Central Park - Great Lawn

Situated at the geographical center of the park, the Great Lawn is one of the most famous greens in the world.  This lush carpet is the stage for countless softball games, music performances, and picnics.  It is also an ideal spot for sunbathing or admiring the park’s forest of more than 20,000 trees.  The nearby Belvedere Castle also offers panoramic views of other landmarks in this area, including Turtle Pond, the densely wooded 30-acre Ramble, and the Delacorte Theater.  As the summer home of the Public Theater, the Delacorte attracts an international audience of over 100,000 for free outdoor stage performances of Shakespeare and other classic works.  Another major attraction in this area is the picturesque Lake, which is populated by rowboats from spring through fall.  Other features include the Conservatory Water and Kerbs Boathouse, a popular site to launch model boats.  Also of note is Strawberry Fields, the memorial to John Lennon in the area adjacent to the stately Dakota apartment building, where he made his home.

This section of the park is flanked to the west by the American Museum of Natural History and Hayden Planetarium, and to the east by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.