Central Park: Bethesda to Belvedere

A walk through the middle of Central Park: the winning plan delivered so late its designers had to wake the caretaker, and the village cleared to make room for it; the witch carved into Bethesda Terrace; the angel that celebrates clean drinking water; skaters waiting for the ball to go up by Bow Bridge; a wild woodland whose stream starts at a pipe; a castle built with open windows that became the city's weather station; and the free concert that helped pay to rescue the park. Starts on the Literary Walk and ends on the Great Lawn.

What you'll hear

1. 1Literary WalkStartThe winning design came in so late they had to wake up the caretaker to take it.
2. 2Bethesda TerraceA witch on a broomstick has been carved into the top of these stairs since the 1860s.
3. 3Bethesda FountainCentral Park's famous angel is a thank-you for clean drinking water.
4. 4Bow BridgeWhen the ice was safe they hoisted a ball, and New Yorkers said 'the ball is up'.
5. 5Azalea PondThe wild stream in the Ramble starts at a pipe under a rock.
6. 6Belvedere CastleA castle built with its windows open to the weather became the place where New York's weather is measured.
7. 7The Great LawnHalf a million people came to a free concert held to help pay for fixing the park.

What this tour offers

• Self-guided walking tour
• 7 stops, with directions between each
• 19 minutes of narration
• Keeps playing with your phone locked
• Yours to keep, replay anytime
• Earns your New York passport stamp

Where you'll be

Literary Walk, Central Park (mid-park at East 66th Street), New York, NY, USA

Things to know

Questions