Belvedere Castle — Castle in the City
Central Park, NY
A castle isn’t what you think about when you think of New York, but yet, there’s actually a castle right in the middle of America’s most densely populated city.
That’s right: hidden in the 843 acre Central Park, amidst the skyscrapers and towers of New York, sits Belvedere Castle. While it looks impressive, Belvedere is actually a Victorian folly, a style of architecture meant to only resemble a structure, in this case, a castle. Calvert Vaux, co-designer of Central Park along with the more famous Frederick Law Olmstead, wanted to add a bit of whimsy and fantasy to the newly constructed park. Then, as now, the Middle Ages conjured up a time of chivalry, romance, and adventure and thus Belvedere Castle was born.
A Castle in the City
Still, though it is a Victorian folly, like a true castle, its tower rises high into the sky and tourists can go inside its halls and corridors. Perched on top of Vista Rock, Belvedere Castle was constructed out of real stone: granite, quarried from Quincy, Massachusetts, as well as schist. Much of Belvedere Castle is actually a lookout point and what a view it is.
The castle’s namesake, Belvedere, is Italian for “great view,” and it definitely lives up to its name. From its vantage point, residents and tourists of New York can see awe-inspiring views of America’s largest city. New York’s skyscrapers rises over the trees of Central Park leading to the many clicks, shutters, and most definitely, selfies from cameras. Around Belvedere comes the best views in Central Park including the Delacorte Theatre (Shakespeare at the Park!); the Ramble, a secluded thirty-eight acre wooded retreat filled with winding pathways and trails; and Turtle Pond, where many a pet turtle has been freed to swim in peace in their natural surroundings.
Inside Belvedere
Weary travelers (or tourists) to Belvedere first hike up the steps to the wooden loggia as well as the pavilion of Belvedere Castle. From there, it really does feel like the trees are as tall as the skyscrapers off in the distance. Inside Belvedere Castle, up cramped spiral staircases, visitors to Belvedere Castle gain access to the second and third lookout points out of the castle atop parapet walls. The third lookout point, next to Belvedere Tower, has the highest view in all of Central Park allowing scenic views of the park and the cityscape.
Also inside Belvedere Castle is the Henry Luce Nature Observatory. A small observatory, it teaches visitors about the natural landscape and wildlife of Central Park. Don’t forget to grab a Discovery Kit to write down your discoveries and observations. The best part of all is that everything in Belvedere Castle is free to the public paid for by the generous taxpayers of New York and the tireless efforts of the Central Park Conservancy.
Belvedere Tower even does triple duty as a weather station. Weather instruments on Belvedere Tower collect information on wind speed and direction, and along with other weather instruments south of the Castle, these instruments transmit their data to The National Weather Service’s forecast offices at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island.
Decay and Renovation
Belvedere Castle wasn’t always a charming castle in Central Park. Back in the 60s and 70s, New York wasn’t in the best shape with urban decay fast consuming the city. Central Park was not spared from this blight, and Belvedere Castle, after the National Weather Service moved their offices from the Castle to Long Island, was soon boarded up and left to the elements and to random acts of graffiti and vandalism. In 1983, the Central Park Conservancy took it upon themselves to restore Belvedere Castle, and as a result of their efforts resulted in the attraction we have today ensuring that we have both an urban castle and a castle in America!
