Central Park Zoo, Wildlife park in Central Park, Manhattan, United States.
Central Park Zoo is a wildlife park in the Manhattan borough of New York, combining several climate zones on a compact site. The individual sections spread around a central plaza, where paths wind between enclosures and benches under trees invite visitors to rest.
The site served from the mid-19th century first as a collection point for donated animals, before it officially became a public wildlife park. In the early 1930s a redesign followed, creating the basic structure that remains visible today.
The name refers to its location in the middle section of the park, where visitors today can observe families with children gathering around the sea lion pool. On weekends the grounds fill early in the day, when many New Yorkers come here to combine a walk through the exhibits with a visit to the park.
The entrance sits near Fifth Avenue at the level of 64th Street, so visitors can reach it easily from the eastern park edge. Those who come early in the morning find quieter areas and shorter waiting times at the enclosures.
The site sits noticeably lower than the surrounding park level, so visitors descend when entering and feel as if in a sheltered basin. This depression shields city noise and makes the grounds appear as an enclosed space.
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