Central Park: the city's 843-acre backyard

Central Park looks natural, but almost every hill, lake and outcrop was designed and built in the 1800s on what was then swamp and rock. On this easy loop your guide reveals the park's secrets: the hidden waterfalls, the ranked list of movie scenes filmed here, and the best spots that most tourists never find because they only ever see the southern edge.

What you'll see on this walk

• Bethesda Terrace & Fountain — the ornate heart of the park
• The Mall & Literary Walk — the cathedral of American elms
• Bow Bridge — the most romantic (and most filmed) bridge in the city
• Strawberry Fields — the Imagine mosaic honouring John Lennon
• Sheep Meadow & the skyline — the classic lawn-and-towers view
• Belvedere Castle — the little folly with the best free lookout
• Gapstow Bridge & The Pond — the postcard shot of Midtown over the water

A designed wilderness

Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won the design competition for Central Park in 1858, and their idea was radical: a democratic green space where rich and poor New Yorkers could mix. Your guide explains how they moved millions of cartloads of earth, hid the crosstown traffic in sunken roads, and engineered every 'natural' view you'll photograph today.

The park on screen

If a movie is set in New York, chances are a scene was shot in Central Park. Bow Bridge alone has appeared in dozens of films. Your guide points out the exact spots — Bethesda Terrace, the Bethesda Fountain, the boathouse — and shares the stories behind them as you walk.

Best free views in Manhattan

Belvedere Castle and the southern lawns give you skyline views that rival any paid observation deck, for free. Bring a coffee, find a bench, and watch the towers of Midtown rise over the trees — this is how New Yorkers actually use the park.

Meeting point & times