Spanning 843 acres in the heart of Manhattan, Central Park is one of the world's greatest urban oases, encompassing a diverse landscape of rolling fields, walking trails and tranquil bodies of water-all sculpted by human hands. Designed in the mid-19th century by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, Central Park is the centerpiece of the City's public parks system. Among its attractions are the Central Park Zoo, Belvedere Castle and the Friedsam Memorial Carousel (which, weather permitting, operates seven days a week from April through October and intermittently the rest of the year). Sheep Meadow and the Great Lawn offer sprawling expanses where visitors can relax and enjoy the outdoors. In the winter, there's ice-skating at Trump Rink, which provides a picturesque backdrop for that classic cold-weather pastime (a second Trump-run skating spot, Lasker Rink, is in a quiet section at the northern edge of the park). In the summer, the Delacorte Theater hosts Shakespeare in the Park, outdoor performances of the Bard's work. Elsewhere, Rumsey Playfield serves as the primary home for SummerStage, a citywide free performing-arts festival featuring music, dance, theater and more. Notably, Rumsey hosts Metropolitan Opera recitals featuring singers and a pianist from the famed opera company.
The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world's preeminent scientific and cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced its global mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education, and exhibition. The Museum is renowned for its exhibitions and scientific collections, which serve as a field guide to the entire planet and present a panorama of the world's cultures.
The massive institution is home to more than 5,000 adorable and/or ferocious creatures in myriad exhibits, including an outdoor baboon reserve, a sea lion pool and a space dedicated entirely to Madagascar. Ride the Wild Asia Monorail, which tours 38 acres of exhibits that house elephants, Indo-Chinese tigers, deer, antelope and Mongolian wild horses, or wander over to see two gargantuan Nile crocodiles. On inclement days, step into indoor attractions such as the World of Birds, the World of Reptiles or the Congo Gorilla Forest. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Lincoln Center (Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts) serves three primary roles: world's leading presenter of superb artistic programming, national leader in arts and education and community relations, and manager of the Lincoln Center campus. In addition, LCPA led a $1.2 billion campus renovation, completed in October 2012.
