Charles A. Dana Discovery Center

Nestled on the north shore of the Harlem Meer is the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, a visitor center with a host of free educational and community programs, exhibits, tours, and holiday celebrations.

While the building looks quaint, the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center was built in 1993 by the Conservancy. It is Central Park’s newest building, and the first to be built specifically as a visitor center.

Things you can do here

A Discovery Kit with crayons, binoculars, and other goodies, pictured on a lawn in summer

Kids & Families

Discovery Kits

Borrow a Discovery Kit filled with kid-friendly materials for a Park adventure.

Self-Guided Tours

Exploring the North End

Roam through wooded hills and elegant gardens on an afternoon in Central Park’s north end.

Tags: Woodlands

Self-Guided Tours

North End Tour

Discover the northern area of Central Park — from the site of a military fortification to the Park’s only formal garden.

Two fishermen, dressed for chilly weather, casting their fishing rods on the Harlem Meer

Daily Activities

Catch-and-Release Fishing

Borrow fishing poles for catch-and-release fishing in the Harlem Meer.

Part of the exhibit stands in front of a window, overlooking the landscape of the Harlem Meer it describes

Kids & Families

Landforms: A History of Central Park's Fort Landscape

At the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, learn how natural features in Central Park's north end played an important role in shaping the history of our City—and our nation.

Tags: History