Things to do nearConservatory Garden

Opened to the public in 1937 after the original glass conservatory on the site was demolished, the Conservatory Garden was restored to its current formal grandeur in the 1980s through a public-private partnership that became a model for Central Park's broader revival. The six-acre site is the only formally landscaped garden within Central Park, set apart by its gates and its notably quieter atmosphere.

The garden's three sections each evoke a different tradition. The central Italian garden features a long lawn flanked by crabapple trees and anchored by the Untermyer Fountain. The French garden to the north bursts with tulips in spring and chrysanthemums in autumn, arranged in precise geometric beds. The English garden to the south takes a softer approach, with a wildflower-style planting surrounding the Burnett Fountain, which depicts characters from Frances Hodgson Burnett's novels.

Just to the south, the The Metropolitan Museum of Art makes a natural companion stop, and the surrounding Upper East Side streets offer excellent cafes for a post-garden coffee. The Conservatory Garden is free to enter and open daily, making it one of New York's most accessible and rewarding green spaces.