By Bridget Everett
Central Park is the largest public park in
New York City, bringing in millions of tourists and New York natives every year. In 1963, Central Park was named as a National Historic Landmark.
History
In the mid-1850s, Central Park was nothing but a 700-acre swampland filled with rocky outcroppings. The city of Manhattan hired roughly 1,600 lower-class residents, including Irish pig farmers and German gardeners, to turn the swampland into a park. In 1959, after millions of dollars were spent and more than 20,000 workers were employed, Central Park officially opened.
Attractions
The Central Park Zoo and Wildlife Center and the Children's Zoo are two of the most-visited attractions throughout Central Park. SummerStage holds performing arts events during the summer and the Delacorte Theatre is home to the annual "Shakespeare in the Park" Festival.
Tea Party
Considered one of the park's most popular sculptures, the Alice in Wonderland statue was commissioned in 1959 and includes the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, Alice's Cat Dinah and the Dormouse.
Activities
Visitors to Central Park can enjoy one of the many paths for biking, running or walking. There is also a public swimming pool, carousel, two ice skating rinks, ballfields and many playgrounds and splash pads.
Size
There are 843 acres in Central Park and if you walked around the entire perimeter, you would cover six miles, according to centralpark.com.
About the Author:
Bridget Everett is a professional Web copywriter. She specializes in several niches including travel, education, parenting, business, marketing, health, crafts, fashion and home decorating. Everett has studied marketing, elementary education and journalism at Northeastern University, Fordham University and Middle Tennessee State University.
