Central Park

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE PARK

Spring Updates: If Mother Nature cooperates, the Central Park meadows, lawns and ballfields will open for the spring season on Saturday, April 2. Once open, their hours start at 11 a.m., although rain could see them closed again. To find out about permits needed for sports or the best places to hang, check our website: centralpark.com

Statues & Monuments: There are 65 statues, monuments and fountains located throughout Central Park. The oldest monument is the Obelisk, aka Cleopatra’s Needle, which dates back over 3,500 years. It was gifted to Central Park in the 1880s by the Khedive of Egypt, and on Jan. 22, 1881, the Obelisk was erected in New York’s Central Park. To learn more about the various monuments and statues in Central Park, check out our tours at www.centralpark.com/guide/tours.html

COMING UP THIS WEEK

Foraging with the “Wildman” Spring means weeds, and naturalist/author “Wildman” Steve Brill will show you how to recognize them, harvest them ecologically, and use them to make delicious meals, or turn them into home remedies

When: Saturday, April 2, 11:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m.

Call 914-835-2153 to reserve and verify the time/place.

For more info, visit centralpark.com/events

Last Chance to Ice Skate at Wollman Rink:The season’s last day of ice skating at Wollman Rink is Sunday, April 3.

Location: Wollman Rink

When: Every day between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Cost: Price varies based upon age and day.

More info is at centralpark.com/events

WHERE IN CENTRAL PARK?

Do you know where in Central Park the second photo in the picture carousel above was taken? To submit your answer, visit: centralpark.com/where-in-central-park. The answers and names of the people who guess right will appear in the paper and online in two weeks.

answer to the previous quiz:

The USS Maine National Monument stands at Merchant’s Gate (Columbus Circle), a park entrance named in 1862 to recognize the importance of commerce and business in New York City. The monument was dedicated on May 30, 1913, to the men killed aboard the USS Maine when the ship exploded in Havana Harbor on Feb. 15, 1898. The monument honors the 258 American sailors who perished.

Designed by Harold Van Buren Magonigle, the monument consists of a pylon with a fountain at its base and sculptures by Attilio Piccirilli surrounding it. The sculpture group of gilded bronze figures atop the pylon represent Columbia Triumphant, her seashell chariot being drawn by three hippocampi. The bronze for this group reportedly came from metal recovered from the guns of the Maine. On the park side of the monument is fixed a memorial plaque that was cast in metal salvaged from the ship.

Congratulations to Kevin Koerper, Candi George, Henry Bottjer, Joe Ornstein, Bill Ferrarini and Gregory Holman for answering correctly.