Olmsted and Vaux’s “folly” (or fantasy building), this turreted castle sits atop the second-highest elevation in the park. Inside is a nature observatory with good rainy-day activities for children. In front of the castle is the Delacorte Theater, where the famed Shakespeare in the Park is performed, a star-studded and free evening of theater staged in the summer months only. It can take som effort to get into a show. You could end up spending 4 or more hours standing in line to get tickets; they’re passed out at 1pm in front of the theater, but depending on the popularity of the show, crowds have been known to show up hours before that, and even camp overnight at the gate to the park. There's also a lottery system in person at the Public Theater, and via a digital lottery on the app TodayTix (you'll need to download it). Final way to get a tix: there's a standby line a the theater each day several hours before the show. Note: If you're a senior or a person with disabilities, there's a special, less competitive lottery for you. From Belvedere, you’ll also look down on the Great Lawn, which has gone through a number of incarnations, first as a reservoir and later in the 1930s as “Hooterville,” the shantytown where hundreds of homeless families lived out the Depression. Today it’s most famous as a concert space: Simon and Garfunkel reunited here in the early 1980s in a widely televised concert; Elton John, Garth Brooks, Diana Ross and others have performed here over the years.
New York City
Travel Guide
New York City› Attraction
Belvedere Castle and the Delacorte Theater
Enter Central Park at either 72nd or 79th St
Eileen_10 / Shutterstock
Our Rating
Neighborhood
Central Park
Phone
212/539-8500
Prices
Free Admission
Web site
Belvedere Castle and the Delacorte Theater
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.