< Exploring New York City

Central Park

Enormous swaths of pastoral hills, woods, lakes, and streams – stretching out along 50 blocks – make up New York’s most treasured green space, Central Park. Opened in 1860, it was the city’s first major public park and is known as the backyard of all New Yorkers. Among the greenery there is plenty to explore, including Belvedere Castle and Bethesda Terrace, as well as a zoo and several excellent playgrounds.

Sea lions atop a rocky outcrop in their enclosure, Central Garden and Sea Lion Pool, Central Park Zoo

Highlights

Central Park Zoo

Marvel at speedy penguins, swimming polar bears, and stealthy snow leopards from the Himalayas at this zoo, perfectly sized for kids (see Central Park Zoo).

Friedsam Memorial Carousel

Spin around on colorful, handcrafted horses to cheerful tunes on this carousel, built in 1908 (see Friedsam Memorial Carousel).

Bethesda Fountain

Admire the park’s crown jewel, the elegant Angel of the Waters fountain, from Bethesda Terrace or from a rowing boat on the adjoining lake.

Belvedere Castle

Explore a castle right out of a fairy tale – faux-medieval Belvedere is not only pretty to look at, but offers spectacular views (see Belvedere Castle).

Swedish Cottage

Drop by this charming wooden cottage, brought here from Sweden in 1876, for wonderful marionette shows for children (see Swedish Cottage).

Conservatory Water

Rent mini remote-controlled boats by the hour on the lake made famous by the book Stuart Little (see Conservatory Water).

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The Best of Central Park

Gentoo penguins in Central Park Zoo

As essential to the identity of New York City as its skyline, Central Park combines idyllic natural beauty with cultural attractions. Nearly every corner of the park has something to offer. Take a hike, go looking for wildlife, or check out family-friendly sights such as the zoo. Children will enjoy a turn around the skating rink, which becomes an amusement park in summer. There is even a children’s theater offering puppet shows.

Eco explorers

Begin at the Henry Luce Nature Observatory, inside Belvedere Castle, to learn about the park’s flora and fauna, then borrow a nature kit and go bird-watching at nearby Turtle Pond. Next, head out for a hike through The Ramble, a wooded nature preserve strewn with trails that wind through forest, glades, and along a stream. Stop for a bite at any of the hot dog carts sprinkled throughout the park, then continue on to the Tisch Children’s Zoo and feed pot-bellied pigs, llamas, and goats. Finish by exploring the main Central Park Zoo, whose inhabitants include sea lions, polar bears, snow monkeys, and penguins.

Monumental markers

Tributes to notable events, cultures, people, and even a heroic dog are sprinkled throughout the park. Visit Bethesda Terrace, a regal plaza with a fountain crowned by the lovely Angel of the Waters sculpture. Then head southwest to Strawberry Fields, a small corner of the park dedicated to former Beatle John Lennon. Stroll due east to the Literary Walk, then south to the statue of Balto, the canine dogsled leader who completed the final leg of the 1925 serum run in blizzard conditions, saving the children of a small town in Alaska from diphtheria. Afterward, head north to the Obelisk. This 71-ft (22-m) high monument was built in Egypt in 1450 BC, and its hieroglyphs praise the dominion of a pharaoh. The Egyptian government gifted it to New York City in 1880.

Bethesda Terrace, with its famous fountain

Water worlds

Water lends any landscape a natural and calming effect and, with this in mind, Frederick Law Olmsted, one of Central Park’s designers, carefully positioned ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the park, the largest of which is Central Park Lake. It is best explored on a rowboat rented at the Loeb Boathouse. Next, walk east to Conservatory Water to rent a remote-controlled sailboat or just to watch the nautical pursuits of others, before heading north to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir to take in the breathtaking views from its waterside pathways. Look out for some of the animals and birds that make the lake their home.

Theatrical endeavors

Embark on a journey that explores the park’s dramatic side. Start by taking in a marionette show at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre. Nearby, the medieval-looking Belvedere Castle is the perfect setting for kids to undertake some make-believe play of their own; it served as Count von Count’s home on Sesame Street and hosts a spooky Halloween celebration in the fall. Theater aficionados visiting during the summer should do whatever is takes to snag seats for a Shakespeare play at the open-air Delacorte Theater, including lining up early in the morning for free tickets, which are distributed at 1pm on the day of the performance.

A visitor walking past the rustic home of the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre

< Central Park

Central Park Zoo and Around

Wide pedestrian pathway lined with trees, on the Literary Walk, Central Park

The lovely, southernmost band of Central Park is also the busiest – full of attractions including the zoo, Wollman Rink, and the carousel, plus nature spots such as Sheep Meadow and the Literary Walk. Its open spaces are good for picnics but mostly devoid of shade, so they can get very hot on a sunny day. On the weekend, come here early morning to escape the crowds, and avoid major parade days, when the stretch along Fifth Avenue throngs with people. Roads are closed to cars outside rush hours, but watch out for cyclists and skaters.

1. Central Park Zoo

2. Trump Rink

3. Friedsam Memorial Carousel

4. Balto Statue and Literary Walk

Kids in the rain forest habitat, Central Park Zoo

1. Central Park Zoo

Torpedoing penguins and snow monkey babies

A golden weaver nesting

Operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society, Central Park Zoo is very popular with children. The city’s first zoo, it began as an informal menagerie of donated animals in the 1860s, and even after two makeovers (in 1934 and the mid-’80s), retains a kind of backyard intimacy. More than 100 species can be seen, grouped into three climatic zones – the Tropic Zone, the Temperate Territory, and the Polar Circle.

Star Attractions

1. Tropics House Spot huge tortoises, colorful birds, colobus monkeys, and tiny lion-headed tamarins inside this steamy tropical zone, teeming with African and South American flora and fauna.

2. Snow monkeys Native to Japan, they live on a rocky island herein large groups of 500. The average group size falls between 40 to 200. The zoo features a hot tub and pond as part of its snow monkey exhibit.

3. Snow leopards Occupying a rugged evergreen habitat that re-creates the environment of their Central Asian home, these cats are most active in the early morning and late afternoon.

4. Polar bears Watch this endangered Arctic giant sunbathe on the rocks, play with balls and giant tubes, or do flipturns under the water, pushing off from the glass viewing screen.

5. Penguins The Polar Circle exhibit is home to four penguin species: gentoo, chinstrap, and king. See these Antarctic birds being hand-fed fish or torpedoing through the water gracefully.

6. Central Garden and Sea Lion Pool Watch California sea lions swim elegantly in their glass-enclosed habitat. Do not miss feeding time, when they show off their diving and other fish-earning skills.

7. Tisch Children’s Zoo Part of Central Park Zoo, the tiny pond here is bursting with turtles, koi, and ducks. In the eastern part of the zoo, kids get to pet and feed the friendly sheep and llamas.

Left Central Garden and Sea Lion Pool Middle Tisch Children’s Zoo Right Snow monkeys

Kids’ Corner

Find out more…

1. Polar bears and penguins live on opposite sides of the Earth, yet their environments are very similar. How can this be?
2. The zoo has harbor seals and California sea lions, both of which are found in the oceans of the Northern Hemisphere. Which of the two animals is being described below:

   a They grow to be about 7 ft (1.85 m) long.

   b They’ve got thick brown fur.

   c They’re found only in the waters of the Pacific along the west coast of North America.

   d They have small ear canals behind their eyes.

Diving enthusiasts

Gentoo penguins dive up to 400 times a day to forage for crustaceans, krill, squid, and small fish.

Under cover

Polar bears have yellowish-white fur – which helps them hunt for seals in camouflage against the snowy ice floes – but their skin is actually black, enabling them to absorb as much of the sun’s heat as possible during the day.

Winter wear

Because of their high-altitude habitat, snow leopards are the furriest of all big cats. The thick padding on the bottom of their paws insulates them from the cold, like snow boots.

2. Trump Rink

Skating, rides, and games

Trump Rink in winter, with the Central Park South skyline beyond the trees

During the late fall and in winter, Trump Rink is the city’s best place to skate. It is larger, not as crowded, and less expensive than the rink at Rockefeller Center. Trump Rink’s mix of pastoral and urban appeal makes a nice change from the city’s other rinks and the views of the skyscrapers on Central Park South are unbeatable.

Starting on Memorial Day, the last weekend in May, the spot transforms into an amusement park, Victorian Gardens, with rides, a giant slide, game booths, and live entertainment including clowns and magicians. The rides are tame compared with those at Coney Island – there are no roller coasters or Ferris wheels – but kids up to about age 12 will enjoy the speed rush and the challenge of traditional games such as Whac-A-Mole, which involves pounding as many (fake) moles as possible in the shortest time.

Kids’ Corner

Find out more…

Spot the stone cottage just north of Wollman Rink, painted in orange, yellow, and red. What is it called? (Hint: its name comes from its original purpose – to serve fresh milk).

3. Friedsam Memorial Carousel

Speed, music, and noisy fun

Riding hand-carved, colorful horses on the Friedsam Memorial Carousel

Among the biggest child magnets in the park, this lovely carousel is loud and seriously fast as carousels go, and is also one of the largest in the US. Crafted in 1908, in a Brooklyn carousel workshop, it did not find its way to the park till 1950, when its predecessor burned down. Nearly 50 ft (15 m) in diameter, the spinning wonder sports 58 horses and two chariots, all hand-carved and hand-painted by artists Sol Stein and Harry Goldstein. Some of the horses go up and down during the ride, while others are stationary, so choose carefully. Upbeat pop tunes played by an organ lend this horseback-riding adventure an old-time thrill.

Kids’ Corner

Find out more…

The Friedsam Memorial Carousel was found in an abandoned trolley station in Coney Island in 1940. Why was it taken to Central Park in 1950?

4. Balto Statue and Literary Walk

Tributes to a heroic husky, poets, and writers

Posing with the statue of Balto, Central Park

Just northwest of Central Park Zoo, up a small hill, is a statue of Balto, a Siberian husky. In January 1925 he completed the final leg of a heroic journey to transport medicine in blizzard conditions to Nome, Alaska. A deadly diphtheria outbreak had begun several weeks earlier, and a relay of dogsled teams was thought to be the quickest and most reliable means of getting the serum to the remote town. Of course, it was not just Balto who pulled off the amazing feat, but as he was the lead dog of the pack that delivered the medicine to its final destination, he and his Norwegian driver, Gunnar Kaasen, received the most attention. When Frederick Roth’s statue of Balto was unveiled in the park in December 1925, both Balto and Kaasen were present for the honor. A path from Balto leads through a tunnel beneath Park Drive East, and emerges onto the north-south Mall, the park’s wide pedestrian promenade. The southern end of the tranquil pathway, known as the Literary Walk, is flanked by four rows of regal American elms and a number of statues commemorating poets, writers, and also, somewhat oddly, Christopher Columbus. The extraordinary trees are one of the largest and last remaining stands of the species in North America.

Follow the pathway north to the Central Park Bandshell for a look at statues of composers Ludwig van Beethoven and Victor Herbert, plus The Indian Hunter by John Quincy Adams Ward, and Christopher Fratin’s Eagles and Prey.

Kids’ Corner

Find out more…

The amazing trees that grow along Central Park’s Mall are American elm trees. Some were planted when the park was laid out in the 1860s. Around what age are these trees now?

Floral tribute

At the southern end of The Mall is a memorial to Frederick Law Olmsted – co-designer of the park. The Olmsted Flower Bed is planted with pansies and is surrounded by American elms.

Dog rivalry

Balto’s owner, Leonhard Seppala, was also part of the relay team that delivered the serum. Seppala became enraged by all the attention Balto garnered, believing that he and his lead dog, Togo, deserved the fame. He felt that their leg of the journey was longer and more harrowing. In fact, about 150 dogs and 20 mushers traveled 674 miles (1,085 km) in about five and half days to deliver the life-saving serum.

< Central Park

Bethesda Terrace and Around

Visitors relaxing around Bethesda Fountain

The centerpiece of Central Park is the grand open-air plaza by Central Park Lake, showcasing Bethesda Fountain. Whether descending the sweeping staircase from the 72nd Street Transverse Road or entering the plaza via the arcaded tunnel from the Bandshell, the view is magnificent. Lying equidistant between Fifth Avenue and Central Park West, the terrace is easily accessible from either side of the park. The roads are closed to traffic on weekends, and on weekdays from 10am–3pm and 7pm–7am.

1. Bethesda Terrace

2. The Ramble

3. Conservatory Water

4. Alice in Wonderland and Hans Christian Andersen Statues

Part of Central Park Lake, as seen from Bow Bridge

1. Bethesda Terrace

Splashing angel and boats to row

Colorful mosaic on the ceiling of Bethesda Arcade

An architectural masterpiece, Bethesda Terrace is also a popular meeting place, full of life. In the center of the plaza is a stunning sculpture of a winged angel atop a grand fountain. Its name is the Angel of the Waters, although New Yorkers simply call it Bethesda Fountain. Sweeping views of the lake, across Bow Bridge to the woods on the other side lend this area an almost magical quality.

Key Features

1. Central Park Lake Created from swampland and excavated by manual labor, this lake was designed to look natural, and is great to explore by boat.

2. Bethesda Arcade Decorated in Moorish style with an ornate tiled ceiling, this covered passageway, which runs under the 72nd Street Transverse Road, connects the lower terrace with the Mall.

3. Lower terrace The plaza on the lower terrace is paved with Roman-style bricks in a herringbone pattern.

4. Upper terrace Flanking the 72nd Street Transverse, this terrace offers fine vistas of the plaza and the fountain below.

5. Angel of the Waters The fountain’s striking angel was unveiled in 1873. The pool is populated with papyrus, water lilies, and lotus in summer.

6. Loeb Boathouse dock Just behind the Boathouse is a long wooden dock filled with rowboats for rent.

7. Bow Bridge The majestic cast-iron bridge over Central Park Lake, co-designed by Jacob Wrey Mould and Calvert Vaux, was completed in 1862. It connects Cherry Hill on one side with the woodlands known as The Ramble on the other.

Left Angel of the Waters fountain Middle Bethesda Arcade Right Bow Bridge

Kids’ Corner

Find out more…

1. The lake by Bethesda Fountain was created to give New Yorkers a chance to row in summer and skate in winter. Which activity is no longer allowed?
2. Moorish architecture has its origins in North Africa, but some of the style’s finest examples are found in Spain. It is known for arches and tile mosaics. Which section of Bethesda Terrace has a Moorish design?
3. Central Park is strewn with all kinds of sculptures and statues. Which was the first one to be built?

Fountain figure

The Angel of the Waters holds a lily in her hand, which symbolizes purity – a reference to the clean water brought to the city by the 1842 completion of the Croton Aqueduct. The fountain was built to celebrate the event.

Bow-led over!

Park commissioners originally wanted a suspension bridge with towers and cables – like Brooklyn Bridge – built across Central Park Lake. Eventually Calvert Vaux got his way, and was allowed to build Bow Bridge instead.

2. The Ramble

Urban trails in wild woods

Taking a stroll through the tree-shaded Ramble, Central Park

On the northern side of Central Park Lake, across the elegant Bow Bridge, a whole new world awaits – a huge patch of wilderness called The Ramble. It is filled with towering trees, a tangle of hiking trails, rocky cliffs, and quiet glades that look like something out of Bambi. However wild these woods are today, they were actually planted when the park was built. It was a carefully thoughtout element of Olmsted’s vision and one of the first to take shape. It is a great spot to wander in, but should be avoided after dark. Hikers should bring along water and snacks. Thanks to the nearby lake, the secluded 38-acre (15-ha) area is practically a bird sanctuary, especially near the water. About 250 species live or fish here, including herons and egrets. Many of them are migratory birds stopping on their way north for the summer or south for the winter. Among the best parts of The Ramble are a stream known as the Gill, which flows along it until it reaches the lake, the Point – a piece of land in the shape of a raven’s beak protruding into the lake – and Azalea Pond, right in the middle of The Ramble. Keep a lookout for flowering azaleas and countless songbirds here in spring.

Kids’ Corner

Find out more…

The Ramble is particularly attractive to migratory birds. Can you guess why this area is so perfect for these birds?

Rocky walkway

The 5-ft (2-m) wide Ramble Arch is Central Park’s narrowest, and most beautiful, bridge – it nestles in a cleft between two rocky outcrops.

3. Conservatory Water

Model boats and a miniature lake

A family sailing model boats on Conservatory Water

Among the most memorable scenes in E. B. White’s classic children’s book Stuart Little comes when the adventurous mouse volunteers to sail a toy boat called the Wasp in a sailboat race. The setting for this scene was based on the oval pond known as Conservatory Water, sometimes called the Boat Basin, originally modeled on a similar pond in Paris’s Jardin du Luxembourg. In warmer months it becomes a mini raceway for model boats, big and small, most of which are radio-controlled by people on the waterside.

Despite the number of regulars at the pond’s edges, it is not a club, and visitors can rent remote-controlled boats on the weekend. They take a bit of getting used to, but are lots of fun. Many aficionados store mini-boats in the boathouse, and take them out for the weekly race.

Kids’ Corner

Find out more…

One of the two statues honoring writers around Conservatory Water is inscribed with a nonsensical poem called Jabberwocky. Do you know the name of the author who wrote it?

4. Alice in Wonderland and Hans Christian Andersen Statues

Climbing and storytelling

Bronze statue of Hans Christian Andersen and the Ugly Duckling

On the northern edge of Conservatory Water is a brass sculpture of Lewis Carroll’s beloved Alice in Wonderland foursome: the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter and, of course, Alice. Philanthropist George Delacorte Jr. came up with the idea to honor his wife, who loved both kids and Carroll’s work. He hired Spanish-American artist José de Creeft to create it. De Creeft modeled the characters after the illustrations in the first edition of Carroll’s book, and completed the sculpture in 1959. Its polished, gleaming surface is the result of all the little hands and bodies that have made their way up the statue over the years. It is proof that Delacorte’s wish came true, as the statue, a gift to the children of the city, was built to be climbed.

Just opposite the boathouse, on the other side of the pond, is another kids’ classic: a sculpture of master storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, who wrote unforgettable tales such as The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid, and The Princess and the Pea. The work of sculptor Georg Lober, the statue was commissioned to celebrate the Dane’s 150th birthday. Ever since it was unveiled in 1954, it has hosted a children’s story hour.

Kids’ Corner

Find out more…

What is the name of the story Hans Christian Andersen’s statue is reading?

Lost and found

In 1973, the little “ugly duckling” that sits at the foot of the Hans Christian Andersen statue was stolen. A resident of a Fifth Avenue apartment overlooking the statue offered to replace it, at a likely cost of $75,000, but before that could happen the bronze cygnet was found near a scrapyard close to Shea Stadium, in Queens.

< Central Park

Belvedere Castle and Around

Visitors outside Belvedere Castle, Central Park

Mid-Central Park offers broad swathes of nature, such as Turtle Pond and the Great Lawn, and even a teeming wildlife habitat: the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. There are plenty of kid-centric attractions here as well. Belvedere Castle houses the Henry Luce Nature Observatory, where kids can borrow nature kits and take in some of the park’s most striking views, while the Swedish Marionette Theater hosts children’s productions year-round. Bringing along water and snacks is not essential, but they may come in handy for all the outdoor exploring that’s in store here.

1. Belvedere Castle

2. Swedish Cottage

3. Shakespeare Garden

4. Great Lawn and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir

Jogging track around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir

1. Belvedere Castle

Landmark lookout

Exploring Turtle Pond

The most majestic of Calvert Vaux’s architectural creations, Belvedere Castle was completed in 1869. Erected on the second-highest point in the park, it could originally be seen rising from the distant woods when viewed from Bethesda Fountain. The Ramble’s trees have now grown so tall that the castle is no longer visible from there, but it retains its fairy-tale charm and provides stunning vistas from its viewing platforms.

Key Features

1. Observation deck Providing gorgeous views of the park, this open-air platform is one of the best places to watch the fall migration of birds of prey, between September and November.

2. Wooden pavilion

3. Turtle Pond

4. Vista Rock

5. Papier-mâché birds On the second floor of the Henry Luce Nature Observatory is a collection of papier-mâché bird models showcasing all the bird species found in the park.

6. Weather video For decades, the Central Park weather station was based inside the castle. Today, a video on the second floor relays up-to-date weather data gathered by a new, automated contraption nearby.

7. Facade The castle was built in Victorian Gothic style from a stone known as Manhattan schist, which also makes up Vista Rock, on which the castle sits. The light-colored stone trim is granite.

Left Vista Rock Right Turtle Pond

Kids’ Corner

Look out for…

1. Look above the doors leading into the castle and see if you can spy the cockatrice, a legendary creature that looks like a dragon. How is it different from other dragons?
2. To make Turtle Pond look like a natural lake, it was designed to curve so that you can’t see the whole lakeshore in one go – except from one point. Can you guess where?
3. The castle seems almost to grow out of the rock it sits on. Why is this so?

Feathery fact

As many as 10,000 birds of prey, representing 15 different species, fly over Central Park each fall as they head south for the winter. Birders tallied thousands of broad-winged hawks, kestrels, ospreys, and bald eagles on a single September day as part of an organized hawk watch.

Spy on wildlife

On the side of Turtle Pond nearest to the Delacorte Theater is an unobtrusive spot where people can watch wildlife without being seen. Spot red-eared sliders, the most common of the pond’s five turtle species.

2. Swedish Cottage

Marionette magic

The fanciful facade of the Swedish Cottage, built in 1876

The rustic, dark wooden house with Swedish and American flags flying on top really is Swedish – or perhaps Swedish-American is more accurate. The structure was built in Sweden from Baltic fir as a schoolhouse prototype. It was shipped over to the US to showcase Sweden’s best indigenous architecture in the Centennial Exposition, held in Philadelphia in 1876 to celebrate the centenary of the United States. When Frederick Law Olmsted caught sight of it in Philadelphia, he envisioned a permanent home for it in Central Park, and paid $1,500 to have it transported there after the show. It has served many functions since arriving here – as a tool shed, a cafeteria, and a center for the study of insects – before taking on its most distinguished role of all. In 1947, it became a children’s marionette theater, home to a troupe that travels throughout the city to perform for schoolkids. The super-creative troupe is one of the few marionette companies left in the country that builds its own puppets and writes and produces its own shows. Most are fairy tales, which are a perfect fit for this little house in the woods.

Kids’ Corner

Find out more…

The Swedish Cottage was built with children in mind, but not as a theater. What type of building was it supposed to be?

3. Shakespeare Garden

Green poetry

Shady trees and seasonal plantings in the Shakespeare Garden

The Bard made ample mention of all kinds of plants, herbs, and flowers in his poetry and plays, and like other such plots around the world, this 4-acre (2-ha) Shakespeare Garden is a tranquil oasis planted with some of them. The greenery in the seasonal beds – bulbs in the spring, annuals in the summer – varies from year to year. However, one section, known as the Red Riding Hood bed, remains the same because it blooms with tulips of that name. Other plants referenced by Shakespeare that can be found here include garlic and onion, rosemary and thyme, potatoes, lavender, rhubarb, and camomile. Bronze plaques throughout mark noteworthy plantings, and inviting benches line the paths. One vegetable, the fragrant fennel mentioned in Hamlet, is a magnet for swallowtail butterflies.

Kids’ Corner

Find out more…

One reason the gardeners in the Shakespeare Garden plant fennel is to attract a particular insect that finds it delicious. What creature is it?

4. Great Lawn and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir

Obelisks and opera

Green expanses and a couple of baseball diamonds, Great Lawn

If the Great Lawn seems curiously symmetrical, it is because this was originally the site of the Lower Reservoir, one of the city’s main sources of water. When the Croton Aqueduct was established outside the city in 1842, the Lower Reservoir was no longer needed. In 1930 it was drained, filled in, and finally planted with grass in 1936. Today, the lawn is used in many ways, ranging from picnicking and sunbathing to use as an outdoor venue for summer concerts by the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic. On the east side of the lawn is Cleopatra’s Needle, the nickname for a 71-ft (22-m) tall Egyptian obelisk, made from a single shaft of red granite believed to have been cut in 1450 BC.

North of the 86th Street Transverse is another reservoir, which has not been emptied. City planners decommissioned the huge artificial lake in 1993, and in 1994 renamed it the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir after the former First Lady. The 2-mile (3-km) long path around the lake, a popular loop for joggers, is lovely and provides some truly unique views of the city. The lake also teems with birds such as wood ducks, loons, cormorants, egrets, and herons.

Kids’ Corner

Find out more…

Which monument was brought from the Egyptian city of Alexandria to the US by steamship in 1880?

Heave ho!

It took a team of 32 horses to transport the Obelisk, which weighs 218 tons (198 tonnes), from the Hudson River to its destination in Central Park.

Hieroglyphic writing

The top of the obelisk has three falcons, which are representations of the Egyptian god Horus. The hieroglyphs on each side of the ancient column begin by praising him.

Written in stone

The Obelisk in Central Park is one of a pair that originally stood in Alexandria in Egypt, where they were raised in 12 BC to decorate a temple built by Cleopatra to honor Mark Antony. They were toppled shortly thereafter, and lay buried for centuries, which is how their hieroglyphs remained intact.