For more than a century, the Belvedere (Italian for “beautiful view”) has provided visitors with some of the best views of Central Park. Calvert Vaux, co-designer of the Park, conceived the miniature castle in 1858 as a whimsical open-air structure and lookout tower. Situated atop Vista Rock, the Belvedere offered views of the old Croton reservoir (now the Great Lawn) to the north and the Ramble to the south. In 1919, it was enclosed with windows and doors to serve as a station of the U.S. Weather Bureau.
The weather station moved out of the facility in the early 1960s, and two decades of deterioration and vandalism followed. In 1983, the Conservancy renovated and reopened Belvedere Castle as a visitor center and gift shop. Deterioration in the thirty-five years since has been exacerbated by insufficient drainage, waterproofing, and climate control systems.
In 2019, the Conservancy completed a comprehensive core and shell restoration of the Belvedere, including the expansion and modernization of mechanical systems and supporting utilities.
The Conservancy’s restoration of the Belvedere included:
- Cleaning and repointing the Belvedere’s exterior and interior masonry
- Installing new drainage and waterproofing systems
- Restoring the wood pavilions on the main plaza and upper terraces
- Recreating a wood tower that was originally part of the large pavilion at the northwest corner
- Replacing existing terrace pavements with bluestone pavers laid out according to the historic design
- Replacing the existing windows and doors with clear pane, insulated glass to evoke the Belvedere’s original open-air design and control interior temperature and moisture
- Repairing and replacing interior bluestone floors and ceilings
- Modernizing mechanical systems and upgrading utility services
- Upgrading interior and exterior lighting
Nearby Projects
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Project
King Jagiello Monument Conservation
Our conservation work on the bronze King Jagiello monument focused on making necessary repairs to the statue’s internal mounting system and restoring the statue’s protective coating.
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Obelisk Conservation
The Conservancy completed the most comprehensive conservation of the Egyptian Obelisk in its 3,500-year history, including cleaning its 2,112-square-foot surface with lasers and stabilizing it with adhesive products. The work was a collaborative effort with the Metropolitan Museum of Art and NYC Parks. -
Landscapes & Points of Interest
The Ramble
The Ramble is the most well-known of the Park’s three woodland landscapes, which offer visitors an experience of the woods in the center of New York.
Tags: Nature Lovers / Park Experts / First-Time Visitors
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Project
Restoration of the Ramble
Our restoration of the Ramble was designed to renew the scenic character, enhance the habitat value, and improve the visitor experience of the urban woodland landscape at the heart of the Park’s historic design.
