Fort Tryon Park: Cloisters, Gardens and River Views

Fort Tryon Park is a surprise. This park in Washington Heights -in Uptown Manhattan– is a European forest in the middle of New York (you half expect to run into Rip Van Winkle).

This park on a hill is much more than the place where The Cloisters, the medieval art branch of the Met, happens to sit.

What to see in Fort Tryon Park

Fort Tryon Park was designed in 1935 by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., son of the architect behind Central Park and Prospect Park in Brooklyn, so this whole business of parks in New York runs in the family.

The Cloisters, part of the Met

At the top of Fort Tryon sits The Cloisters, the building the Met dedicates to medieval art.

Beyond the collection, the building itself is remarkable: it was pieced together from restored structures of medieval European buildings. Admission is free with a same-day ticket to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The park's trails

The park sits on high ground, which makes it a wonderful lookout over the Hudson River Valley. As I said, its main draw is The Cloisters, but to get there you have to walk winding paths thick with greenery, and that is exactly the magic of this park in Uptown Manhattan.

As you start the climb toward The Cloisters you will forget you are in one of the noisiest, most restless cities in the world. It was designed to stay woodland, and the nature and the terrific views are the whole point.

You will notice that this part of northern Manhattan feels very different from the busier parts of the island: hilly and heavily wooded. While you are in the neighborhood, take the chance to see the famous Columbia University campus nearby.

Hudson River views

I have told you several times how stunning the Hudson River views are from the park, but honestly, they took me by surprise. I only went to visit The Cloisters and found these horizons instead.

From up there you will spot huge barges heading out to sea, grand mansions from another era on the opposite bank, and far off to the south, the bridges of New York.

How to get to Fort Tryon Park

To visit Fort Tryon Park you need time: it is near one of the last subway stations heading north in Manhattan, so budget about 40 minutes to get there.

The other thing is the roughly 15 minute climb, very pleasant, but worth keeping in mind if you are not much of a walker.

To head back into the city, your best bet is the M4 bus, which leaves right from the entrance to The Cloisters and takes you all the way down Fifth Avenue, an ideal ride for seeing the north of the city for the price of one bus fare.

Transportation:
Subway line A. 190th St station
Address:
Cabrini Blvd. at Ft. Washington Ave.
Prices:
Free admission
Hours:
Daily
6 am to 1 am