Concert at Naumburg Bandshell

The Concert Ground occupied a central place in Olmsted and Vaux's formal plan for Central Park; it was the point at which the Mall and Bethesda Terrace met.

An ornate cast-iron Bandstand originally stood to the side of the Concert Ground. Surrounding the Bandstand were urns and filigreed metal bird cages, ornamental drinking fountains, and display fountains. Vaux designed benches (similar to those that are there today) for resting, since people tended to dress in their finest for Park concerts. Once concerts became more established, a more casual attitude began to prevail, and Commissioners allowed people to sit on the grass.

To provide a shady overlook for the Concert Ground, Olmsted and Vaux perched a Wisteria Pergola on a high ridge to the east of the original bandshell. The Pergola remains a cool refuge from summer sun, its gnarled wisteria vines woven over the years into a latticework roof, and the springtime wisteria providing aromatic pale lavender blossoms. The Naumburg Bandshell was built in 1923 to replace the earlier cast iron bandstand. In 1923, the concert ground was enlarged.

Today there are musical performances and other events at the Naumburg Bandshell throughout the year. SummerStage, at Rumsey Playfield behind the Wisteria Pergola, offers a variety of multicultural performances throughout the summer.  To read the Parks Department's historical sign about Rumsey Playfield, click here.

Location

• Mid-Park from 66th to 72nd Streets

Perhaps Olmsted and Vaux envisioned New Yorkers promenading up the Mall, stopping occasionally to socialize as they proceeded to the Concert Ground. The music would lift their minds and spirits from daily worries and prepare them for the inspiration that nature would provide in the views from Bethesda Terrace.