New York’s playground
Central Park, New York is a green oasis in the middle of the city. While there are so many things to do and see within Central Park, perhaps the best thing about it is the beautiful scenery. Like the sound of that? Our New York Bus Tours can drop you right in the heart of it.
The history of Central Park
In 1857, the City of New York decided that it wanted a great park like those in London and Paris – a place where people from all classes of society could meet and relax. So it organised a competition, which was won by architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. Their design, called 'the Greensward Plan', transformed a swamp into the amazing Central Park. It took 16 years and 20,000 workers to build, but by 1873, it was finished and proved to be worth all the time and effort.
Loads to enjoy at your leisure
Fancy being active? Soaking up some culture? Or happy to just sit and admire the view? You can do it all in Central Park. The 843-acre (341-hectare) area boasts green meadows, water features, gardens, classical architecture, a zoo, ice skating, fishing, an outdoor amphitheatre that hosts Shakespeare plays in the summer… you name it, Central Park’s got it. And our New York Bus Tour can take you to it.
Other interesting facts about Central Park
- Central Park includes 25,000 trees, 58 miles (93 kilometres) of walking paths, and 36 bridges and arches
- Over 3 million cubic yards of soil was shifted to create Central Park
- Central Park welcomes about 37.5 million visitors every year
- In 1997, Central Park held a record-breaking free concert for 980,000 people
- In 2002, scientists discovered a new species of centipede in Central Park
