For Trip Planners New York visitors rely on, Central Park offers an essential collection of landmarks that capture the history, culture, and cinematic legacy of Manhattan. From the dramatic perch of Belvedere Castle atop Vista Rock to the tranquil paths of Strawberry Fields, the architectural grandeur of Bethesda Terrace, the timeless appeal of Tavern on the Green, and the nostalgic charm of the Central Park Carousel, these iconic locations showcase why Central Park remains one of New York City’s most unforgettable destinations.
Manhattan
Central Park
Belvedere castle
One of the most iconic features in New York, this miniature castle is located atop the huge rock outcrop known as Vista Rock, the second highest natural point in Central Park.
Designed by Central Park co-designer Calvert Vaux and architect Jacob Wrey Mould, the structure and adjacent terraces and pavilions were all called “the Belvedere,” which means “beautiful view” in Italian. The entire complex, completed in 1872, was designed as a place from which to enjoy views of the surrounding landscape; the building originally had no windows or doors, as it was intended as an open-air lookout tower.
Constructed out of Manhattan schist, the building was also designed as a focal point in the landscape, drawing visitors to it. It appears as if it emerges from the dramatic Vista Rock on which it is perched.
Like many of the Park structures, the use and purpose of the Belvedere Castle changed over time. In 1919 the U.S. Weather Bureau converted the building into a weather station, adding windows and doors, and creating offices inside the structure. When they moved out of the building in the 1960s, it fell into disrepair and became a target of vandalism.
In 1983 the Central Park Conservancy renovated the building and reopened it as a visitor center, once again drawing attention to this exceptional building.
In 2019, we completed a comprehensive project to restore and modernize the building and terraces.
Temperature, wind, and rainfall are still measured at the Belvedere, though primarily now from equipment housed in a fenced-in area just to the south of the building.
Famous Movies
Elf
Home alone 2
Strawberry Fields
Strawberry Fields is a memorial to the British rock musician and peace activist John Lennon (1940–1980). The memorial consists of a five-acre landscape near the West 72nd Street entrance and includes the Imagine mosaic, where many come to pay tribute to Lennon. The memorial’s name is a reference to the 1967 song Lennon wrote and performed with the Beatles, “Strawberry Fields Forever.”
Plans for a memorial to John Lennon began to take shape soon after his death. It began with the City’s decision to name the area of Central Park across from the Dakota building where he and his wife, Yoko Ono, lived and where he loved to walk, Strawberry Fields. Ono then began to conceive of a memorial in this landscape and invited countries from all over the world to contribute plants as well as stones to create an international garden of peace.
Sought to integrate the design of the memorial into the Park’s overall landscape, connecting it to the purpose of the Park as a place to find peace and respite. The design of Strawberry Fields incorporates a couple of small meadows lined with trees and shrubs and a path that winds through a small, wooded area. While focusing on the landscape, the design also includes a more formal design element, a mosaic installed into the pavement with the word Imagine in the center, donated by the city of Naples, Italy. Surrounded by benches, the area provides a focal point and gathering space for the many visitors that come to pay homage to Lennon. A plaque inset into a rock outcrop acknowledges the countries that made contributions.
Strawberry Fields was officially dedicated on October 9, 1985, the 45th anniversary of Lennon’s birth. When it opened, Strawberry Fields provided a rare alternative to traditional memorials, in the form of a living landscape that changes and grows over time.
Strawberry Fields is one of several memorials to musicians in the Park. Others include Duke Ellington, Victor Herbert, and Beethoven.
Bethesda terrace
One of the most iconic and well-known features in Central Park is Bethesda Terrace, a large plaza consisting of two levels as well as an Arcade and a Fountain.
Located in the heart of the Park, Bethesda Terrace is found at the north end of the long, tree-lined promenade known as the Mall and overlooks the Ramble and the Lake. The Terrace is a popular destination for relaxing, people-watching, and admiring the architecture and the scenery. At the center of the Terrace stands Bethesda Fountain, also known as Angel of the Waters, one of the Park’s most beloved works of art.
Bethesda Terrace was intended as a gathering space for Park visitors. It was also conceived of as the Park’s most prominent display of art and architecture and one of its few formal landscapes, providing a contrast to the more naturalistic design of the rest of the Park.
As with all other parts of the Terrace, this interior space is heavily ornamented. Its most notable feature is the ceiling composed of nearly 16,000 tiles, which come together to form 49 panels creating an elaborate geometric pattern. It is the only ceiling in the world featuring encaustic or inlaid tiles, which were more typically used as flooring. They were manufactured by the Minton tile company in Stoke-on-Trent in England.
Over the decades, various factors, including the extraordinary weight of the ceiling, led to its deterioration. In 1983, the Central Park Conservancy removed the tiles and safely stored them until it raised the $7 million required to complete their restoration. Beginning in 2002, the Conservancy worked to clean, repair, and repaint the tiles, and in some cases replaced heavily damaged tiles with new ones manufactured by the Minton tile company. The project also involved new waterproofing, steel supports, and lighting. The work was completed in 2007.
Famous films
The Avengers – At the end of the film Thor takes Loki and the Tesseract back to Asgard and the rest of the Avengers team goes their separate ways.
Enchanted Giselle’s song ends in front of Bethesda fountain.
Stuart Little 2 -In the 2002 movie Stuart Little 2, the scene where Falcon and Stuart are in a high-speed air chase.
Home Alone 2: Lost In New York -When Kevin flees the wet bandits’ kidnapping outside The Plaza, he runs to Bethesda Terrace in Central Park.
Mr. Deeds -Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder ride bikes to Central Park on a date and stop at Bethesda fountain.
Tavern on the green
Tavern on the Green, the restaurant located in the historic building once known as the Sheepfold, has been a destination for fine dining in Central Park since the 1930s.
The Sheepfold was constructed in 1870 to house the flock of sheep that grazed the Sheep Meadow, along with its shepherd. The building was designed by architect Jacob Wrey Mould, who also had a hand in designing Belvedere Castle, Bethesda Terrace, and the Ladies Pavilion.
When the sheep were relocated in 1934, the Parks Department converted the building into a restaurant, which became immediately popular. After a series of renovations, expansions, and changes in management, it became a glamourous destination for upscale dining and events in the 1970s.
The restaurant underwent a years-long renovation during which some of its many additions were removed to expose more of the original structure and provide more variety of dining options. Tavern on the Green reopened in 2014.
Reinforcing its iconic status and cinematic style, Tavern on the Green has been prominently featured or mentioned in numerous films over the years including:
Arthur (1981) Ghostbusters (1984)
Wall Street (1987) Arthur 2 (1988)
Beaches (1988) Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011)
Central Park Carousel
The Central Park Carousel, officially the Michael Friedsam Memorial Carousel, is a vintage wood-carved carousel located in Central Park in Manhattan, New York City, at the southern end of the park, near East 65th Street. It is the fourth carousel on the site where it is located.
The original 1871 carousel was powered by a mule or horse under its platform, signaled to start and stop by the operator tapping his foot. The two succeeding versions were destroyed by fires in 1924 and 1950. The current carousel is the fourth on the site, and is part of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission‘s “scenic landmark” designation for Central Park. The carousel was made by Solomon Stein and Harry Goldstein in 1908. It was originally installed in a trolley terminal in Coney Island, Brooklyn, where it operated until the 1940s. It was relocated to Central Park in 1951 with a new structure surrounding it. The carousel was renovated in 1982 by the Central Park Conservancy from a donation from Alan and Katherine Stroock, with the surrounding landscape restored in 1991.
In 2010, the city evicted the previous tenant who managed the Carousel. The Trump Organization, a prominent New York City conglomerate owned by Donald Trump that also operated the nearby Wollman Rink, was selected as the new tenant. In return for a lease until 2020, Trump promised to invest $400,000 in renovations over ten years and pay a yearly lease that started at $250,000 and scaled up to $325,000. In statements released as part of the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign, the Carousel grossed $1.72 million between 2013 and the end of 2015. Central Amusement International, operator of Victorian Gardens and Luna Park, received a five-year franchise to operate the carousel in July 2021 and began operations there on October 16 that year.
The current carousel is one of the largest merry-go-rounds in the United States. It has 57 hand-carved horses — 52 jumpers and 5 standers — and two chariots. The carousel is open seven days a week when weather permits and serves around 250,000 riders every year. The carousel has a 52-keyless A. Ruth & Sohn Model 33 Band Organ playing waltzes, marches, and polkas. The organ was originally converted to play Wurlitzer 150 rolls, up until August 2013 when a MIDI-controlled interface replaced the roll system, though it still played in the same arrangement scale.
The carousel that burned down in 1950 was notably mentioned in J. D. Salinger‘s novel The Catcher in the Rye. It had the traditional feature of a brass ring for the rider to grab, used by Salinger in the story. The ring feature was not replaced when the current carousel was built. This one is featured in the Marvel TV series The Punisher (though filming took place at the Forest Park Carousel in Queens).
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