Columbus Circle lies on the South West corner of Central Park in New York City across the Maine Monument. The circle is a small green space with seating and walkways in the midst of a major traffic hub.
The Columbus Monument that stands in the middle of Columbus Circle was erected to commemorate the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus. The dedication ceremony in 1892, of the monument was attended by dignitaries from Spain, Italy and America. The statue of Columbus, designed by Sicilian Sculptor, Gaetano Russo, was donated to the city by the Italian American community. The base of the statue is surrounded by fountains and an allegorical figure that is a tribute to the greatness of discovery. The monument is made of Carrara marble with two bronze bas reliefs portraying the journey of Columbus a bronze eagle and bronze ships prows and anchors decorating the marble column.
Columbus Circle was recently renovated during the 500th year celebrations in 1992. The park was made into a garden with flower beds and seating areas and visitors can now enjoy a walk or enjoy a picnic as the city traffic rushes by under the great explorer’s watchful eye.

The Central Park Zoo is a small zoological facility within Central Park. It was one of the first experiments in creating natural habitats for diverse animals in an urban setting. Though smaller in size than other zoos, it has a rich diversity of animals including some endangered species.
The Central Park Zoo started as a menagerie in 1860. At the time, it was the first zoo in New York City. It was enlarged in 1934 and new buildings were added. Major renovation was carried out in the 1980s and opened in 1988 with natural habitats replacing the original cages.
Today, there are three major exhibit spaces called the tropic, temperate and polar. There is an indoor rainforest that houses rare birds, a leafcutter ant colony, a frozen area for penguins and a pool for polar bears. The zoo has over 150 species from around the world including snow leopards, snow monkeys and red pandas. Children will enjoy a visit to the Tisch Children’s Zoo within the park. They can enjoy feeding animals like sheep, goats and Llamas and play with simulated animal eggs, shells and habitats.
Central Park Zoo is a small park that visitors can view within a period of 2 hours with animals and activities that will interest each member of the family.

This public ice rink is located in the southern part of Central Park. It hosts a range of skating activities especially for children and is a place where visitors and locals enjoy skating as a group activity in winter.
The Wollman Skating Rink was built using funds from a donation by Kate Wollman of Kansas. She was the sister of William J Wollman, the owner of a major stock exchange firm. It opened in 1949 and was used for ice skating from October to April. In summer, the rink became a venue for rock concerts sponsored by beer companies till 1980. Today, it contains the Victorian Amusement Park in summer. Major renovations were carried out by Donald Trump in 1986 and the rink was renamed as the Trump Wollman Skating Rink.
Between October and April, a range of activities are available at the rink. Visitors can enjoy skating, adults and children are given skating lessons, ice hockey classes are available and parties for 20 to 2000 guests are arranged. The rink only accepts cash for admission fees and there are strict rules to ensure that skating is a pleasant experience for all. Skate and lock rentals are also provided for the convenience of visitors.

Sheep Meadow is a grassy space within Central Park used as a picnic spot or a place where one can relax in full view of the towering skyscrapers of the city. It is also a beautiful place in an urban setting where one can see the seasons change from spring through fall.
Sheep Meadow has an expanse of 15 acres and was the scene of demonstrations and political movements in the past. It was landscaped by designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux and became part of the park in 1864. At first, the public were not allowed to walk in the meadow and sheep were allowed to graze for the purpose of trimming and fertilizing the grass. In 1934, the sheep were removed for fear that hungry humans during the Great Depression may use them as food. The Sheepfold became the, ‘Tavern on the Green,’ restaurant. Later the meadow became the venue for large scale protests, rock concerts and hippie gatherings.
Visitors can enjoy a picnic in Sheep Meadow because it is now fenced and protected from unwanted use. Pets, glass bottles and playing games are not allowed making it a safe place to enjoy a day out with family.

Dedicated to the memory of poet, musician John Lennon, the lead singer songwriter of the immortal rock band, the Beatles, Strawberry Fields is a landscaped section of Central Park where fans can pay their tributes to his departed soul. His widow, Yoko Ono, gave a donation to the park for the creation and upkeep of the memorial.
John Lennon lived in New York City and frequented Central Park during his lifetime. The name of the location is inspired by the title of one of his songs. The entrance to the park is opposite Dakota apartments, Lennon’s residence and the site of his murder. The prominent feature is a mosaic pathway made of inlaid stone, gifted by the city of Naples and inscribed with the title of one of his famous songs, ‘Imagine’. The landscape was designed by Bruce Kelly of the Central Park Conservancy. Strawberry Fields was dedicated in 1985 on the 45th birth anniversary of John Lennon.
Today, it is a quiet zone where fans of Lennon pay homage. Many decorate the mosaic with flowers and candles in his memory. Memorial gathering for other musicians and others like the victims of the September 11th attacks are also held at Strawberry Fields. On Lennon’s birthday and death anniversary, fans gather to sing songs in his memory late into the night.

The Bethesda Terrace is a magnificent split level platform that connects the Mall of Central Park with the lake. One can view the lake and the wooded area around it from the upper terrace while the lower level has a large fountain and access to the lake.

The Bethesda Terrace is made of New Brunswick sandstone combining Romanesque, Gothic and classical architectural styles. Two ornate staircases on either side connect the lower level to the higher level of the terrace. At the center of the fountain is a sculpture of a winged angel landing on top of the pedestal. The figure was sculpted by Emma Stebbins in 1868. She was the first woman to be asked to make a public work of art in New York City. The base was designed by Calvert Vaux and sculptor Jacob Wrey Mould. At the end of the 60s, the venue became a luncheon restaurant and later fell to disrepair.
The Central Park Conservancy campaigned and restored the fountain and Bethesda terrace in 1980 and 1981 and the gardens re-laid with native shrubs, flower filled Grecian stone pots and flowerbeds. Visitors can sit on stone benches in the lower level to watch boats on the lake and to get a glimpse of the high rise buildings beyond. On a clear day, musicians and dancers entertain audiences with their diverse performances around the fountain.

A unique feature in Central Park is this wooded area called the Ramble along the banks of an artificial lake. The Ramble provides a natural landscape as compared to the more formal lakefront edifice, the Bethesda Terrace.
The man made Ramble and Lake formed part of the plan of Central Park by landscape architects, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1858. The Ramble has an extent of 38 acres of wilderness spanning the length of the lakeshore. It runs unevenly through carefully planted Native American and exotic trees, shrubs, streams, bridges, rocky cliffs and meadows giving the appearance of a naturally forested zone. Over the years the ramble has become the home of 250 species of birds including 20 species of warblers and red tailed hawks. One can also see other woodland creatures like raccoons during a stroll through the ramble.
The ramble runs along a 22 acre lake for boating in summer and ice skating in winter. It is also the home of birds like ducks, swans and herons. It was excavated from a swamp where drainage ditches met a tributary of the Hudson. The outlet was dammed and the water used to feed the lake. The lake is 7 feet deep and has terraced shorelines so that visitors can skate safely during winter. In summer, row boats are rented at the lakeshore.

Belvedere Castle is an ornate building that forms part of the landscape of Central Park. It serves as an observation deck and museum. The intention of the designers was to make a Victorian Folly or ornamental landscape structure in the middle of the park.
The name Belvedere means beautiful view in Italian. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed the structure in 1869 with a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles. The castle’s turret is the highest point in the park. Belvedere Castle lives up to its name and commands spectacular views of Central Park and the city skyline. The building is constructed with Manhattan schist and grey granite. Like most Victorian Follies, the castle was a shell with open doorways and windows overlooking a rectangular reservoir. Later doors and windows were added when it became the meteorological observatory of the United States Weather Bureau. In 1983 a nature observatory was opened in the building.
Today, Belvedere Castle looks over a large open green space called the Great Lawn. Free family and community events take place in the venue through the year including bird watching, storytelling, astronomy discussions and haunted castle shows during Halloween.

Sweden’s exhibit in the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia was a Cottage Marionette Theater. It is now located in Central Park and serves as the oldest continually operating puppet theater in the U.S.
Frederick Law Olmsted brought the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater from Philadelphia to Central Park in 1877. It is made of Swedish pine and cedar in Scandinavian log house style. During the exposition, it was used as a model schoolhouse. The cottage was made by Swedish craftsmen, packed in wooden boxes, shipped and erected in Philadelphia. After being purchased by Olmsted, it was dismantled again and erected at its present location. It first served as a tool house and later as a library.
It became the home of a travelling marionette theater troupe in 1947. The troupe organizes puppet shows and puppet making workshops in schools and recreation centers in New York City till today. In 1973, the building was redesigned to house a permanent theater for marionette shows with a separate facility for the existing travelling troupe. The theater has presented performances of classic and popular children’s tales and provided hours of entertainment to children and adult visitors from around the world.

Popularly known as the, ‘Met’, this museum has one of the largest art collections in the world. The exhibits consist of collections acquisitions and donations from collectors and benefactors with a common goal to bring art to the American people.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a repository of art work from all over the world and from every age in history. It has collections from prehistoric ages to recent times. It was founded in 1870 by a group of citizens including artists, financiers, businessmen and art collectors. The museum occupies the major part of the Museum Mile in Manhattan. The nineteen departments at the Met are repositories of over 2 million exhibits. It also has a large private collection of American banker, Robert Lehman, one of the largest collections of musical instruments in the world, a collection of costumes and accessories by well known designers and over 20,000 photographs. The Thomas J Watson library within the museum has a collection of books related to the History of Art, exhibition catalogues and auction sale publications. The Met also has a branch museum at The Cloisters, devoted to medieval European art.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers free guided tours for visitors. The roof garden offers a spectacular view of Central Park and New York City.

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is well known not only for its collection of contemporary art but also for the architectural splendor of its building. The museum has a vast collection of permanent modern art collections and always runs temporary exhibitions featuring innovative and interesting modern art displays.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum houses the art collection of its founder and his art adviser, German artist Hilda Rebay. In 1939, they opened the first museum displaying works of art in rented premises located in 24, East Fifty- Fourth Street. The number of exhibits outgrew the building and renowned architect, Frank Lloyd Wright was asked to design a suitable structure to house the collections. This was the last of Wright’s major plans and it took 15 years before he could create the architectural concept of the building. The design was criticized at first because it did not synchronize with the box like buildings located nearby. The appearance of the structure is like a ribbon curled around a cylinder shaped base. The museum opened in 1959 after the deaths of Guggenheim and Wright. Today, it has become one of the architectural icons of New York City.
The museum features works of modern and post modernist artists including Picasso, Rudolf Bauer, Vincent van Gogh, Hilla Rebay, Paul Klee, Amadeo Modigliani and Fernand Leger. There are also modernist sculptures, rock displays, dollar displays and a range of exhibits to fascinate lovers of Contemporary Art.

This flower bed covered park is the only formal garden in New York City. It forms part of Central Park and is used by those who wish to take quiet strolls and as the venue for family events like weddings.
The garden is located at the site of a former conservatory in Central Park. Several glasshouses stood at the location from 1898 to 1934. The conservatory was removed and a formal garden was designed by Gilmore D. Clarke with planting plans formulated by M. Betty Sprout. The area covered is six acres with three distinct sections. There is a French, Italian and English garden within the park. Conservatory garden was opened to the public in 1937.
The English section of the garden has magnolia and lilac trees and a statue of the author of the novel, ‘The Secret Garden’, Frances Hodgson Burnett. The Italian section has a large fountain and a Wisteria covered pergola. The French garden is full of spring tulips and a sculpture by Walter Schott called the Three Dancing Maidens.
Visitors enter the garden through the Vanderbilt Gate that once stood at the entrance of the mansion belonging to the millionaire. Jogging and bicycling is prohibited because this park is meant for visitors who want a quiet walk in a serene environment.