Scenic Lullwater Viewing Platform Restored

Prospect Park Alliance recently finished the restoration of one of the most scenic lookouts in Brooklyn’s Backyard, known as the Lullwater viewing platform. From this vantage point, park goers can view the picturesque Lullwater and Boathouse, as well as the breathtaking Binnen Falls. It is an ideal place to spot some of the many birds, turtles and other wildlife that call Prospect Park home.

“The Lullwater viewing platform was originally built in 2002 and is situated at the base of the Binnen Falls,” said Christian Zimmerman, Vice President of Capital and Landscape Management. Although not an original design by Prospect Park creators Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the platform was built in the same rustic style that the two famed landscape architects utilized throughout the park. Before the iconic Boathouse we see today was completed in 1905, the location of the viewing platform was the end point of a boat landing and a shelter for ice skaters to warm up when ice skating was permitted on the Lake. “The boat landing and shelter was one of the best spots to view Binnen Falls and look out over the Lullwater, which was what inspired the creation of the new viewing platform in 2002,” said Zimmerman.

The Lullwater viewing platform is one of three rustic structures that was built in Prospect Park in the early 2000s. All are tucked away in the woodlands along the watercourse or Lake, providing Brooklynites a scenic escape in nature. The second can be found above the Binnen Falls in the area called the Lily Pond and the third can be found behind a cove when walking South from the Boathouse or southeast from the Nethermeade towards the Lullwater.

Archival images of the boatlanding and ice warming house on the Lullwater. c. Prospect Park Archives/Bob Levine Collection, Prospect Park Archives

Rustic structures generally have a lifespan of 25 to 30 years depending on how much wear and tear they experience. Having hit the 23-year mark, the platform was due for restoration to bring back this beloved lookout to its original glory. “We built the platform from Atlantic Eastern cedar and standard pine decking. The joints are connected by smaller pieces of wood that lock into each other instead of nails or other hardware to keep the natural, rustic appearance,” explained Zimmerman.

Zimmerman, pictured above (right), and the Alliance’s Design and Construction team designed the platform (left) to provide Brooklynites one of the most scenic viewpoints in Brooklyn’s Backyard. c. Prospect Park Alliance

This restoration was made possible thanks to Prospect Park Alliance’s ReNew Prospect Park initiative, which deploys private funds to serve our Brooklyn community in light of reduced city resources and increased use of the park. Through this initiative, the Alliance is able to complete a range of essential maintenance projects across the park to improve the daily visitor experience in the park.

Learn more about Prospect Park Alliance’s recent Re:New Prospect Park improvements.