Great Lawn
Located at the precise geographical center of Central Park is one of the most well-known lawns in the world: the Great Lawn.
The 55-acre area hosts a great range of recreational activities and is a popular destination for picnicking, sunbathing, relaxing, playing and watching softball, and enjoying the scenery. The main oval lawn area is 12 acres and includes six fields for softball. (Heckscher Ballfields and the North Meadow are home to the Park’s other sports fields). All require a permit to play organized games. To the north of the main lawn are two additional fields for volleyball and basketball.
The Great Lawn is well-known as a place for concerts and performances, hosting the annual New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks performance and annual Global Citizen Festival. The Great Lawn landscape also includes important scenic destinations such as the Arthur Ross Pinetum and Turtle Pond.
Although it may resemble some of Central Park’s other famous lawns such as Sheep Meadow, the Great Lawn is a relatively recent addition to the Park. It was built in the 1930s to replace a large reservoir that pre-dated Central Park, once a key piece of the City’s water distribution system. Completed in 1842, the receiving reservoir was a huge stone tank for holding water from upstate New York before it was piped further downtown. When planning for the Park began, a new reservoir was created just to the north, now known as the Jackie Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, in order to expand the system. Both reservoirs posed an obstacle to Park designers.
The Park Needs Us
Central Park is New York City’s backyard—and it needs all who visit to get involved in its care. Find out how you can help keep it a vital public treasure and thriving habitat.
When the original reservoir was deemed obsolete in 1917, ideas for new features to replace it flooded in from New Yorkers—including a World War I memorial, a sports arena, and an opera house. After the reservoir was drained and filled, plans materialized to create a large oval-shaped lawn for sports along with playgrounds on the northern edge and a small pond (now Turtle Pond) on the south. This was completed in 1937.
Like many areas of the Park, by the 1970s the combination of intensive use and inadequate maintenance led to the Great Lawn’s severe deterioration. Large concerts from the 1960s to the 1980s degraded the lawn and contributed to the area becoming known as “The Great Dust Bowl.”
In 1997, the Central Park Conservancy completed the restoration of the Great Lawn, a two-year, multi-million-dollar project that rebuilt infrastructure and restored the lawn to balance both active sports use and quiet relaxation.
Things you can do here
Self-Guided Tours
Mid-Park Tour
Explore the middle of Central Park with stops at the Park’s miniature castle, a popular turtle hangout, and the oldest outdoor monument in New York City.
Tags: History / Art & Architecture
Guides
Picnic Guide
Central Park is home to lawns, benches, and picnic tables across its 843 acres, providing countless great picnic spots.
Tags: Kids and Families / Wildlife
Activities
Kite Flying
Tags: Kids and Families
Activities
Running Guide
Tags: Health & Fitness
Activities
Volleyball
Tags: Health & Fitness
Guides
Snow Guide
Ready for a snow day in Central Park?
Tags: Winter / Kids and Families / Health & Fitness
Guides
A Guide to the Perfect Central Park Date
New Yorkers and visitors alike often regard Central Park as one of the City’s most romantic destinations. We’ve put together a guide to the Park’s most magical places to bring your beloved.
Guides
Meet the Trees of Central Park
Your support can help keep the Park’s trees healthy.
Tags: Kids and Families / Wildlife / Plants and Trees
Activities
Baseball & Softball
Tags: For Groups / Kids and Families / Health & Fitness
Activities
Basketball
Tags: For Groups / Kids and Families / Health & Fitness
Self-Guided Tours
Great Lawn Tree Walk
Best known as a spot for picnics and people-watching, the Great Lawn is also home to scores of trees.
Tags: Tree Walk / Plants and Trees
Also in the area
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Park Information
A Reflection of Nature Itself: The Different Landscapes of Central Park
Central Park is made up of a variety of landscapes that are diverse, intricate, and interconnected—just like the communities of Park-lovers who enjoy them.
Tags: Trees / Nature Lovers / Lawns / Landscapes
Q&As
5 Questions with Phil Rosenthal, TV Writer and Producer
Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal shares his fondest memories of the Park, his idea of a perfect picnic there, and what he’ll do when NYC opens up after pandemic closures.
Park History
Concerts of Note: Central Park’s Musical Highlights
Central Park has a storied history as a concert venue, welcoming musicians of all genres to its iconic lawns. Large or small, under clear or cloudy skies, music-making has been an essential part of the Park from the beginning.
Tags: History / Art Lovers
Park History
A Look at LGBTQ+ History in Central Park
Central Park has a long and storied history with the LGBTQ+ community.
Tags: Conservancy Staff / Monuments
Q&As
5 Questions with Anthony McGill, Principal Clarinet of the New York Philharmonic
About the Conservancy
Keeping NYC's Backyard Clean & Green: A Park Lover's Guide to Visiting Central Park
As we experience one of the busiest years in Central Park history, let’s work together to tend to the Park we need, and that in turn, needs us. Read this checklist before your next visit and help us keep the Park healthy this summer and for seasons to come.
Tags: Families / Summer / Conservancy Staff / Flowers / Tips for Visiting / Trees / Nature Lovers / Park Experts / First-Time Visitors
Park History
Meeting New York City's Demand for Water
Tags: History / Park Experts
About the Conservancy
One-Stop Summer Shopping at the Dairy Gift Shop in Central Park
Forget a picnic blanket? Need a last-minute gift? Central Park’s largest gift shop has everything you need this summer.
Tags: Tips for Visiting / About the Conservancy / Best for Kids / Staff Picks / All Ages / First-Time Visitors
Things to See and Do
Central Park’s Most Instagrammable Wintertime Spots, Part II
With fewer crowds and a tranquility not found in other seasons, winter is an ideal time to photograph Central Park. Brave the cold and visit the Park this season—no filter needed.
Tags: Tips for Visiting / Winter / Highlights
Park Information
10 New Year’s Resolutions for a Central Park-Lover
Here are 10 ways to combine a desire for a new you in the new year with the joy of spending time in Central Park.