c. Martin Seck

Discover Hidden Park Treasures

March 20, 2019

Spring is here, and Prospect Park Alliance and Turnstile Tours have an exciting schedule of new tours in the park! Discover hidden treasures, natural wonders and little-known tales on these interactive guided tours of Prospect Park in the heart of Brooklyn. Private group tours are available seven days a week, and public tours are offered every Sunday from April 28 through November 24. Prospect Park Alliance member enjoy 25% off park walking tours, learn more at prospectpark.org/join. 

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Our tour season will kick off April 28 with these new themed excursions:

Hidden Treasures of Prospect Park: Explore some of the little-known corners of Prospect Park in this tour that uncovers some of the park’s hidden treasures. Once prime attractions, these areas  are currently the focus of Prospect Park Alliance restoration efforts to revitalize the Park. The tour includes the Rose Garden and Vale of Cashmere in the park’s northeast corner, and well as a guided walk through Brooklyn’s last remaining forest, the 150-acre Ravine. This tour takes place on the first Sunday of each month.

Waterways and the Wellhouse: Prospect Park is an engineering marvel, designed around an ingenious drainage system and a chain of manmade streams and ponds that terminate in Brooklyn’s largest lake. This tour will follow the park’s scenic watercourse and delve into how Prospect Park Alliance maintains and supports this complex system. The tour will end with a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most unique features of the park: the 1869 Wellhouse, the park’s last remaining building by park designer Calvert Vaux, which once housed the machinery that fueled the  watercourse and was recently restored by the Alliance and converted into the first composting restrooms in a NYC park. This tour takes place on the second Sunday of each month.

Park Art and Architecture: For over 150 years, Prospect Park has been a showcase for beautiful public buildings and artwork, with representations from eras including Beaux-Arts, City Beautiful, the New Deal Modernism and contemporary LEED-certified projects. This tour will examine some of the fine architectural details and ongoing restoration work, from the era of Vaux and Olmsted to the present day. This tour takes place on the third Sunday of each month.

Family Fun in Brooklyn’s Backyard (includes Zoo and Carousel admission): Prospect Park is an oasis for people – and animals! Park lovers of all ages can discover the native habitats and inhabitants of the park, and explore the past and present of recreation, animals and ongoing conservation efforts of Prospect Park Alliance. This tour includes an interactive scavenger for children and adults, and ends at the park’s Children’s Corner, with a special visit to Prospect Park Zoo and tickets to ride the historic Carousel. This tour takes place on the fourth Sunday of each month.

The 2019 Tour Season begins on April 28, get your tickets today!