Central Park is the 843-acre green heart of Manhattan and the most visited urban park in the United States, drawing more than 40 million people a year. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux and opened in the 1850s and 1860s, it weaves meadows, woodlands, lakes, and landscaped walks through the centre of New York City.
Highlights include Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, the elm-lined Mall and Literary Walk, Bow Bridge, Belvedere Castle, the Strawberry Fields memorial to John Lennon, the Central Park Zoo, and the historic 1871 carousel.
The park is too large to cover on foot in a single visit, so pick the lower or middle section, or rent a bike to see more. It is free and open year-round; mornings are calmest, summer brings free SummerStage concerts and Shakespeare in the Park, and the Reservoir cherry trees bloom in April.
