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Family Tour Guide Page 1
Welcome to the Central Park Family Walking Tour Guide. Here you will find a list of all the stops along the way on your tour as well as links to more information about the attractions. Enjoy your tour!
1. Artist's Gate
There are twenty gates into Central Park, and all of them have colorful names such as Stranger's Gate, Explorer's Gate, Hunter's Gate and here Artist's Gate at the head of the Avenue of the Americas and Central Park South.
2. Hallett Nature Sanctuary
This four acre plot of land is bounded on three sides by the Pond and is only yards away from the bustle of Central Park South and the Plaza Hotel some fifty feet above. The Sanctuary plays host to an amazing array of migratory birds that stop by for a visit on their way either north or south, as well as many year round residents such as bluejays and woodpeckers, raccoons and rabbits.
3. The Pond
Located at the southeast corner of the park, near the entrance at Grand Army Plaza, the Pond provides immediate relief from the hustle and bustle of the city just outside. This is due to a veritable wall of trees and shrubs, as well as the inspired landscaping of Olmsted and Vaux, which placed the pond well below street level. This entrance was originally designed to handle most of the traffic into the park, and continues to do so until this day.
4. Gapstow Bridge
This is the second version of this bridge to stretch over the tranquil waters. The first was designed by Jacob Wrey Mould and was replaced in 1896 by the present, simpler, stone bridge. This is one of the most picturesque scenes in the park and is always a great photo opportunity, no matter what the season.
5. Inscope Arch
Inscope Arch was built in 1873 and is a beautiful example of a Tuscan Arch - the top of the arch makes an oval pattern and the bottom a round one. Three new bridges were built that year to relieve traffic at this corner of the park: the original Gapstow Bridge, Outset Arch, over the bridle path, and Inscope Arch, the only original one of the three that still remains.
6. The Zoo
Here, just a few yards from 5th Avenue you'll find over 130 different species ranging from giant Polar Bears to the Brazilian black tarantula. A walk around the Zoo's five plus acres will take you through a variety of habitats, all carefully designed to recreate the natural environment of the animals they house.
7. The Arsenal
Originally designed to resemble a medieval castle, The Arsenal, located at 64th St. and Fifth Ave. is the second oldest building in Central Park, (the oldest being the Block House constructed in 1812 and tucked away in the northern reaches of the park). It was built between 1847 and 1851 and was originally designed by Architect Martin E. Thompson as a munitions depot for New York State's National Guard.
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