Our Central Park Walking Route
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When we travelled to New York City in October, one of my favourite days was the one we spent almost fully in Central Park. It’s such an iconic place, somewhere we have seen so much on screen and somewhere it felt like we already knew so well. It was incredible to finally see it for ourselves.
Where to start with Central Park?
We stayed at the Park Central hotel which was just a stone’s throw from the southern edge of Central Park. Because of this, we decided to start our trip at the south-western corner of Central Park.
Our Central Park Walking Route
Here’s the route we took through Central Park to see as many attractions as we could during the day. I’ve also included a little interactive map at the end that you might find useful.
Columbus Circle
The day started with a walk to Columbus Circle. This is the centre of Manhattan and also the location for a big scene in Ghostbusters! Columbus Circle is actually a roundabout, or traffic circle, with a monument of Christopher Columbus in the centre.
We picked up a Starbucks – and a corn dog – and then started exploring Central Park!
Gapstow Bridge
Our first stop was Gapstow Bridge and, like many parts of Central Park, it’s somewhere we knew from many movies. The original bridge dates back to 1874 but was replaced with the current stone bridge in 1896.
Central Park Zoo
After this we walked past Central Park Zoo, and loved how you can see into parts of the zoo from the park. We’ve been to so many zoos that we didn’t visit on this trip however, it’s a super popular tourist destination, visited by over 1 million people every year. There’s also the Children’s Zoo just a stone’s throw further into the park as well.
Delacorte Clock
We stopped at the Delacorte Clock, just outside Central Park Zoo, to hear it chime. Luckily, we arrived just before the half hour when it chimes and got to see the bronze statues of animals playing instruments and rotating to nursery rhymes. It was unexpected and lovely! The clock dates back to 1965 and has appeared in many movies – like Madagascar, as the animals famously escaped from Central Park Zoo.
Billy Johnson Playground
Our next stop was the Billy Johnson Playground, one of many playgrounds within Central Park and great for younger children. It includes play features and materials inspired by Central Park’s landscapes like a mini Gapstow Bridge and two granite slides.
Balto Statue
We walked past the Balto statue, created to remember the heroic sled dog, one who, along with other dogs and their mushers, battled a blinding blizzard and traveled 674 miles to deliver medicine in Alaska in 1925.
Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument
We then took some time to learn about the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument, which was the first sculpture in Central Park to depict historical women and was installed in 2020.
It depicts Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, pioneers in the suffrage movement who advocated women’s right to vote and who were pioneers of the larger movement for women’s rights.
Literary Walk
The Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument is on the edge of the Central Park Literary Walk so we had a walk along there, admiring statues of so many famous faces from literature like William Shakespeare, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns.
Central Park Carousel
Dave and LP then had a go on the Central Park Carousel, such an iconic part of the park. It originally opened in 1871 and the current carousel is one of America’s largest merry-go-rounds, with 57 hand-carved horses and two chariots. It welcomes 250,000 visitors a year and is a real must do in Central Park.
Heckscher Playground
After this we had a brief stop in Heckscher Playground where the children played on swings whilst I used the toilets. There are so many clean, free toilets in Central Park which was a lovely surprise!
Umpire Rock
It was then time to climb up Umpire Rock, one of the largest rock outcrops in Central Park, to take some photos and enjoy the fantastic views! It gives a great contrast of the park around you but with the skyscrapers filling the sky. It was amazing!
Tavern On the Green
We had a rest at Tavern on the Green – another location that we knew well from the movies! We bought some grilled cheese sandwiches from their food to go hatch which were lovely – but pricey as you’d expect!
Ghostbusters Apartment Building
We popped out of Central Park to find the Ghostbusters Apartment Building! As you can tell, today was all about movie locations and places that felt so familiar to us despite never seeing them in real life before.
And so, even though the Ghostbusters Apartment Building isn’t in Central Park, it’s just a short distance away and well worth seeing at 55 Central Park West.
Strawberry Fields
We went back into Central Park at Strawberry Fields where a busker was singing Imagine. This was a really lovely moment to experience as Strawberry Fields is a memorial to John Lennon. This part of the park was quite congested with people paying respects and listening to the music so we moved swiftly through.
Bow Bridge
We then walked past Cherry Hill to Bow Bridge which may be my favourite part of Central Park. Full of autumn colours, Bow Bridge was just beautiful and such a lovely sight to see. We stayed a while watching people walking over the bridge and rowing boats under it. It was idyllic.
Bethesda Terrace and Fountain
We then walked to Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, another beautiful – but busy – part of the park. The fountain many think is the fountain from the Friends TV series but it just looks very much like it.
And the terrace you can either walk through or climb stairs and go up and over. It’s definitely worth walking through as it is beautiful, a real sight to see.
Naumburg Bandshell / Wisteria Pergola
The Naumburg Bandshell was next on our list and so much bigger than I’d expected! It’s a real hub of the community, with free concerts throughout the year.
There was a lot of activity going on around this part of Central Park as they were setting up for the New York Marathon but we still got to enjoy the views and had a sit down near the Bandshell at the Wisteria Pergola at The Mall.
Conservatory Water / Hans Christian Andersen Monument / Alice in Wonderland
After a rest we walked round Conservatory Water to see the Hans Christian Andersen Monument and the Alice in Wonderland statue, both popular parts of Central Park and lovely to see for ourselves.
However, the Alice in Wonderland sculpture was being climbed on constantly by adults and children alike making it hard to really appreciate the statue or get a decent photo!
Central Park Boathouse
We’d experienced such a lovely but busy morning and decided to break up the day with boating on the Central Park lake. So, we joined the queue and hired a boat which wasn’t very expensive – $30 for an hour per boat – and luckily we visited just before the end of the season.
This was such a fantastic experience, a real bucket list moment. Boating on the lake in Central Park, with the Central Park Boathouse in one direction and Bow Bridge in the other and surrounded by all the colours of autumn. It was beautiful.
After boating we bought some snacks at the Boathouse Cafe – chips and dip, a kids grilled cheese and a caesar salad plus drinks. It was more affordable than you’d expect and great quality food.
The Ramble / Belvedere Castle / Turtle Pond
After our little pit stop we walked through The Ramble to Belvedere Castle – one of the gift shops and information points in the park that happens to also be a castle. This was stunningly beautiful and one of the most iconic features in Central Park, sitting atop the huge rock outcrop known as Vista Rock, the second highest natural point in Central Park.
We saw Belvedere Castle from the top but also walked around Turtle Pond to see it from ground level too – and saw a few turtles as well! It was a wonderful sight.
The Obelisk / Alexander Hamilton Statue
One of our last stops in the park was the Obelisk. Oh we do love an Obelisk and have seen so many all over the world. The Obelisk was created around 1425 BCE in Heliopolis, Egypt, and now sits on a rocky hill known as Greywacke Knoll, across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
After this we started walking north and spotted a Alexander Hamilton Statue on the way! This statue was donated to Central Park in 1880 by one of Hamilton’s sons, John C. Hamilton. It’s made completely from carved granite. I’ve written more about visiting the New York Hamilton sites here.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
It was then time to pop out of the park again to take a look at the Guggenheim Museum – somewhere we didn’t want to actually visit but wanted to see the awesome building for ourselves.
Conservatory Garden
We then went back in the garden briefly to walk through the Conservatory Garden, what may be one of the most relaxing and tranquil parts of Central Park.
Duke Ellington Circle
We were heading to the north of the park to venture further into Harlem, and ultimately see the Hamilton Grange National Memorial so we went to the north east to see the Duke Ellington Circle, with the Duke Ellington Statue in the centre.
This memorial celebrates the American composer, pianist, and jazz orchestra leader Duke Ellington (1899–1974). He stands over 10-feet high next to a grand piano on a platform supported by three columns topped with female figures and it’s impressive to see.
Charles A. Dana Discovery Center
Our final stop before heading out of the park was to the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, another of the park gift shops and tourist information centres. We mainly went here to buy a magnet but the views across the Harlem Meer lake were lovely.
And that is the end of our time in Central Park. It felt like we did and saw so much and yet I know we only really scratched the surface. There was so much we didn’t get a chance to see. I’ve put together a little map of our walking route in case you wanted to recreate it for yourself.
