Central Park
United States · 60 The overlooked corners inside
The overlooked corners inside
North Woods and North Meadow
The North Woods cover roughly 36 acres in the park's northwest corner — a deliberately rough-hewn forest that includes a densely wooded gorge called the Ravine and two water features: the Loch (a stream) and the Pool. This section was among the last parts of the park to be developed: construction on the southern portions began in 1857, and the four northernmost blocks weren't added to the acquisition until 1859. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux didn't include the area in their original concept; the Pool and Loch were proposed by park commissioner Robert J. Dillon as one of seventeen amendments to the winning Greensward Plan. The North Meadow, just to the southeast of the woods, is today used for sports and recreation.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Central Park Mall
The Mall is the only formally axial feature in the original Greensward design — a conspicuous departure from Olmsted and Vaux's otherwise naturalistic approach. Its logic was practical: carriages would drop passengers at the southern end, circle around, and pick them up again at Bethesda Terrace to the north, sparing walkers a backtrack. The wisteria pergola along the sides originally served as grandstand seating for Mall concerts; today it acts as a sound barrier and visual screen for the SummerStage outdoor concert series.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Harlem Meer
Harlem Meer is an 11-acre artificial lake in the park's northeast corner. "Meer" is Dutch for "lake" — the name echoes the Dutch Haarlemmermeer ("Lake of Haarlem"). It was built as part of the 65-acre northern extension between 106th and 110th Streets, formally added to the park in 1863, which required amendments to the original design. The site was once the confluence of three streams: Harlem Creek from the north, an unnamed stream running along 110th Street, and Montayne's Rivulet — still extant today — all draining east into the Harlem River as a brackish tidal wetland.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Arsenal
The Arsenal is a symmetrical brick building with light Gothic Revival detailing, constructed between 1847 and 1851 as a storage depot for New York State militia arms and ammunition. It is the second-oldest surviving structure within Central Park — after Blockhouse No. 1 (1814) — predating the park itself by a decade. The designer, Martin E. Thompson — one of the founders of the National Academy of Design — used English-bond brickwork and adorned the facade with wooden carvings of eagles, cannonball stacks, and crossed sabers that announce the building's original purpose.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Central Park Zoo
The Central Park Zoo covers 6.5 acres at the park's southeast corner and is part of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) network of four zoos and an aquarium across New York City. Its predecessor — an animal collection opened in 1864 — was New York's first zoo open to the public. The present facility opened as a city zoo on December 2, 1934, as part of Commissioner Robert Moses's sweeping park-renewal program, built largely with Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor and funding.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir — also called the Central Park Reservoir — is a d… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Columbus Circle
Columbus Circle is a traffic roundabout at the junction of Eighth Avenue, Broadway, Centra… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Cleopatra's Needle (New York)
Cleopatra's Needle is a red granite obelisk, roughly 21 meters tall and 200 tons, inscribe… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Central Park Carousel
The Central Park Carousel — officially the Michael Friedsam Memorial Carousel — is an anti… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Bethesda Terrace and Fountain
Bethesda Terrace and Fountain sit on the southern shore of the Lake, anchored by the Angel… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Wollman Rink
Wollman Rink is a public ice-skating rink at the southern end of Central Park, named for t… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
The Ramble and the Lake
The Ramble is 36 to 38 acres of woodland on the north shore of the Lake, designed as a "wi… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Strawberry Fields Memorial
Strawberry Fields is a 2.5-acre landscape memorial just inside the park at Central Park We… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
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The Pond and Hallett Nature Sanctuary
The Pond and Hallett Nature Sanctuary sit together in the park's southeast corner, beside… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Sheep Meadow
Sheep Meadow is roughly 15 acres of open lawn in the park's southwest section, between 66t… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Delacorte Theater
The Delacorte Theater is a 1,800-seat open-air amphitheater that has hosted the Public The… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Adventure Playground
Adventure Playground was designed by architect Richard Dattner in 1967, built in Modernist… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Richard Morris Hunt Memorial
The Richard Morris Hunt Memorial is a semicircular granite and marble exedra designed by B… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Sir Walter Scott Statue
The statue of Sir Walter Scott depicts the Scottish author alongside his dog Maida and was… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
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Robert Burns Statue
The bronze portrait of Robert Burns is one of four casts of the same sculpture by John Ste… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
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Columbus Statue (Central Park)
The bronze Christopher Columbus in Central Park was created by Spanish sculptor Jeronimo S… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
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Three Dancing Maidens — Untermyer Fountain
Three Dancing Maidens (in German, Drei tanzende Mädchen) is a bronze fountain sculpture by… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
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Shakespeare Statue
The bronze of William Shakespeare was made by John Quincy Adams Ward; its cornerstone was… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
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Indian Hunter Statue
Indian Hunter is a large-than-life outdoor bronze by John Quincy Adams Ward, depicting a h… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
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Fitz-Greene Halleck Statue
The bronze of Fitz-Greene Halleck was made by James Wilson Alexander MacDonald, cast in 18… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
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Alice in Wonderland Statue
This bronze was commissioned by publisher George Delacorte from Spanish-American sculptor… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: centralparknyc.org · en.wikipedia.org
Frances Hodgson Burnett Memorial Fountain
The Burnett Memorial Fountain is a bronze sculptural fountain near the Conservatory Garden… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Red-Footed Tortoise Exhibit
The Tropical Zone at the Central Park Zoo houses red-footed tortoises from South America… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Harbor Seal Pool
The outdoor pool in the Zoo's northern Penguin and Seabird building is home to harbor seal… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Puffin Exhibit
The Penguin and Seabird building in the Zoo's northern wing houses both Atlantic puffins a… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
California Sea Lion Pool
The California sea lion pool is the visual centerpiece of the Central Park Zoo. A glass-si… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Gentoo Penguin Exhibit
The Penguin and Seabird building in the Zoo's northern wing maintains a cold-temperature e… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Grizzly Bear Exhibit
Adjacent to the Penguin and Seabird building, an outdoor grizzly bear enclosure forms part… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Japanese Macaque Exhibit
The Temperate Territory section of the Central Park Zoo keeps Japanese macaques — also kno… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Red Panda Exhibit
The Temperate Territory section of the Central Park Zoo houses red pandas alongside Japane… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Snow Leopard Exhibit
The snow leopard exhibit in the Zoo's Temperate Territory opened in June 2009, the first n… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Alexander Hamilton Statue
This full-length Hamilton in Westerly granite was carved by sculptor Carl Conrads and form… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · centralparknyc.org
Balto
The bronze of Balto was made by Frederick Roth and unveiled on December 17, 1925, near the… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
107th Infantry Regiment Memorial
The 107th Infantry Memorial is a bronze group at the corner of East 67th Street and Fifth… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
7th Regiment Memorial
The 7th Regiment Memorial is a bronze figure on a granite base, honoring regiment members… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
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Alexander von Humboldt Bust
This larger-than-life bronze bust of Humboldt was made by Prussian sculptor Gustav Bläser… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: centralparknyc.org
Bertel Thorvaldsen Statue
This full-length bronze on the east side of the park at 97th Street is a cast of a self-po… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: centralparknyc.org
Daniel Webster Statue
This bronze of Daniel Webster was made by Thomas Ball; originally commissioned for placeme… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
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Friedrich von Schiller Bust
This bronze bust of Schiller was cast by Prussian sculptor Charles Ludwig Richter from a m… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: centralparknyc.org · nyhistory.org
John Purroy Mitchel Memorial
This memorial at the park's 90th Street Engineers' Gate entrance on the east side pairs a… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: centralparknyc.org
José Martí Statue
The bronze equestrian of José Martí was made by Anna Hyatt Huntington, cast in 1959 and un… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
José de San Martín Statue
The equestrian bronze of José de San Martín was created by French sculptor Louis-Joseph Da… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
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King Jagiello Monument
The King Jagiello Monument is an equestrian statue of Władysław II Jagiełło, king of Polan… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
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Beethoven Bust
The Beethoven memorial was created by German-American sculptor Henry Baerer and unveiled o… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
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Simón Bolívar Statue
The equestrian bronze of Simón Bolívar was made by sculptor Sally James Farnham and set on… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Delacorte Musical Clock
The Delacorte Musical Clock — also called the George T. Delacorte Musical Clock — stands a… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Dancing Bears Sculpture
This group of three bronze bears was originally created by American sculptor Paul Manship… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · centralparknyc.org
Tropical Zone
The Tropical Zone at the Central Park Zoo is a two-story glass building showcasing South A… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Thomas Moore Bust
This bronze bust of Irish poet Thomas Moore (1779–1852) was made by American sculptor Denn… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: centralparknyc.org
Victor Herbert Bust
Victor Herbert is a bronze portrait bust set on the Mall, made by sculptor Edmond Thomas Q… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hans Christian Andersen Statue
This bronze of Andersen was made by American sculptor Georg John Lober and unveiled in 195… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: centralparknyc.org
The Pilgrim
The Pilgrim is a work by John Quincy Adams Ward, unveiled on June 6, 1885 by the New Engla… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · centralparknyc.org
Samuel F. B. Morse Statue
The bronze of Samuel F. B. Morse — American painter and inventor — was made by Byron M. Pi… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Romeo and Juliet Statue
Romeo and Juliet is an outdoor bronze by American artist Milton Hebald, standing in front… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
The Tempest Statue
The Tempest (also titled Prospero and Miranda) is an outdoor bronze by Milton Hebald depic… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
FAQ
What overlooked corners are worth seeing inside Central Park?
North Woods and North Meadow, Central Park Mall, Harlem Meer and more — 60 spots in all, each with sources and a guide in your language to read or listen to on the spot.
Is the Central Park guide free?
The first 5 spots are free to read; the other 55 unlock with a one-time purchase (not a subscription).