Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Urban park in Queens, New York City, United States
Flushing Meadows–Corona Park is an 897-acre public park in northern Queens, New York City, created for the 1939 World's Fair and bounded by the Van Wyck Expressway, Grand Central Parkway, Flushing Bay and Union Turnpike. The Long Island Expressway divides it into two sections, and Meadow and Willow Lakes occupy much of the southern part. At its center stands the Unisphere, a stainless-steel globe of curved bands and latitude rings with continents in relief, ringed by water jets.
The land transformed from marshland to ash dump before Robert Moses developed it for the World's Fairs of 1939 and 1964. After the second fair, several structures remained and the site was converted into a public park.
The Queens Museum within the grounds displays art collections and holds a detailed architectural model representing all five boroughs of the city. Visitors can stand before the scale model and view the entire metropolis from above.
The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on the grounds hosts the annual US Open tournament through August and September. Outside tournament season, visitors can walk through the grounds and view the outer facilities.
The grounds connect to Willow Lake, a protected freshwater wetland that serves as a sanctuary for native plants and migratory birds. Birdwatchers visit this quiet area to spot rare species during migration season.
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