramble has rocky outcrops, secluded glades, and a stream called The Gill. The Ramble is the center of birding activity in the Park. There are as many as 230 species of birds have been spotted here. - Strawberry Fields was named in 1981, in honor of John Lennon, the musician and member of the Beatles. is a cast-iron bridge that was named for its likeness to an archer's bow. It spans 60 feet across the Lake, linking Cherry Hill with the woods of the Ramble. Great Lake views from top of the span.
Southern End of Central Park
 |
Chess and Checkers House |
The lower terrace runs to the edge of the lake. In the center of the terrace is the beautiful Bethesda Fountain. The views are of the lake and Boathouse. All around the Terraces are hand carved elements that have been restored. The upper terrace has great views and is at the north end of the Mall. on both sides of the 40 foot wide Mall are rows of American Elms. On the north east end of the Mall is the free orchestral concerts and other events are staged here throughout the year. The SummerStage, is just east of the Bandshell at the Rumsey Playfield behind the Wisteria Pergola. During the summer enjoy a variety of multicultural performances. The southern end of the Mall is often called the Literary Walk, this area is a designated location for sculptures. Ice Skating November through March, day and night. From the end of May through mid-September, the Rink is host to the fun for the whole family. Rides, games, amusements and carnival foods. The carousel - is the fourth to exist on this site, one of the country's largest merry-go-rounds with 58 horses and two chariots all hand carved in 1908. The Carousel is open seven days a week, weather permitting, a 3 1/2 minute ride is just $1.25. serves as the official Central Park gift store and also is a general visitor center with information on current park events. just southwest of the Dairy. The Chess and Checkers House is an octagonal red brick structure. Built in 1952 on top of a large rock outcropping. Around the building Under a pergola there are 24 outdoor chess and checker tables. Chess, checkers, dominos, jacks, badminton, Frisbees, Jump rope, Bats and balls, Footballs and Soccer balls may be borrowed 10am -4pm, visitors must present a photo ID, or a returnable cash deposit. - is off 5th Avenue on the East Side at 63rd Street. Here you will find 1400 animals and over 130 different species. The Zoo contains three different habitats: The Temperate Territory is home to the Red Pandas, Macaques, North American River Otter, Ducks and Swans. Polar Zone contains Polar Bears, Harbor Seals, Tufted Puffins, Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins. The Tropic Zone houses a collection of frogs, lizards, snakes, toads, tropical birds, Tamarins and the fun Colobus Monkeys. The California Sea Lion tank is at the center of the Zoo, don't miss feeding time. The Zoo is open 365 days a year. Call for information and admission.
Please visit www.centralpark.com or www.centralparknyc.org for more information on all the Central Park Attractions
Central Park Sculptures and Architectures
|
|
|
|
|
Tour the Sights & Attractions of Central Park
Join the Urban Park Rangers to visit the 36 bridges and arches in the park, each remarkable, some little known! For information and times please visit www.nycgovparks.org
The Central Park Walking Tour is a great introduction to the most famous Park
in the world! Explore the Central Park you know from TV and movies - and find the hidden places that New Yorkers rarely see. www.nycvp.com
Since its completion in 1873, Central Park has continually been one of the top tourist destinations of NYC. New Yorkers depend on it as the one true refuge and sanctuary the city offers. Tourists flock to such treasures as Strawberry Fields, Bethesda Terrace, The Ramble, and the secluded, beautiful Conservatory Gardens. www.centralparkwalkingtours.com
The Central Park Bike Tour, by far the best way to explore Central Park, is a great combination of exercise and sightseeing. www.centralparkbiketour.com
Over 40 locations on the tour, including: The Boathouse Cafe used in When Harry Met Sally, the Bandshell from Breakfast at Tiffany's and Kramer vs. Kramer, feed the pigeons where Macaulay Culkin fed them in Home Alone II, take a water break at Bethesda Fountain, used in Ransom and One Fine Day stop at Wollman Rink, used in movies like Love Story and Serendipity. www.screentours.com
.....or how about a museum instead?
|
