A Green Place to Be: The Creation of Central Park

In 1858, New York City was growing so fast that new roads and tall buildings threatened to cover much of Manhattan. People needed a green place to be - a park that could be accessible to everyone, with ponds to row on and paths to follow among trees and over bridges.

A citywide contest for plans for a new park was announced, and Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted put their heads together to create the winning design. Then the hard work of implementing their ideas to make a great green park began. 

Learn more about the construction of New York's Central Park in this delightful picture book.