Central Park Tours :: History, events and map

Central Park is one of the urban wonders of the world, a green oasis in the great concrete, high-rise landscape of New York City. It is so naturally part of the Manhattan environment that many people may not realize it is entirely man-made.

But what every Park visitor does know is that Central Park is a haven. It is a place where all of us can alter the frenetic rhythms that make New York the most exciting city in the world. We can sit on a bench and read the paper, toss a ball with friends, jog, cycle, or play with our children. Connections with Central Park run especially deep with New Yorkers. We tend to think of the Park as our own front yard.

In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux's "Greensward" plan was selected among the entries of a contest to determine the design for the city's new park. Built with 590 species of shrubs and 815 species of perennials and Alpine plants, an environmental mecca inspired by English romantic landscapes was situated within this metropolis. From its beginning, urbanites have flocked to the park, with over 4 million visitors making their way to the park in 1863, the same year that the final acres of park were procured, extending it to its current border at 110th Street. Today the park averages over 20 million visitors per year. Since its construction, Central Park has evolved from a place of pastoral grandeur to a combination of natural beauty, recreational facilities and outdoor arenas.