Accessibility Info
PARK FACT:
One of the forces behind the completion of the grid on the Upper West Side and the creation of Riverside Park was the rise in real estate values after the Civil War and the need for more housing out at the edges of Manhattan to relieve congestion.
Riverside Park
Riverside Dr. to Hudson River, W. 72 St.to St Clair Pl.
Manhattan
Directions: Google Maps | MTA Trip Planner
Acres: 222.41
Hippopotamus Fountain
This piece by artist Robert J. Cassilly, Jr. is an interactive play sculpture featuring 14 hippopotami, two of which function as a spray fountain. The fiberglass hippos are part of the spray fountain, and children are invited to play on and around the sculpture. The Playground Project, Inc., a non-profit group that maintains the playground, commissioned the sculptures as part of the 1993 renovation of Riverside Park’s 91st Street Playground, which was subsequently renamed Hippopotamus Playground. Cassilly has designed numerous other pieces of animal art, especially for the St. Louis Zoo, in the city in which he lives.
Know Before You Go
The northernmost A-dock at the 79th Street Boat Basin is currently closed to public access for structural enhancements. The dock will be further supported with non-wood pilings and a new wave screen.
Anticipated Completion: Spring 2013
