Central Park
Central Park
Central Park Conservancy, 14 E. 60th St., New York, NY, 10022, 212-310-6600

At A Glance

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Central Park's 843 acres include 136 acres of woodlands, 250 acres of lawns, and 150 acres of water in 7 waterbodies.
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The Park's six-mile perimeter extends from Central Park West to Fifth Avenue and 59th Street to 110th Street.
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Central Park is the first public park built in America. A competition for the design was held in 1858. The winners were Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.
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Central Park is completely man-made. It took 15 years and over $14 million (roughly $200 million today) to build the Park in accordance with Olmsted and Vaux's Greensward Plan.
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To construct the Park, workers moved nearly five million cubic yards of stone, earth, and topsoil. They built 30 bridges and arches, and 11 overpasses over sunken transverse roads.
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The northern end of the Park was the site of a series of fortifications for the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
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Tavern on the Green was originally a sheepfold housing a shepherd and the flock that grazed the Sheep Meadow until 1934.
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Belvedere Castle was completed in 1872 as a viewing pavilion overlooking the Croton Reservoir.
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In 1934, the Reservoir was filled in to become the Great Lawn.
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The original Carousel, built in 1871, was turned by "horsepower." Twice destroyed by fire, it was replaced by the current brick structure in 1951.
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There are 51 sculptures in the Park and 36 bridges and arches. Bethesda Fountain was the only sculpture included in the original design of the Park — the others were gifts.
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Central Park was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and a New York City Landmark in 1974.
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The Manhattan schist outcrops in the Park are approximately 450 million years old.
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Central Park contains 58 miles of pedestrian paths, 4.5 miles of bridle paths, 6.5 miles of Park drives, and 7 miles of benches (nearly 9,000).
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There are 21 playgrounds.
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More than 500,000 trees, shrubs, and vines were planted during the building of the Park. Today, there are more than 26,000 trees, including 1,700 American elms.
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Over 275 species of migratory birds have been sighted in Central Park, a major stopping point on the Atlantic flyway.
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More than 25 million visitors enjoy Central Park each year.
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In 1980, a public-private partnership between the City of New York and the Central Park Conservancy was formed to restore, manage, and preserve Central Park.
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In 1998, the Conservancy and the City of New York signed a historic agreement, affirming the Conservancy's authority to manage, maintain, and operate Central Park. In 2006, the agreement was renewed for a further 8 years.

Copyright 2009, Central Park Conservancy. All Rights Reserved.
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