Central Park
Central Park: A beautiful 874 acre haven from the hustle and bustle of New York City
Located in the center of Manhattan, Central Park provides a pastoral refuge from the chaos and noise of New York City. Recognised as a National Historic Landmark in 1963, Central Park is the most visited park in the country. Covering over 874 acres, Central Park offers a near endless array of activities for natives and newcomers alike.
While an extensive network of trails perfect for running or hiking, Central Park also offers numerous recreational opportunities, including tennis courts, skating rinks, swimming pools, baseball fields, horseback riding, fishing and boat rentals. Birdwatchers will want to explore "The Ramble", a wooded section of the park where many species of woodland birds can be spotted in the spring and fall. Nature lovers will enjoy exploring the Conservatory Gardens, the Park's first formal garden and Turtle Pond which attracts migratory birds and several species of turtle.
Central Park also hosts a number of cultural festivals and a summer concert series on the Great Lawn featuring popular and classical music. A beloved summer tradition, The Public Theater holds its critically acclaimed Shakespeare in the Park series at the Delacorte Theatre with eight weeks of free performances.
Young children will enjoy a visit to Central Park every bit as much as adults, especially the Central Park Carousel, which is one of the largest merry-go-rounds in the United States, the petting zoo at the Tisch Children's Zoo at the Central Park Wildlife Center and the Marionette Theatre at the Swedish Cottage. For a less structured approach, visit the Alice in Wonderland and Ugly Ducking statues, sail model boats at Conservatory Waters or simply enjoy the 21 playgrounds scattered throughout the Park.
The Central Park Conservatory also offers a variety of free guided interpretive walking tours, if exploring the park on your own seems overwhelming. These free tours run throughout the year except in extreme weather. You can check out the calendar on the official site to see what tours are happening on any given day. Bicycle rentals, horse-drawn carriages and pedi-cabs offer good alternatives to walking to explore sites throughout the park. iPhone users can download the Central Park Conservatory app for suggested itineraries and photography sites.
Nearby attractions: Central Park Wildlife Center, American Museum of Natural History, The Met and the Cloisters, Whitney Museum of American Art, Metropolitan Opera, The Frick Collection and Carnegie Hall
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: noCentral Park Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays
- Monday: 6:00 AM – 1:00 AM
- Tuesday: 6:00 AM – 1:00 AM
- Wednesday: 6:00 AM – 1:00 AM
- Thursday: 6:00 AM – 1:00 AM
- Friday: 6:00 AM – 1:00 AM
- Saturday: 6:00 AM – 1:00 AM
- Sunday: 6:00 AM – 1:00 AM
Address: New York, NY, USA
Phone: (212) 310-6600
Official Website: Central Park
Central Park Reviews
Rated out of 5
A really amazing oasis right in the middle of the city. It is great to have such escape from the noise and the rush of the streets.
You will always find everything happening here: music, films, arts, people walking by, tons of beautiful dogs, kids playing. Central Park has it all.
Please do yourself a favor and take a long relaxing walk at the park at least once in your visit to New York City.
Flor MP - 2 weeks ago
No tickets needed. If you want to learn about the park before visiting do that, it will make your experience more fun. We walked the whole park 6.5miles total, we did some detour and check on lakes and attractions.
To see the beautiful of the park you must walk, e-bike is good to ride on outskirts, they don’t allow you to ride inside some certain part of the park. Bring water, they have fruit carts every corner in the park.
Linh Clark - a week ago
A city called "The Concrete Jungle" has the most beautiful park in the world. Crazy. This was so much bigger than I ever thought possible. I loved Sheep Meadow, the perfect place in the city to just chill and eat with some friends. Also a surprisingly good spot to admire some of the tallest architecture the city has to offer, not to mention the Guggenheim, the MET, and the Museum of Natural History. So much history in this place. What a place.
Juan David Restrepo - a week ago
Central Park offers a great experience with fantastic playgrounds and ample space for dogs. The picnic areas are beautiful, perfect for relaxing outdoors. However, the mobile restrooms I encountered during a marathon weren't very clean. Overall, it's a wonderful urban escape.
Blaise Asanga - a month ago
We had an amazing time in Central Park. We took advantage of an amazing buggy ride. We got to see all the famous spots and our driver was super nice and gave history of the area. He also took us back to Time Square and the M&M store.
Melissa Jackson - a week ago
Directions
| Subway Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| N, Q or R (South End) | 59th Street | 5 minutes |
| 1 or 2 (South End) | Columbus Circle | 5 minutes |
| A, B or C (Mid Park) | American Museum of Natural History station or 86th Street | 2 minutes |
| A, B, or C (North End) | 96th Street, 103rd Street or 110th Street | 2 minutes |
| 2 or 3 (North End) | 110th Street | 5 minutes |
How to get to Central Park by Subway
For the southern end of the Park, take the N, Q or R train to 59th Street or the 1 or 2 train to Columbus Circle and enter the Park from 59th Street. For the middle of the park, take the A, B or C train to the American Museum of Natural History or 86th Street and enter the park from Central Park West. For the northern end of the park, take the A, B, or C train to 96th Street, 103rd Street or 110th Street and enter the park from Central Park West or take the 2 or 3 train to 110th Street, head southwest on Lenox Ave (Malcolm X Blvd) into the park.
Map & Instant Route Finder
Click&Go Map and Route Finder with public transit, walking, driving or cycling directions. Get up-to-the-minute transit times for your route.
Accommodations near Central Park:
Photo Gallery
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A tree frames one of the many unique bridges in Central Park cc licensed photo by Trodel -
Central Park provides a wonderful oasis within Manhattan cc licensed photo by Evelyn Proimos -
Photo Credit: Yanqi Ding's Street Photography - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Bradley N. Weber - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Marcela McGreal - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: John Cunniff - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Marcela McGreal - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: JFGryphon - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Maëlick - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Lima Pix - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Janne Räkköläinen - cc license via Flickr
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