John B. Moore Bethesda Fountain

4. Bethesda Fountain

Bethesda Fountain rises high above

Bethesda Terrace

, looking over the hundreds of visitors that come every day to enjoy the view of the Lake and relax at the "heart" of Central Park. The sculpture that tops it, Angel of Waters, was designed by Emma Stebbins in 1873 and is one of the most recognizable icons in the entire park. Stebbins designed the statue to celebrate the new Croton Aqueduct which not only fed the fountain, but also supplied fresh water to a city that had long been plagued by infectious diseases caused by an unsafe water supply.
Bethesda Terrace has long been one of the most popular meeting spots in Central Park and is also the most popular film set in the park.  Films such as "Ransom", "Home Alone II", "One Fine Day" and "Godspell" have all utilized the beautifully designed architecture of the Terrace, along with the view of the Lake and Boathouse, as a backdrop for their cinematic efforts.
Bethesda Terrace is also home to a variety of park performers, the most famous of which is Thoth, the mystical violinist and the subject of an eponymous Oscar winning short film by Sarah Kernochan.

John B. Moore The Carousel in Central Park.

3. The Carousel

Probably the most popular attraction with the pre-teen set is the historic Carousel.  As the park spins by and the calliope tootles it is easy to imagine yourself at a country fair miles outside the urban confines of New York City. The original park carousel opened in 1871 and was powered by a blind mule and a horse which walked a treadmill in an underground pit. It almost immediately became one of the park's most popular attractions and remains so to this day, with almost 250,000 riders a year. Originally the park commissioners had frowned upon commercial enterprises in the Park, but they eventually saw the popular attractions as valuable assets. They also recognized the not insignificant fees that the city earned on the carousel's operation as a welcome source of needed revenue.

John B. Moore Belvedere Castle

2. Belvedere Castle

Sitting high atop Vista Rock (the second highest natural elevation in the park) Belvedere Castle provides a panoramic view in almost every direction. It is also perhaps the most magical monument in Central Park, one that combines function, form and romance - all in one convenient, central location.

Designed originally in 1865 by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould as a Victorian “Folly” (fantasy building) that would provide an overlook to the scenic splendors around it. The views include the

Delacorte Theater

, home to the very popular

Shakespeare in the Park

series, the newly-restored, 55-acre

Great Lawn, once one of the Park's original reservoirs and, directly below, Turtle Pond.

Besides offering breathtaking views the Castle also serves as a weather station, in fact whenever you see a local news broadcast that gives the temperature in Central Park, the readings are taken at Belvedere Castle. It also serves as the Henry Luce Nature Observatory. Inside are collections of natural history artifacts (skeletons, papier mache birds) as well as microscopes and telescopes, all designed to give young visitors an insight into methodology of naturalists. Aspiring scientists can borrow field packs that contain binoculars, reference material, maps, and notepaper, which can all be used to explore the Ramble, or to study the aquatic life from the edge of Turtle Pond. And lastly the Castle is also the favorite haunt of many of Central Park's cadre of dedicated bird watchers, a great place to catch a glimpse of hawks, kestrels or osprey.