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Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY

Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorFreeOutdoor AdventureFamily Favorite

Prospect Park

Main entrance at Grand Army Plaza, Flatbush Ave and Prospect Park West · Brooklyn, NY

Why you should go…

Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed Prospect Park, which opened in 1867 in the middle of Brooklyn. You enter at Grand Army Plaza under the Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch and step onto the 90-acre Long Meadow. Beyond it, the Ravine holds Brooklyn's only remaining old-growth forest, and paths lead to the Boathouse and the 60-acre Prospect Lake, the borough's only lake. The park also holds the Prospect Park Zoo, a carousel and the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, with skating rinks.

  • #city park
  • #olmsted park
  • #picnic lawn
  • #walking trails
  • #brooklyn

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Prospect Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Brooklyn Botanic Garden

    Under $25

    Stroll 52 acres of themed gardens, from a Japanese hill-and-pond garden to a bonsai museum and conservatory.

    0.6 mi awayMore like this

  • Theatre & Events
    Date Night

    Barclays Center

    $25–$50

    Catch a Brooklyn Nets or New York Liberty game or a major concert inside an arena wrapped in weathered steel panels.

    1.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Theatre & Events

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Dumbo

    Free

    Photograph the Manhattan Bridge framed by brick warehouses on Washington Street, then wander cobbled blocks to the waterfront.

    3.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Governors Island

    Under $25

    Ride a short ferry to a car-free harbor island with two old forts, lawns, hammocks, public art and skyline views.

    3.1 mi awayMore like this

  • Attractions
    Iconic

    One Times Square

    $25–$50

    Observation deck and multimedia exhibits in the historic building famous for the New Year's Eve ball drop.

    3.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    The Battery

    Free

    Walk a 25-acre harborfront park at Manhattan's southern tip, with gardens, memorials and Statue of Liberty ferries.

    3.7 mi awayMore like this