7 Interesting Facts About Central Park

Central Park
7
min read

Central Park is a must-see location when planning a trip to the constantly busy New York City. This urban park, frequented by both locals and tourists, is home to a variety of scenic natural areas and entertaining activities.

So here are some of the most fun facts you probably need to know to further highlight how fantastic Central Park is. These are a great way to whet your appetite for your next trip to NYC and Central Park.

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7. Central Park is bigger than some countries

The size of Central Park is the first thing that will strike you. For those who wonder how big is Central Park, there are 843 acres in the plot. It is tucked away in the center of Manhattan near to the famous Upper West Side, measuring 2.5 miles long and 0.5 miles broad. That is even larger than Monaco, a little nation in Europe that only has 500 acres!

The are many highlights throughout the park including famous fountains, views, lakes, and monuments. Wondering how to cover these sights while visiting NYC?

Check our famous Central Park pedicab tours or many other Central Park tours.

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6. Central Park is the oldest public park in the United States

The plans for the park was approved in 1853, making Central Park the country's first sizable urban park with a beautiful setting. It was based on urban designs from places like Paris and London, which featured plenty of green spaces for rich people to stroll through and enjoy.

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5. Central Park is one of the most popular filming locations in the world

Given how well-known Central Park, it should come as no surprise that countless movies from the 20th and 21st century have been filmed there. When you go, it's not unusual to see a camera crew in a certain area of the park.

It was featured in the classic movies such as Home Alone 2, Enchanted, Elf, The Avengers, Stuart Little, and John Wick 2.

If you want to visit those places when you visit Central Park, check our famous celebrity homes and film locations tour!

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4. There are 58 miles of pedestrian routes in Central Park

It is possible to run two marathons back-to-back without leaving the park due to the seemingly endless pathways that snake and twist through the gorgeous park, totaling approximately 58 miles of trails!

However don't be discouraged by Central Park's massive size, as you can always cover famous sights such as Strawberry Fields, Cherry Hill, and Bethesda Fountain with our famous carriage rides and pedicab tours.

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Central Park Walking Tours

3. The park only has one single straight line

Yes, there is really only one straight line in the entire park. There are meandering routes throughout the park that are purposefully designed to curve from one location to the next.

The park was designed with an intention of having a natural flow of nature in it and the only straight line in the park can be found at The Mall.

Featured in Maid in Manhattan and Enchanted, The Mall has become a popular destination, particularly in the fall when the American Elms are covered with eye-catching flashes of color.

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2. It is the country's most visited park

The park with the most visitors in the United States gets around 42 million visitors annually. What is even better? Only 14% of those are first time visitors, the rest are mostly local New Yorkers or visitors coming back.

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Central Park Walking Tours

1. Central Park is entirely artificial

Although it looks completely natural, all of the parks natural features are in fact made by humans. To allow the architects to build from scratch, the area was completely demolished using dynamites. All the lakes, forested areas, and hills in the park were all artificially created.

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Hopefully this list of Central Park's interesting facts was fun and has inspired you to plan a trip to it. Central Park is definitely one of the best places while visiting New York - make sure to enjoy it when visiting NYC.

And the greatest way to enjoy Central Park at its fullest is to take a pedicab tour or a carriage ride with experienced drivers serving as your personal tour guides.

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