Ever watch Sesame Street with your children and see shots of the home of Count von Count, the PBS television show’s famous vampire who loves to count? If you have, you’ve seen one of New York City’s historical treasures — Belevedere Castle located in Central Park.

Built upon the summit of Vista Rock, the one hundred and forty-five year old castle rests at the second highest elevation in the park. Designed by Calvert Vaux and sculptor Jacob Wrey Mould, the structure was made from Manhattan schist (a type of rock that can be split into layers), with an overlay of gray granite. Over a century ago, the castle was meant to act as a decoration to the woods; however, as the trees grew, the castle has vanished from sight.

Over a hundred years ago, the castle overlooked a large rectangular reservoir, which has been transformed into the Great Lawn of Central Park , grounds which contain eight baseball diamonds, and is host to summer concerts.

Closer to the castle, at the bottom of Vista Rock, you’ll find Turtle Pond, which includes concrete shelves, sunken at different levels to allow shoreline plants to grow, including bullrush, turtlehead, blueflag iris, and lizard’s tail. Since the Turtle Pond was redesigned in 1997, sightings of various birds and reptiles now also include types of dragon-flys not previously seen in Central Park.

If you’ve come to New York and decide to stay by the park , you’ll definitely want to take in the castle’s blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles. Originally, the building contained the New York Meteorological Observatory, but in later years, in 1912, it was used by the United States Weather Bureau. In the 1960s, the castle was closed to the public and left to deteriorate for many years, but in 1983, the Central Park Conservancy reopened the building as the Henry Luce Nature Observatory.

Today, you’ll find inside exhibits for the whole family, including displays of microscopes and telescopes, feathers, and skeletons, all purposed to teach children about natural observations and the scientific method.

Count von Count would be proud.

Belevedere Castle in Central Park is a post from: Virtual Villages

Related posts:

1. The Boats of the Conservatory Water: Central Park, NYC There are many things to do in the city of...
2. Castle Fireplaces Have you ever had the opportunity to take a walk...
3. LeFleur’s Bluff State Park Outside Jackson is Perfect for Family Reunions Phillip had never been to Jackson, Mississippi before and was...