Central Park North End

The Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, which opened in 1993, was the first building in the Park's history to be built as a visitor center. Environmental education and activities are offered, as well as community programs, seasonal exhibits, ... Read more

The Park's co-designers, Olmsted and Vaux, called this man-made water body "the Meer" (a Dutch word meaning "lake"), in recognition of the former swampland that was a part of Harlem, the 17th-century community established in this area by Ne... Read more

The majestic trees of North America were a source of great national pride in the 19th century and many of the entries for the 1858 design competition suggested that an arboretum be included in the Park. Olmsted and Vaux envisioned their arb... Read more

During the War of 1812 New Yorkers assumed that the British would attack from the southern tip of Manhattan Island, and they built forts in that area accordingly. But in fact the British stormed Long Island Sound at Stonington, Connecticut ... Read more