Prospect Park Fun Facts

We all know Prospect Park’s meadows and monuments, arches and attractions, but how about the decorative details hidden in plain sight? Prospect Park Alliance has rounded up 6 of Prospect Park’s beautiful, hidden details—see how many you’ve spotted!

Snake Urns at Grand Army Plaza
Those who frequent the Saturday farmers’ market may already be familiar with the urns at Grand Army Plaza. These decorative pieces feature twisted coils of snakes where handles would traditionally be located. These unique pieces were recently restored by Prospect Park Alliance.

Prospect Park’s 585 acres have been featured on the small screen in many of our favorite television series. Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that cares for the Park, takes a look at six shows that brought Brooklyn’s Backyard into your home. 

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Set in 1950s New York City, this award-winning series highlights many beloved landmarks around the five boroughs. In the final episode of the show’s first season, the titular character–Midge Maisel–hosts her son’s birthday party in Prospect Park’s beloved Carousel. Super fans of the show will be happy to know that this is a popular modern-day birthday party spot. Learn more about recreating the scene with your own Carousel Birthday Party. 

Image c. Amazon Studios

Prospect Park’s 585 rolling acres make the perfect backdrop for films by some of our top filmmakers and actors. Some movies take advantage of the park’s iconic spaces and structures and some use the park as a stand-in for far-away destinations and landscapes. 

Over the Park's 150-year history, much of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux's vision for the Park has been mantained. While the fields, forest and lake of Prospect Park remain, many of the Park's original structures are lost to history. 

The Dairy

The Dairy, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as part of the original design of the Park, was located on Sullivan Hill, just across from the Long Meadow. This cozy farmhouse attracted Park picnickers who stopped by to purchase sandwiches and glasses of fresh milk provided by the half-dozen cows that grazed on Long Meadow grasses. Pre-pasteurization, fresh milk was a near-delicacy for Brooklyn residents, accustomed to a gray, watery variety of milk produced by most city cows. In 1935, the Dairy, in disrepair, was removed by Parks Commissioner Robert Moses.

Romance has been in the air in Prospect Park since its earliest days. In 1923, the first wedding to ever take place in a public park occurred in Prospect Park’s former Rose Garden!

At the time, marrying in the Park was considered scandalous and caused a sensation, with local newspapers covering the details. The couple received permission to marry in the Park only if the minister’s name remained anonymous, and if it occurred early in the morning before most visitors arrived at the Park. Learn more about this scandalous story.

These days, weddings in Prospect Park are encouraged! Learn about Prospect Park Alliance’s beautiful wedding venues.

Image c. Prospect Park Archives