A big green oasis in the middle of Manhattan, Central Park is the most photographed and visited urban park in the United States. It is considered the biggest treasure of New York City due to its rich history, beautiful landscapes and lots of activities people can practice here.

Central Park is about 9.1 square kilometers and its design is the result of a competition in 1858 to improve and develop the park space that was there before. The site is very complex, with 36 bridges and arches, 7 bodies of water and about 25 000 trees, all of these planned and built by people. Every year, about about 37.5 million visitors come here, both for the beauty and the uniqueness of this place, but also for the relaxing environment and the dynamic activities.

So if you are an active person, you will be enchanted by the diversity of sports you can practice here. Central Park offers a total of 26 baseball and basketball fields located in three specific areas, enhanced spaces for volleyball and soccer, that can be played at two locations, the North and East Meadows. There are also available activities like swimming, fishing, rollerblading, skating and jogging. For a relaxing moment, tourists can opt for a boat tour on one of the lakes nearby.

Then, if you choose to spend the time just by walking and admire the amazing views, there are some places you shouldn’t miss. Arthur Ross Pinetum, for nature lovers, is the perfect place to take a walk and admire different species of pine trees. Or the Conservatory Garden, that is divided in three smaller gardens, shows three different gardening styles, Italian, French and English and it’s worth visiting and photographing. In the end, if you want to stop over and have a picnic, go to the Great Hill, an open meadow provided with picnic tables and a soft surface for jogging.

When it comes to architecture and sculptures, be sure that you need a few days to see all of them. You should go to see the Cherry Hill Fountain, that is centered at what as once a turn around for carriages. Another stunning attractions are the Glade Arch, the Christopher Columbus statue, the Bow Bridge and the Delacorte Clock. The oldest man-made object in the park is the Obelisk, 3500 years old.

If you want some recreational activities, the options are endless. You can rent a bicycle and make your own tour through the park or you can play bowling and croquet in one of the specific fields. Don’t miss to visit the Central Zoo Park, a complex zoological garden that shows visitors animals from tropical, temperate and polar zones from all around the world. One of the most popular attractions of Central Park is the Carousel, built in 1871, with 57 splendid horses.

For kids, there are many playgrounds in the Central Park, very clean and well groomed, like Billy Johnson Playground, the Ancient Playground that was inspired by the collection of Egyptian Art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the East 96th Street Playground, featured with a great variety of play equipment.

This place convinced you for sure that it is worth to visit, there are so many things to discover here, so many activities and curiosities to see. Don’t forget to find the best accommodation in New York, near the Central Park, by checking the complete list of hotels on TripEconomy.