Washington Square Park, Urban park in Greenwich Village, US
Washington Square Park is an almost four-hectare urban park in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. A white marble archway stands at its northern entrance, while a circular fountain sits at the center, surrounded by benches and walkways that wind through lawns and clusters of mature trees.
The site served as a burial ground for the poor and yellow fever victims starting in 1797. The city converted it into a public square in 1826, and it officially became a park in 1871.
The park's name comes from the square laid out around it, and its long tradition of celebrating nonconformity shows in the crowds who gather here for meetings, political rallies and protests. Students of New York University walk beneath the Washington Square Arch during graduation ceremonies. Statues honour George Washington, the Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi and the engineer Alexander Lyman Holley.
The park closes from midnight to 6 a.m., so plan visits outside those hours. It sits at the foot of Fifth Avenue, bordered by Washington Square North, East, South and West, with several subway stations a few minutes' walk away. New York University buildings surround it, so weekdays are busy with students moving between classes.
The remains of more than 20,000 people still lie beneath the lawns, never having been exhumed. The archway contains a hidden spiral staircase that once led to a small viewing platform on top.
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