Vaux & Olmsted: Public Spaces, Private Lives | Virtual Program

Posted on
PAST PROGRAM | Virtual Programs

Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted are best known for designing landmark landscapes in New York City and across the country, most notably Prospect Park and Central Park. Both men had wildly different lives and careers before their collaboration began, and yet they found incredible chemistry and creative energy together, though later their lives again diverged. This program will look closely at the biographies of both men and how their life experiences and outlooks are reflected in the spaces they created together.

>> Continue reading

Virtual Archtober Trivia Night | Wednesday, May 20, 5:30pm

Posted on

PAST PROGRAM | Virtual Programs

Are you ready to learn about NYC from the comfort of your own home? Join us, the Center for Architecture, and Prospect Park Alliance for a virtual version of Archtober Trivia Night! We’ll be diving deep into questions about NYC architecture, history, and culture, and you can play along in teams or on your own. Grab your dog, your cat, and/or fellow NYC history buffs to play, and it’s totally free! You do not have to be an architect or expert to participate.

>> Continue reading

The Carousels of Brooklyn | Virtual Program

Posted on
A close-up of a carved black stallion with lolling tongue and wind-blown mane at the Prospect Park Carousel

PAST PROGRAM | Virtual Programs

From Coney Island to DUMBO, this virtual program will look at Brooklyn’s surviving historic carousels. We will delve into the history of the art form of carousel design, discuss Brooklyn’s own unique style of carousels, and we will have a special focus on the 1912 carousel in Prospect Park, created by master carver Charles Carmel, and the restoration work done to this masterpiece of carousel design over the years.

>> Continue reading

Animal History of Prospect Park | Virtual Program

Posted on

PAST PROGRAM | Virtual Programs

Prospect Park is not just 585 acres for people, but animals, too. We’ll share stories of the furry, feathery, scaly, and slimy inhabitants of the park throughout history, including the livestock that used to work in the park, the inhabitants of the various zoos over time, the dogs that roam the meadows during off-leash hours, and the many wild fauna that thrive in the park today.

>> Continue reading

Earth Day: Ecology of Prospect Park | Virtual Program

Posted on

PAST PROGRAM | Virtual Programs

Celebrate Earth Day by virtually exploring Brooklyn’s largest forest with us and Prospect Park Alliance forest ecologist Howard Goldstein. We will learn about some of the park’s 30,000 trees, ongoing forest maintenance and restoration projects, and how the the Alliance is adapting to challenges like climate change, invasive species, pests, and extreme weather events.

>> Continue reading

Census Day: Telling Brooklyn’s Story Through the US Census | Virtual Program

Posted on

PAST PROGRAM | Virtual Programs

April 1 is Census Day, so we’re discussing the importance of the 2020 Census, and delving into the history, from the first federal census of 1790 to the present day. First, we will speak with Kathleen Daniel, NYC Census Field Director about this year’s census and what is at stake for delivering vital services and funding to our communities. Then, we will be joined by Nalleli Guillen, historian and project manager of Brooklyn Historical Society’s Revealing Long Island History project, who will discuss how historians, genealogists, researchers, artists, and tour guides utilize this rich well of information. This session is being presented in partnership with NYC Census 2020, and with the Brooklyn Historical Society and Prospect Park Alliance, organizations which have been partners in raising awareness about the census in Brooklyn.

>> Continue reading

Brownstoner: Virtual Prospect Park Launches to Help Brooklynites Adhere to Social Distancing

Posted on
Brownstoner Logo, a white B on black background

Brownstoner, March 24, 2020

by Susan de Vries

While you can still appreciate the beauty of the park for brief respites of fresh air with appropriate social distancing, the Prospect Park Alliance is encouraging visitors to head online to explore the green space with a new resource.

Virtual Prospect Park includes resources from educators, historians, gardeners and others to allow a look into Brooklyn’s backyard while following the directive to stay indoors as much as possible during the crisis.

>> Read more

 

Hidden Treasures of Prospect Park | Virtual Program

Posted on

PAST PROGRAM | Virtual Programs

See and learn about Prospect Park’s little-known corners and hidden treasures, including the Rose Garden, Lookout Hill, and the park’s historic archways. Led by two engaging guides, this virtual experience will use photos of the park today and from the archives of the Prospect Park Alliance to illuminate the layers of history still visible in the landscape.

>> Continue reading

The Telegraph: The 20 Greatest Ways to See New York

Posted on
The Telegraph newspaper logo

The Telegraph, May 22, 2019

by Jane Mulkerrins

Turnstile Tours has built a reputation for offering quirky tours, from historic sites such as Brooklyn’s Army Terminal to street markets, and donates at least 5 per cent of all ticket sales to neighbourhood projects. New for this year are two-hour walking tours of Prospect Park – Central Park’s more compact sister in Brooklyn – exploring the meadows and woodlands, art and architecture and waterways. There’s also a tour of the Gowanus waffle production space for the trendy Wafels & Dinges chain. As well as meeting the chefs and learning how the business works, visitors get to make (and eat) their own waffles.

>> Read more

 

Brooklyn Paper: Tour de four: Prospect Park launches a new walk for each week

Posted on
Brooklyn Paper Logo

Brooklyn Paper, April 19, 2019

by Kevin Duggan

These tours make history a walk in the park.

Four new walking tours will reveal Prospect Park’s rich history and uncover its hidden gems. Prospect Park Walking Tours, starting on April 28, will offer a different guided trip through the green space each Sunday, letting audiences focus on the marvels of Brooklyn’s Back Yard they find most interesting.

Each two-hour tour starts at Grand Army Plaza and takes visitors through the park’s 150-year history, from the halcyon days just after landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux opened the green in the 1860s, through the Park’s disrepair in the 1970s, and its rejuvenation in the last two decades, according to one of the guides.

>> Read more