Central Park: Everything from a castle to two zoos
Hundreds of acres of rolling lawn, a lake, ponds, an antique carousel, a wildlife sanctuary — even a castle and two zoos — make Central Park one of the world's most attractive, versatile parks.
From Columbus Circle at its southern tip to 106th Street at its northern border and between Fifth and Eighth avenues, this oasis in the heart of ultra-urban Manhattan rolls over 843 acres. Designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and architect Calvert Vaux, Central Park opened in 1859, but it wasn't completed until 1873. By 1863, Central Park was already attracting 4 million visitors annually. Today, more than 20 million tourists or native New Yorkers visit Central Park, which became a National Historic Landmark in 1963.
Where to begin? Take a stroll along the Mall, Central Park's 40-foot-wide promenade, kept shady with four rows of elm trees. Early park commissioners dictated that statuary be limited to the Mall to keep the rest of the park pastoral. So many statues were erected to great authors that the southern end of the Mall became known as Literary Walk.
The park's 18-acre lake provides another great place to relax, whether on the bank or on the lake itself. Since the 1800s, you've been able to rent rowboats to take out on the lake. You can still take a gondola ride, just as 19th century visitors did. Once there was ice skating on the lake; however, since 1951, ice skating has been banned, although you can choose from two ice-skating rinks in the park. (One converts to a swimming pool in summer!)
There's been a carousel at Central Park since 1871, and it remains one of the park's most popular attractions, with 250,000 riders yearly. The current carousel, crafted in 1908, has been in place since 1951 when it was found abandoned in an old trolley terminal on Coney Island. With 58 hand-carved horses and two exquisite chariots, it's one of the nation's largest.
Children especially love to visit the Central Park Zoo, which dates back to 1864, making it the second-oldest publicly owned zoo in the United States. Despite its size, the zoo is home to an indoor rainforest, a rare snow leopard and a chilly penguin house, made famous in the 1938 book "Mr. Popper's Penguins" and the various Madagascar animated movies and television show. Children also love the Tisch Children's Zoo, which opened in 1997.
Central Park holds a host of surprises, but none greater than the sight of Belvedere Castle, a looming folly atop Vista Rock designed by Vaux and built in 1870. It commands breath-taking views of the 55-acre Great Lawn and its eight baseball diamonds, walkways, the Manhattan skyline, several statues, the Turtle Pond at the foot of Vista Rock and the Delacorte Theater, home to Shakespeare in the Park. The Gothic-Romanesque-styled castle houses the Henry Luce Nature Observatory and its science displays. Belvedere Castle hosts programs ranging from stargazing and astronomy talks, to children's story times and Halloween events.
HelloNewYorkCity Tip: Check the park's website page that lists the "Top 10 Greatest Places in Central Park" before your first visit.
- by Ivonne Rovira, Henderson Reporter for HelloMetro
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Ivonne RoviraA graduate of the prestigious Columbia University School of Journalism in New York City, Ivonne Rovira worked as a reporter for the Miami News, The Miami Herald and The Associated Press. She has written articles for The National Catholic Reporter and The Courier-Journal. For more than 15 years, Ivonne wrote and edited articles aimed at middle-school children.
