About Fort Tryon Park
About Fort Tryon Park
Fort Tryon Park is one of New York City’s most scenic and well-designed green spaces, offering breathtaking views of the Hudson River and the Palisades. A gift to the public from John D.Rockefeller, Jr., the park reflects a legacy of thoughtful urban planning and landscape architecture. Designed by the Olmsted Brothers firm – led by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., son of the famed designer of Central Park – the park was carefully crafted to integrate historic properties from the land’s time as private homesteads. This includes a 1908 gatekeeper’s cottage perched on rockface along the Hudson River and the famed 1905 Billings driveway arcade, the first such architecture of its time, now one of the park’s most popular features. The Olmsteds followed the natural land as much as possible to feature promenades, terraces, wooded slopes, and cultivate lush gardens with intention to offer open spaces and scenic vistas.
Since its dedication in 1935, Fort Tryon Park has been a cherished destination for New Yorkers. The triple-landmarked park features eight miles of pathways for walking and running, expansive lawns, and Manhattan’s largest public garden, the Heather Garden – the largest public heath and heather garden on the east coast. Home to over 500 plant species, the garden showcases a variety of blooms throughout the year, providing a serene and picturesque setting. The park also offers a world-class restaurant and is the home of The Cloisters Museum, a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, another gift of Rockefeller, Jr.
Beyond its scenic beauty, Fort Tryon Park offers diverse recreational opportunities including our ping pong plaza, basketball and volleyball courts, and one of the largest spray showers for kids in Manhattan at the stately Anne Loftus Playground. The park features a fairytale grotto and hidden stone staircases, the enchanting Alpine Garden, and Manhattan’s largest dog run. Steeped in history, the park occupies land once inhabited by the Weckquaesgeek people which later served as a key Revolutionary War site. Margaret Corbin, who fought in the Battle of Fort Washington and is the first woman known to pick up arms in the revolution, is honored in the park with a named park entrance and two monuments.
Sustained through the efforts of the Fort Tryon Park Conservancy in collaboration with NYC Parks, this 67-acre treasure continues to thrive as a space for nature, community, culture, education, restoration and inspiration. Whether admiring its historic properties, strolling through its gardens, or taking in unparalleled river views, Fort Tryon Park remains one of Manhattan’s most enduring gifts.
