Information
Landmark: Flushing Meadows-Corona ParkCity: Queens
Country: USA New York
Continent: North America
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, USA New York, North America
Overview
In Queens, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park sprawls wide and green, ranking among New York City’s biggest and best-known parks.The park is rich in history and culture, and it’s alive with activity-kids kicking soccer balls, artists setting up easels, and neighbors gathering for concerts and festivals.It’s also where you’ll find famous landmarks, vibrant museums, and lively event halls that buzz with activity.Flushing Meadows–Corona Park began as the stage for two grand events: the 1939–40 and 1964–65 New York World’s Fairs, where bright pavilions and towering steel arches once drew crowds from around the globe.When the fairs ended, the grounds became a public park, and now families, joggers, and picnics fill one of the city's busiest green spaces.The park’s layout still echoes its World’s Fair beginnings, with the gleaming steel Unisphere from 1964 rising above the trees, and scattered sculptures and pavilions standing as quiet reminders of that era.Spread across 1,255 acres, the park has winding trails, open fields, and plenty of spots for people of every age to explore and enjoy.The Unisphere-a towering 12-story globe of gleaming stainless steel-stands as the most iconic sight in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.Built for the 1964 World’s Fair, the Unisphere rises as a tribute to the theme “Peace Through Understanding.” Ringed by dancing fountains, it draws both tourists snapping photos and locals lingering in the spray.Queens Botanical Garden offers a vibrant mix of plant life, from manicured flower beds to a fluttering butterfly haven, and even a thoughtfully designed sustainable garden.The place is calm and inviting, offering classes, hands-on workshops, and lively events focused on horticulture and sustainability, from planting herbs to building compost bins.The Queens Museum sits inside Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, tucked among wide lawns and the glinting steel of the Unisphere.It houses remarkable collections, from the sweeping Panorama of the City of New York to vibrant paintings and sculptures by artists from around the corner and across the globe.Flushing Meadows Carousel: Once spinning under the bright lights of the 1964 World’s Fair, this historic ride still turns with its painted horses and gleaming brass poles.Fifty hand-carved wooden horses gleam under the carousel lights, making it a must-ride for families who come to the park.The Queens Botanical Garden, tucked inside the park, offers a quiet retreat with themed spaces like a rose garden bursting with color, a fragrant patch of herbs, and a still pond that mirrors the sky.The park buzzes with activity, offering sports fields, tennis courts, and playgrounds where you might hear the thud of a soccer ball or the squeak of swings.Inside the park sits the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the US Open, where crowds fill the stands each summer for world-class matches.All year long, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park buzzes with life, from SummerStage concerts and cultural festivals that spotlight communities around the globe, to open-air movies under the stars, live performances, and striking public art displays.You’ll also find wide, grassy picnic areas perfect for spreading a blanket, sharing food, and lingering with friends.Visitors can stroll shaded paths, pick up the pace for a run, or glide along on a bike through the park’s winding trails.The park has several playgrounds, each built for different ages-from toddlers clambering up bright slides to older kids racing across climbing frames-making it a welcoming spot for families.You can reach Flushing Meadows–Corona Park by taking the 7 train to Mets–Willets Point or 111th Street, or hopping on a bus that drops you near the wide, tree-lined paths.The park has several winding footpaths, and you can roll a wheelchair right up to benches shaded by tall maple trees.Flushing Meadows–Corona Park sits at the heart of Queens, drawing locals and visitors from across New York City to its wide lawns and shaded paths.You’ll find history, art, culture, and even shady lawns perfect for an afternoon picnic, all woven together into a spot locals love and visitors can’t miss.
