25th Anniversary

The Conservancy was founded in 1980 in the hope that dedicated citizens, working in partnership with the City, could reverse the alarming decline of Central Park and restore the Park to its former splendor. Many may not recall the Park in the 1970s and 80s, when the Great Lawn was often referred to as the "great dustbowl," when garbage and debris floated in the Harlem Meer beside a burned out building, or when one could barely find a bench to sit on that wasn't broken or covered in graffiti.  Thankfully, those are but distant memories.  Without the ongoing efforts of the Conservancy and the support of donors and volunteers, however, those memories could again become real.  View our 25th Anniversary Timeline to learn about some of the milestones that have taken place in the history of Central Park and the Conservancy.