Event Description

As New York City entered the mid-1800s with a population having quadrupled in only two decades, the public cry for green space was deafening — after all, the island's largest park spanned only 10 measly acres. Fortunately, the city government jumped into action and hatched an audacious plan, even by today's standards: instead of developing more pocket parks to complement a growing Manhattan, a single, great park was needed; not 10 acres, not 100, but closer to 1000. This is the incredible story of how one of the world's greatest parks came to be, and the lives it changed — for better, and for worse.

Join New York Adventure Club as we explore the full story of New York's beloved Central Park, from how the country's first urban park was created to its rapid evolution over the centuries.

Led by NYC Tour Guide Gary Dennis, our virtual deep dive into the artistry, personalities, and controversy surrounding Central Park's nearly 200-year history will include:

• 19th-century New York's desperate need for green space, and the people who forced the city government to do something about it
• The origin story of Central Park, from the scouting process for its location, to the communities displaced by eminent domain, to why Fredrick Law Olmsted & Calvert Vaux's "Greensward Plan" was chosen as the park's winning design
• Why Central Park opened with strict rules surrounding leisure & recreation, along with who it was originally meant for
• How New Yorkers with exotic pets helped form the Central Park Zoo
• The Central Park Conservancy, which brought the park back to its original glory after decades of neglect resulting from depressions and fiscal crises, to mismanagement and oversized egos

Afterward, we'll have a Q&A with Gary — any and all questions about Central Park are welcomed and encouraged!