About NYC Parks & Recreation
Parks & Recreation is the steward of about 29,000 acres of land — 14 percent of New York City — including more than 5,000 individual properties ranging from Coney Island Beach and Central Park to community gardens and Greenstreets. We operate more than 800 athletic fields and nearly 1,000 playgrounds, 550 tennis courts, 66 public pools, 48 recreational facilities, 17 nature centers, 13 golf courses, and 14 miles of beaches. We care for 1,200 monuments and 22 historic house museums. We look after 600,000 street trees, and two million more in parks. We are New York City's principal providers of recreational and athletic facilities and programs. We are home to free concerts, world-class sports events, and cultural festivals.
For more data on Parks, visit our Parks by the Numbers page.
Know before you go: Read up on Parks Rules & Regulations
Access for All
Accessibility at Parks
The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation strives to help ALL New Yorkers discover how New York City’s nearly 29,000 acres of parks can enrich their lives, promoting physical and emotional well-being, and providing venues for fitness and peaceful respite for the widest possible audience. 
More on Parks Accessibility
Divisions
From planting trees to creating signs to planning the parks of the future, dozens of groups within Parks handle the myriad tasks the agency manages on a daily basis. Our divisions pages offer in-depth details on the activities of some of the core groups within Parks.
- Capital Projects Division
- Concessions
- GreenApple Corps
- Greenbelt Native Plant Center
- GreenThumb
- Historic House Trust
- Marketing & Special Events
- Natural Resources Group
- Urban Park Rangers
People
Need to get in contact with a specific person or division within Parks? Check out our people page! While you’re there you can also meet our Deputy Commissioners. If you can’t find the person you are looking for, try calling us at 888-NYPARKS.
Sustainability: Go Greener
See what the Parks Department is doing to reduce its carbon footprint across the five boroughs. Learn More
Parks History
Bicycling in Parks
From the 19th century biking craze to recent administration initiatives to improve biking opportunities throughout the city. View More History
Parks TV: It's My Park!
From swimming pools to wetlands and everything in between, Parks very own television show, It's My Park!, showcases the treasure trove of experiences waiting for you in NYC’s parks and recreational facilities.
Featured Video: Aids Walk NY
More About Parks
General Park Hours
Parks:
Sunrise to 1 AM
Playgrounds:
8 AM to Dusk.
Parks Initiatives
Partners
Without the assistance of these groups and many others, New York City’s park system could not have experienced the incredible transformation witnessed within the past decade.
Email Newsletters
Who’s playing Summer on the Hudson this year? What’s going on this weekend? Where can I volunteer? When can I tour Fresh Kills? How can I get more fit? Questions like these are answered each day in one of Parks’ educational and entertaining email newsletters. Subscribe today!
Parks’ Language Access Plan
Download the Parks Department’s plan to make information about our facilities and services more widely available to limited-English-proficient New Yorkers.