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Central Park

Central Park is a large urban park in Manhattan, New York City, located between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Central Park is a large urban park in Manhattan, New York City, located between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side. It was the first landscaped public park in the United States and is one of the most visited urban parks in the country.

History

Central Park was created in the late 1850s to provide recreational space for New York City's growing population. Its development and design helped establish a model for later urban parks in the United States.

Design and geography

The park is a long, narrow landscape in central Manhattan, bordered by major avenues and streets. Its layout includes lawns, wooded areas, lakes, and formal and informal recreational spaces.

Management and preservation

The park is owned by the City of New York and managed through a public-private arrangement with the Central Park Conservancy. Its landmark status reflects its historical and architectural significance.

Cultural significance

Central Park is one of the best-known parks in the world and has been widely featured in film and television. It is also regarded as an important example of landscape architecture.

Key facts

  • Central Park is a rectangular park in central Manhattan, extending roughly from 59th Street to 110th Street and from Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue.
  • It is widely described as the first landscaped public park in the United States.
  • The park covers 843 acres, making it one of New York City's largest parks.
  • It is among the most visited urban parks in the United States, with about 42 million annual visits reported for 2016.
  • Central Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.
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Canadian context

Central Park is a globally recognized model of urban park design, and its landscape-architecture influence is relevant to park planning and public-space design in Canadian cities.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Central Park located?
Central Park is in Manhattan, New York City, between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side.
How big is Central Park?
It covers 843 acres, or 341 hectares.
Who designed Central Park?
Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed the park.
Why is Central Park historically important?
It was the first landscaped public park in the United States and later received landmark designations.
Who manages Central Park today?
The park is owned by New York City and has been managed by the Central Park Conservancy since 1998 under contract with the city.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park
    Supports: Location, size, visitation, ownership, management, landmark designations
  2. Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/place/Central-Park-New-York-City
    Supports: Location, area, significance as an early landscaped park
  3. Central Park Conservancy — https://www.centralparknyc.org/park-history
    Supports: History, designers, visitor numbers, landmark designations, public purpose
  4. World Monuments Fund — https://www.wmf.org/monuments/central-park
    Supports: Historic significance, designers, influence on urban park movement
  5. CentralPark.com — https://www.centralpark.com/visitor-info/park-history/overview/
    Supports: First landscaped public park in the United States