Park Secrets.

Secret Gardens of Central Park

The Hallett Nature Sanctuary, a four-acre woodland at the park's southeast corner near 59th Street and Sixth Avenue, was closed to the public for over two decades before being partially reopened in 2016. During its closure, the sanctuary evolved into a genuine urban wilderness — a dense thicket of native trees, wildflowers, and wildlife just steps from one of the busiest intersections in Manhattan. Even now that it's accessible, most park visitors walk right past its entrance without noticing it. The sanctuary's trails are narrow, unmarked, and quiet in a way that feels impossible given its location above a subway station.

Shakespeare Garden, on the western slope below Belvedere Castle, is planted exclusively with species mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare — roses, primrose, rue, thyme, and dozens more. Bronze plaques throughout the garden quote the relevant passages. The Conservatory Garden, the only formal garden in the park, is accessed through the ornate Vanderbilt Gate on Fifth Avenue at 105th Street — an entrance so grand that tourists assume it leads to a private property and walk past. Inside, three distinct garden styles — Italian, French, and English — create a sequence of outdoor rooms that bloom from April through October. The Secret Garden fountain, inspired by the Frances Hodgson Burnett novel, is the centerpiece of the English section.

StoryHunt's Central Park garden experience leads you to the park's quietest corners through clues delivered to your phone. You'll investigate hidden entrances, decode botanical inscriptions, and discover garden spaces that most of the park's 42 million annual visitors never find. Each clue connects the gardens to the park's layered history — from the original Olmsted and Vaux design to the volunteer efforts that saved these spaces from neglect. A quiet, immersive walk through the park's most beautiful secrets.