PARK FACT:
The country's first completely accessible playground, the Playground for All Children, opened in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in 1984.
For additional information about the park, please visit the Unisphere, Inc. website.
The site of two twentieth century World's Fairs attended by millions of people, Flushing Meadows Corona Park continues to draw and delight visitors. As the largest park in Queens, it offers plenty of space for whatever your recreational desires may be--baseball, soccer, tennis, cricket, et cetera. Lots more too, including a stunning recreation complex, a zoo, an art museum, a botanical garden, a science museum, and a baseball stadium. Explore one of the park's six playgrounds, take a stroll along the Flushing Bay Promenade, or launch your model airplane. Flushing Meadows Corona Park has room for all your active pursuits!
Download the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Strategic Framework Plan
Warning: These files are very large. Download time may vary, depending upon your connection speed.
Introduction (PDF, 14 MB)
Site Analysis (PDF, 1 MB)
Conceptual Framework, Part I (PDF, 4 MB)
Conceptual Framework, Part II (PDF, 5 MB)
Vision and Goals, Part I (PDF, 15 MB)
Vision and Goals, Part II (PDF, 8 MB)
Appendix, Part I (PDF, 1.5 MB)
Appendix, Part II (PDF, 565 KB)
This 1,255-acre park has historical, recreational, and environmental significance. The former dumping ground labeled a "valley of ashes" by F. Scott Fitzgerald in "The Great Gatsby" has become Queens' largest park, and one of New York City's flagship parks.
The site which is now Flushing Meadows Corona Park is historically important not just to New York, but to the entire country. In the 1930s, in the period's largest reclamation project in the United States, Robert Moses converted the swampy area into a 1,200-acre fairground for the 1939 World's Fair.
The fairground-turned-park hosted its second World's Fair in 1964. The structures that remained from the two fairs became the foundation for the growing park, and the Unisphere--left from the 1964 Fair and recently designated as a city landmark--has become the park's well-known symbol.
For the five-year span between 1946 and 1950, the first United Nations assembled within the park. Two professional sports facilities are located within Flushing Meadows Corona Park: Citi Field, home to the New York Mets, and the USTA National Tennis Center, available for public play and tournaments. Two World Series championships, the Mets 1969 and 1986 victories, took place at the Mets' former home in the park, Shea Stadium. Since 1978, the United States Open tennis tournament has been held at the USTA National Tennis Center.
The current shape of Flushing Meadows Corona Park is an oval stretching from Flushing Bay to Union Turnpike. Within the park, there are many places for relaxation and recreation. Among the 124 acres of natural areas are Flushing Creek and Bay, Willow Lake, and expanses of meadow and marshland. Meadow Lake--the 84-acre manmade, freshwater lake--is New York City's largest lake.
Cultural institutions in the park are plentiful, appealing to a wide variety of interests. Today, the New York Hall of Science, a relic from the 1964 World's Fair, houses a hands-on science and technology museum. Fine arts exhibitions, performances, and films are presented at the Queens Museum of Art. The visual arts center also displays the world's largest architectural model of an urban area. Those who are theatrically inclined can attend a variety of professional and local performances at the World's Fair Theaterama in the Queens Theater in the Park. Animal lovers can enjoy the exhibits of North American animals in natural settings at the Queens Wildlife Center. The adjacent Children's Farm features domestic animals. The 39-acre Queens Botanical Garden is filled with garden displays and tree and flower collections.
Want more FMCP fun? View the park slideshow.
Events
Arts, Culture & Fun: Lunar New Year
Join Queens Arts, Culture & Fun for a festive Lunar New Year celebration. Come celebrate the Year of the...
Facilities
Barbecuing Areas
Baseball Fields
Basketball Courts
Bathrooms
Bicycling and Greenways
Dog Runs
Eateries
Fitness Equipment
Football Fields
Golf Courses
Handball Courts
Ice Skating Rinks
Kayak/Canoe Launch Sites
Marinas
Model Aircraft Fields
Playgrounds
Pools
Recreation Centers
Soccer Fields
Spray Showers
Tennis Courts
Zoos and Aquariums
POLL
Directions to Flushing Meadows Corona Park
News
Highlights
Links
- Unisphere, Inc.
- FMCP Aquatic Center
- FMCP Slideshow
- MTA Accessible Subway Directions for Mets Games & US Open
- World Ice Arena
- Citi Field
- Mets Ticketing
- USTA National Tennis Center
- US Open
- Terrace on the Park Catering Hall
- New York Hall of Science
- Queens Museum of Art
- Queens Botanical Garden
- Queens Theatre in the Park
- Queens Wildlife Conservation Center
- Community Survey
Contacts
| General Park Info | (718) 760-6565 |
| Pitch N Putt Golf and Miniature Golf | (718) 271-8182 |
| Carousel | (718) 760-9583 |
| World's Fair Marina on Flushing Bay | (718) 478-0480 |
| World's Fair Marina Restaurant | (718) 898-1200 |
| Terrace on the Park | (718) 592-5000 |
| Citi Field | (718) 699-4220 |
| Mets Ticketing | (718) 507-TIXX |
| USTA National Tennis Center | (718) 760-6200 |
| US Open/USTA | (914) 696-7000 |
| New York Hall of Science | (718) 699-0005 |
| Queens Museum of Art | (718) 592-9700 |
| Queens Botanical Garden | (718) 886-3800 |
| Queens Theatre in the Park | (718) 760-0064 |
| Queens Wildlife Conservation Center | (718) 271-1500 |
| Sports Permits | (718) 760-6889 |
| Picnic/Barbeque Permit for Large Groups | (718) 520-5932 |
| Light Wheels Boat & Bike Rentals | (646) 306-1976 |
| World Ice Arena | (718) 760-9001 |
| Al Oerter Recreation Center | (718) 353-7853 |
| Flushing Meadows Corona Park Pool & Rink | (718) 271-7572 |
| Special Events Permits | (718) 760-6560 |
| Tennis Permits | (718) 393-7276 |
| Volunteer Coordinator | (718) 760-6561 |





