Flushing Meadows Corona Park is located in the borough of Queens, New York. At 5.1 km², only Pelham Bay Park (11.2 km²) and Greenbelt Park (7.2 km²) are larger in the city. Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx and Central Park in Manhattan are smaller than it.
A cultural space
The park has long been known for hosting major events with international impact. In fact, it was founded in 1939 to host the World’s Fair that same year and repeated this performance at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
Flushing Meadows Corona Park is a green and cultural space. As you walk down a flowery path, you will discover the Queens Theater Cultural Center building, the New York Hall of Science and the Queens Museum of Art. Children will prefer to go to the Queens Zoological Park.
They will have to pass by the Unisphere, the most famous monument in the park. It is a stainless steel sphere whose dimensions will surprise all visitors. This work of art by Gilmore D. Clarke is over 42 metres high and weighs over 300 tonnes. It represents the Earth and celebrates “peace through understanding”.
A sports area
However, it is because of its presence in the world of sport that Flsuhing Meadows Park has gained an international reputation. The park is home to the prestigious Billie Jeans King complex, a vast estate with 22 tennis courts for matches and 11 courts for practice.
Thanks to these facilities, the stadium hosts the prestigious US Open every year, which counts towards the world tennis championship rankings. The centre court, Arthur Ashe Stadium, can hold 22,000 people. But you don’t have to be a champion to play sports at Flushing Meadows.
Local children can play on one of the many playgrounds (cricket, baseball, handball, football, etc.) or go to the swimming pool and ice rink. The Flushing River runs through the park and feeds two lakes on which boats can be hired.
Cyclists can take the bike path around Meadow Lake before joining the Brooklyn-Queens Greenway. Nearby, you can hear the roar of aircraft landing and taking off from the runways at La Guardia Airport.
Not far away, you can see the bleachers of Shea Stadium. This baseball stadium, which was home to the New York Jets from 1964 to 1983, is now the home of the famous New York Mets. Fans have always filled the 55,000 available seats.
Flushing Meadows offers many opportunities for those who wish to participate in sports.
Useful information
Opening hours: free
Entrance fee: free
