About this Event
By the mid-1800s, residents of Brooklyn were tired of their primary recreation grounds being a cemetery — a true urban green space for the public was needed. Fortunately, the President of the Brooklyn Board of Park Commissioners couldn't have agreed more, urging for "a rural resort, where the people of all classes, escaping from the glare, and glitter, and turmoil of the city, might find relief for the mind.” It's time to hit the ground and uncover the definitive story of how Prospect Park came to be, and has prospered ever since.
Join New York Adventure Club as we explore Prospect Park and the incredible story behind its creation — designed by Central Park architects Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux, this 536 acre park in Brooklyn was the borough's first major urban green space, and one that remains as coveted as when it opened in 1867.
Led by licensed NYC tour guide Kyle Sallee, our tour surrounding Prospect Park's artistry, architecture, and influential figures throughout the past 150 years will include:
- The origin story behind Prospect Park and why a great park of Brooklyn was so desperately needed in the mid 19th-century
- How the park's design was transformed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux from a Central Park knock-off to what many consider to be their crowning achievement
- The role of the Brooklyn Parks Commission in creating a more enjoyable and welcoming park, and how they won over a skeptic public in the process
- A walk along the watercourse that runs along the lower half of Prospect Park, from highlights within them to how architectural contemporaries picked up where the original designers left off
- A visit to some of Prospect Park's most historic sites including the Boathouse, Nethermead Arches, and Concert Grove Pavilion
- The evolution of the park in the second half of the twentieth century, mainly led by the New York Parks Department and the Prospect Park Alliance
Tour guide Kyle will be visiting neighborhood local bar and cafe Edie Jo’s for some post-tour food and drinks, so stick around afterward to debrief with your fellow adventurers!
See you there!
*Please bring a water bottle and comfortable pair of shoes as we’ll be doing a lot of walking!
**This tour concludes at the corner of Ocean Av and Parkside Av
About Kyle
Kyle Sallee is a Brooklyn based actor and tour guide with a decade of experience in leading programming across several New York City parks. Kyle is the founder of Central Park Food Tours, and has been recently featured in the podcast series Bar None. Currently, Kyle is the host of Virtual Park Bites, a Facebook Live series devoted to by-request examinations of park life across the city, as well as the trivia host of New York Adventure Club’s Virtual Group Trivia Night.
Disclaimer
Event takes place rain or shine.
By attending a New York Adventure Club experience, you accept our terms of service.
Categories: In-Person, Neighborhood Tours
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Bartel-Pritchard Square (War Memorial in Center of Square), Bartel-Pritchard Square, Brooklyn, United States
USD 32.00