Brooklyn’s Oasis: A Guide to Prospect Park

(14 reviews)

New York City audio tour: Brooklyn’s Oasis: A Guide to Prospect Park

This is a 3.3mi walking tour

It takes an average of 90 mins to complete.

New York City

The United States

$9.99

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About the Tour

Brooklyn’s most popular park is an enchanting green space that’s full of surprises. On this walking tour, I’ll bring to life the story of New York City’s Prospect Park, while you take in the unforgettable architecture, unique history, and idyllic beauty that have made it a top destination.

Our tour begins in the heart of Brooklyn at the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial. You’ll wind your way along one of the eight roadways that leads to the park’s magnificent entryway, Grand Army Plaza, and its incredible fountains and sculptures. Since the mid-1800s, it’s transported pedestrians from the hustle and bustle of the city into the serene surroundings of Prospect Park.

Once in the park, you’ll hear about its founders, architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, as well as those who continue to enjoy it today. As you traverse fields, forests, waterfalls, and the enormous Prospect Park Lake, I’ll share a few stories that only the locals know!

Our tour wraps up in the Long Meadow (the longest unbroken meadow in any urban park in the United States) where you’ll find yourself surrounded by serene rolling hills and towering trees, at the foot of the Picnic House in Prospect Park.

During the tour, you’ll have the opportunity to:

Visit the impressive Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch, a Roman-style triumphal arch dedicated to Abraham Lincoln and the soldiers of the Union Army
Walk past the outskirts of the Ravine, the only forest in all of Brooklyn, with its 150 acres of trees and animal habitats and find out how its waterfall was part of a restoration that mimicked historical photographs of the area
Take a splash in the Prospect Park Dog Beach
Learn about Prospect Park’s role as a Revolutionary War Battlefield
Behold Fallkill Falls and the Prospect Park Waterfall, two cascading waterways tucked in the heart of a massive metropolis
Teleport into the Nethermead, a tranquil meadow with breathtaking views and see the historic Wellhouse that used to feed all of the park’s waterways
Marvel at the Prospect Park Boathouse, a historic Beaux Arts-style structure on a picturesque lake, the Lullwater
Hear the timeless music of incredible composers like Mozart and Beethoven in the Concert Grove, through your headphones

Whether you’re a long-time parkgoer or a first-time visitor, by the end of this 90-minute tour, I’m sure you’ll have had an unforgettable experience learning about this urban gem in the heart of New York City!

Tour Producer

Kyle

1 tour

Join me and discover stories from NYC's largest Borough! Whether it is the Brooklyn Bridge, Prospect Park, or Williamsburg, I'll teach you about the incredible past, present, and future of Brooklyn, New York. I've lived in Brooklyn for ten years, and have draw upon my experiences to create the most exciting tours this side of the East River!

Preview Location

Location 3

Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch

Keep walking forward until you are under the archway in front of you, then come to a stop.

[three seconds beat]

The impressive structure you see is the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Arch. Initially constructed in 1892, the archway is dedicated to the soldiers of the American Ci... Keep walking forward until you are under the archway in front of you, then come to a stop.

[three seconds beat]

The impressive structure you see is the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Arch. Initially constructed in 1892, the archway is dedicated to the soldiers of the American Civil War. As you walk under it, on your right you should see a depiction of Abraham Lincoln on horseback. Stop here for a moment. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, and after tensions between the North and South turned to violence at Fort Sumter, Lincoln raised an army to fight the Confederacy. He continued to act as commander in chief throughout the Civil War, making history by freeing the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation, and also orating the stirring Gettysburg address, which affirmed the American ideals of democracy and equality.

Next, turn around to the other side of the arch to see an inset of Ulysses S. Grant. During the war, Grant became the commanding general of all Federal armies, campaigning in multiple theaters and winning many victories before accepting the Confederacy's final surrender at Appomattox Court House in April of 1865. He would go on to serve as the 18th president of the United States.

Okay, turn 90 degrees to your right and continue through the archway, walking towards the edge of the roadway so you can get the best view of the full arch. Atop the archway, you’ll see an impressive sculpture with winged goddesses. The central one carries tools of war and represents victory, with the trumpeters on either side heralding in peace. The horses you see are called a quadriga, which is a reference to the four horses that pulled Roman racing chariots. In this instance, the quadriga represents the war effort, and the depiction of two of them being detached from their yokes symbolizes the transition from war to peacetime.

Further down the archway on the right, you should see an engraving of a goddess holding a bundle of wooden rods in her left hand, which is a symbol of power. However, that power is balanced out by the US Constitution that she holds in her right hand, reminding us that civil society can only be achieved by both enforcing and enshrining our rights. On the left and right sides of the arch, you’ll see wonderful sculptures of the soldiers of the Union Army and Navy, to whom the archway is dedicated. Overseeing the fighting men in both of the sculptures stands the winged “Genius of Patriotism”, which is an imagined combination of Greco-Roman war goddesses and Lady Liberty. In these sculptures, men both young and old rally to the cause of the Union, stirred by a duty to serve the country that they love.

The archway is rich with detail, and continues the ancient Roman tradition of building ornate triumphal arches. Ultimately, the Civil War took over 600,000 lives, making it the most devastating war in American History. The arch is a fitting reminder of the sacrifice required to protect the rights that Americans hold dear.

Now let's get going again, turn 180 degrees, facing away from the arch and towards the street ahead.

[three seconds]

Cross the street using the crosswalk. Be mindful of traffic as you go across the road. Read More

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Major Landmarks

John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial
Grand Army Plaza
Bailey Fountain
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch
James S.T. Stranahan Monument
Endale Arch
Sled Hill
Dongan Oak Monument
Prospect Park Waterfall
Prospect Park Boathouse
Camperdown Elm
Concert Grove Pavilion
Abraham Lincoln Statue
Chaim Baier Music Island and the Shelby White and Leon Levy Esplanade
Prospect Park War Memorial
Wellhouse
Prospect Park
Fallkill Falls
Prospect Park Dog Beach
The Picnic House in Prospect Park

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
425-419 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238, USA
Total distance

5km
Final location
40.66478386, -73.97073294
Distance back to start location

1km

Directions to Starting Point

You'll be starting at the north end of Grand Army Plaza. Locate the bust of John F. Kennedy to start the tour. If you are coming from Flatbush Avenue, you just need to cross a couple of streets until you are at the John F. Kennedy Monument.

Show Directions

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Prospect Park Zoo, Brooklyn Central Library, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Prospect Park Waterfall, Prospect Park Boathouse, Prospect Park Lake, Prospect Park Smorgasburg, Nitehawk Cinema, Mariella Italian Restaurant

Best time of day

The best time to do the tour is between dawn and dusk. The tour can be done all year, but snowfall may make it difficult to complete. There are restrooms available throughout the tour during daytime hours.

Precautions

Keep an eye out for vehicles and bicycles. As always, be careful and mindful of your surroundings when in an urban environment.

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“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”