Central Park, New York City: the Best Lawns to Relax On

Out on the lawns of Central Park, you'll notice that this park is a 320-hectare island of green surrounded by concrete. These open spaces come alive the moment the weather turns.

You'll see people sunbathing in summer, kids and athletes playing, couples and hipsters having picnics, and of course hundreds of tourists like us photographing scenes that manage to be pastoral and deeply urban at the same time.

Below you'll find the details on the most famous lawns, listed from south to north: Sheep Meadow, the Great Lawn, and North Meadow.

1. Sheep Meadow

Sheep Meadow is only open during the warm months, roughly May through October. It's another big green expanse, but much more laid-back than the Great Lawn or North Meadow.

This is where New Yorkers go to sunbathe, fly kites, toss a frisbee, and above all, picnic.

If you want photos of Central Park that feel quintessentially New York, this is a great spot.

But Sheep Meadow wasn't always so peaceful. In the sixties and seventies it was the epicenter of protests, demonstrations, and concerts, many of them featuring Bob Dylan, and it was the gathering place for the hippie community and its controversial love-ins.

To give you a sense of how symbolically important Sheep Meadow is in New York: this is where crowds watched the Apollo 11 moon landing live in 1969.

Where is it?

Sheep Meadow sits on the west side of the park, between 66th and 69th Streets.

2. Great Lawn

The Great Lawn is the largest meadow in Central Park, an enormous stretch of grass right in the middle of it all.

The Great Lawn is also known for hosting huge free events, like the summer concerts of the New York Philharmonic.

Legendary shows have happened here: Barbra Streisand smoked marijuana in front of the audience in 1967, and Diana Ross sang through pouring rain in 1983 until a lightning storm rolled in and put her hair extensions at risk.

Where is it?

It's easy to find, since it's level with the Met and the American Museum of Natural History (between 79th and 85th Streets).

3. North Meadow

It's half the size of the Great Lawn and essentially an outdoor sports complex, with 12 fields for all kinds of games, which is why most of the people here are families with kids.

If you want to see genuine American soccer moms in action, the ones cheering on their kids in every American movie and TV show, this is the place.

Where is it?

North Meadow is just north of the Great Lawn, around 97th Street.

Other Central Park attractions

This park takes many visits to see in full. It's huge! And it looks different in every season in New York. These guides will help you get to know it:

🌳 Guide to the Bridges and Arches of Central Park

⛲ Discover the most important Statues in Central Park

💧 Explore the Lakes and Ponds of Central Park

🦁 Did you know there's a Zoo in Central Park?

🏃‍♂️ Read where to play sports in Central Park

🎭 See the events held in Central Park

🎬 A list of famous movies filmed in Central Park