Central Park Scavenger Hunt

48 finds on the park's own paths, from the carousel to the castle, with no ticket anywhere.

Central Park Scavenger Hunt

TeamMeet at (place and time)

  1. Stay with your team on the park's paths and open lawns.
  2. Keep off planted beds and fenced areas.
  3. Feed no animals and pick no plants.
  4. Photograph nobody outside your team.
  1. A pond with a stone bridge over its narrow endThe Pond, just inside the park at 59th Street. Stand where the bridge frames the buildings behind it.
  2. A playground with a named sign at its gateWrite its name. Adults without a child stay outside the fence.
  3. A huge rock children climb, near the south endRat Rock, also called Umpire Rock, is bare Manhattan schist. Tick it from its foot.
  4. A horse-drawn carriage waiting at the park's edgeLook along Central Park South. Tick it from the sidewalk; do not touch the horses.
  5. A view of the skyline over the treesAny open spot looking south. Count the towers you can see above the trees.
  6. A bicycle rental rack or pedicab stand at an entranceTick it only; nobody rents anything.
  7. A bronze sled dogBalto, near East Drive and East 66th Street, honors the 1925 run carrying medicine to Nome.
  8. A stone arch the path runs underCentral Park has 36 ornamental bridges and arches, no two alike. Write the color of its stone.
  9. A big lawn where ball games are not allowedSheep Meadow, 15 acres. Real sheep grazed here until 1934.
  10. A carousel with carved wooden horsesNear East 65th Street. It is the fourth carousel on the site. Tick it from outside the fence.

Next step Keep going outside the park: NYC hunt

How it works

Statues, bridges, a castle and a 3,500-year-old obelisk: this Central Park scavenger hunt holds 48 finds, all on open paths and lawns.

Read the full guide

Start at the south end

The page opens on South end, 59th to 66th, the easiest stretch to reach. Choose The Mall and the Lake or Great Lawn and beyond in the menu for a longer walk, then press Print this list. Anywhere in the park mixes into any route: squirrels, benches, hawks.

Judging on the path

Most finds ask for one written answer, such as a count of steps or a name on a plaque. The note under each is the judging rule; press Hide all notes before printing for a harder hunt.

Tips
  • Pick a meeting point everyone can find, such as the angel over Bethesda Fountain.

Questions and answers

How big is Central Park for a scavenger hunt?

It covers 843 acres and runs from 59th to 110th Street, too much for one afternoon. Keep each team to one part of the park and one printed list.

Is a Central Park scavenger hunt good for kids?

Yes, with an adult in every team. The south end suits small children: the carousel, the sled dog statue and the rock they can climb are close together.

Do any finds need a ticket?

No. The zoo, rink and carousel are scored from outside. For more of Manhattan, the NYC list covers the streets around the park.

More tools

Browse Word Games

All 48 finds

South end, 59th to 66th 12

  • A bicycle rental rack or pedicab stand at an entrance Tick it only; nobody rents anything.
  • A big lawn where ball games are not allowed Sheep Meadow, 15 acres. Real sheep grazed here until 1934.
  • A bronze sled dog Balto, near East Drive and East 66th Street, honors the 1925 run carrying medicine to Nome.
  • A carousel with carved wooden horses Near East 65th Street. It is the fourth carousel on the site. Tick it from outside the fence.
  • A horse-drawn carriage waiting at the park's edge Look along Central Park South. Tick it from the sidewalk; do not touch the horses.
  • A huge rock children climb, near the south end Rat Rock, also called Umpire Rock, is bare Manhattan schist. Tick it from its foot.
  • A playground with a named sign at its gate Write its name. Adults without a child stay outside the fence.
  • A pond with a stone bridge over its narrow end The Pond, just inside the park at 59th Street. Stand where the bridge frames the buildings behind it.
  • A stone arch the path runs under Central Park has 36 ornamental bridges and arches, no two alike. Write the color of its stone.
  • A view of the skyline over the trees Any open spot looking south. Count the towers you can see above the trees.
  • The ice rink, or its empty oval in summer Wollman Rink opened in 1950 and runs skating from late October to early April.
  • The zoo's brick gate or its clock with bronze animals Central Park Zoo sits at the southeast corner. Score it from the path outside; no ticket needed.
Show all 48 finds (36 more)

The Mall and the Lake 12

  • A bird watcher with binoculars The Ramble draws them all year. Tick it quietly; do not ask to borrow.
  • A boathouse on the east shore of the Lake Tick it from the path. Write the color of its roof.
  • A bronze girl on a giant mushroom, with a rabbit and a cat An 11-foot statue on the north side of Conservatory Water. Children may climb it; adults watch.
  • A fountain with a golden spire and glass lamps Cherry Hill Fountain, just west of Bethesda, was built as a horse trough in the 1860s.
  • A grand staircase that leads down to the fountain Bethesda Terrace has two. Count the steps on one of them.
  • A long avenue of tall trees with benches both sides The Mall runs north toward Bethesda Terrace. Walk it end to end.
  • A pond where model sailboats race Conservatory Water, opposite East 74th Street. Count the boats on the water.
  • A rowboat on the Lake Write the color of its hull.
  • A rustic wooden bridge in the Ramble The Ramble is a 38-acre wild garden on the Lake's north shore. Stay on the paths.
  • A stone bandshell at the end of the Mall Naumburg Bandshell, Indiana limestone. Free concerts have been held here since 1923.
  • The angel on top of the fountain at Bethesda Terrace The Angel of the Waters stands over the fountain by the Lake. If a repair fence is up, the angel above it counts.
  • The cast-iron bridge that curves over the Lake Bow Bridge, finished in 1862. Walk across it.

Great Lawn and beyond 12

  • A baseball diamond on the Great Lawn Count how many you can see from one spot.
  • A formal garden with iron gates on Fifth Avenue Conservatory Garden, opposite 104th to 106th Streets, is the only formal garden in the park.
  • A lake at the park's northeast corner Harlem Meer, south of 110th Street. Look for fishing along its edge.
  • A small stone castle on a rock Belvedere Castle, 1867. Its name means beautiful view, and the park's weather station has been here since 1919.
  • A turtle in Turtle Pond Look at the logs and rocks along the edge on a sunny day.
  • A walkway sign that points to two places at once Write both places it names.
  • A water fountain with a small step for children Drink if you like. Tick it where you find one.
  • An ancient Egyptian obelisk Cleopatra's Needle, west of the art museum, was set up here in 1881. It is about 3,500 years old.
  • An open-air theater beside Turtle Pond The Delacorte Theater. Tick it from the path; summer plays there are free.
  • The big oval lawn behind the castle The Great Lawn, 14 acres, sits where an old reservoir was filled in.
  • The running track round the Reservoir The Reservoir runs from 86th to 96th Street. Walk on the outside edge; runners go fast.
  • The skyline reflected in the Reservoir Best on a still morning. Both teammates must agree the reflection is clear.

Anywhere in the park 12

  • A bench with a small plaque on its back Read it quietly. Write the first name on it.
  • A dog walker with three or more dogs Tick it; ask before petting any dog.
  • A drinking trough, basin or fountain for birds Any stone or metal basin birds use counts.
  • A duck, goose or swan on the water Name which one.
  • A lamppost in the park's own style Look for the small metal plate with a number on its base. Write the number.
  • A park map on a sign with a you-are-here dot Write the nearest cross street it shows.
  • A path paved in hexagon-shaped blocks Count the sides on one block to be sure.
  • A red-tailed hawk or a woodpecker Both live in the park. A sighting by two teammates counts.
  • A squirrel eating something Watch only. Feeding wildlife is not allowed.
  • A tree with a trunk too wide for two people to reach round Test it with your arms. Stay off planted beds.
  • Bare gray rock with scratches from the Ice Age Outcrops of Manhattan schist show glacier scars. Write where you found one.
  • Someone playing music on a path Tick it; no photos of the player without asking.

How this list was compiled: Written for this page in September 2026: 48 finds on the paths of Central Park in Manhattan, sorted by part of the park, all scored from open paths, lawns and plazas with nothing bought and no ticket. Nothing was copied from another list. Levels are our judgment. Names, dates and places in the notes were checked on 2026-09-24 against English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ followed by Central_Park, Bethesda_Terrace_and_Fountain, Bow_Bridge_(Central_Park), Belvedere_Castle, The_Ramble_and_Lake, Great_Lawn_and_Turtle_Pond, Jacqueline_Kennedy_Onassis_Reservoir, Cleopatra%27s_Needle_(New_York_City), Conservatory_Water, Alice_in_Wonderland_(sculpture), Balto_(statue), Sheep_Meadow, Wollman_Rink, Central_Park_Carousel, Central_Park_Zoo, Rat_Rock_(Central_Park), Cherry_Hill_Fountain, Conservatory_Garden and Harlem_Meer. Licence: own work