New York City’s Central Park is a world-renowned urban oasis that spans an impressive 840 acres (340 hectares), nearly twice the size of the entire country of Monaco. 

This iconic park, which attracts over 35 million visitors annually, is a testament to the power of landscape architecture and urban planning.

Central Park was established in 1857 after the state legislature appropriated $5 million to acquire the land, which at the time was occupied by bone-boiling works, hovels, farms, and open drains.

The park’s design, conceived by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, aimed to create a pastoral retreat for city dwellers.

Over the course of its construction, millions of cartloads of dirt and topsoil were shifted, and millions of trees and shrubs were planted to create the park’s varied terrain and vegetation.

The completed Central Park officially opened in 1876 and has since become one of the most recognizable landmarks in New York City. The park features a diverse array of attractions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a zoo, an ice-skating rink, three small lakes, an open-air theatre, a band shell, numerous athletic fields and playgrounds, and hundreds of monuments and plaques.

The park also boasts an extensive network of footpaths, bicycle paths, and roadways that traverse its 2.5-mile (4 km) length and 0.5-mile (0.8 km) width.

Despite its immense size, Central Park is dwarfed by other parks around the world, such as San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, Chicago’s Lincoln Park, and Vancouver’s Stanley Park.

However, it remains one of the most visited city parks in the United States and a beloved destination for locals and tourists alike.

The Central Park Conservancy, a private, not-for-profit organization, has been responsible for the park’s maintenance and operations since 1980.

The Conservancy employs a dedicated staff of horticulturists, arborists, and maintenance workers who ensure that the park’s lawns, trees, lakes, and facilities remain in pristine condition. With its rich history, diverse attractions, and stunning natural beauty, Central Park continues to be a cherished oasis in the heart of New York City.