The Park

Relax, dine al fresco, and enjoy our free programs and amenities

Hours

Open today

January – April
Daily, 7am-10pm
Open late with The Rink for holidays

May – August
Daily, 7am-11pm

September – October
Daily, 7am-10pm

November – December
Daily, 7am-10pm

December
Daily, 7am-10pm
Open late with The Rink during peak schedule
New Year’s Eve the park closes early

Park hours are subject to change.
Management may close the park when conditions are considered unsafe for patrons as a result of weather or necessary maintenance.

Directions

Bryant Park is situated behind the New York Public Library in Midtown Manhattan, between 40th and 42nd Streets & Fifth and Sixth Avenues.

Take the B, D, F, or M train to 42nd Street/Bryant Park.

Take the 7 train to 5th Avenue.

Driving directions to the park.

Restrooms

Open daily, 10am-10pm*

Staffed daily with piped in classical music, Italian tiles, automatic toilets and fixtures by top luxury brand Toto, and a changing station, you’ll feel safe and pampered inside our landmarked comfort station. Located on the northeast corner of the park by 42nd Street.

*Hours are subject to change

Map + Park Areas

Bryant Park is a great place to stretch out, dine al fresco, and relax. It also provides a multitude of free and engaging activities for those looking for some challenging fun.

Rules + Regulations

You are welcome...

○ to enjoy the park, including the lawn, when open
○ to spread blankets on the lawn, but not plastic material or tarpaulins
○ to enjoy the fountains and gardens – without entering flowerbeds or fountains, or picking flowers
○ to use a park chair or one seat on a bench designed for sharing
○ to walk your dog – on a leash and not on the grass – if you clean up after it
○ to take souvenir photos – commercial photography by Bryant Park Corporation (BPC) permit only
○ to deposit garbage in our trash receptacles, but rummaging is prohibited
○ to play in our free activity areas, but organized ballgames are not allowed
○ to use our designated bike racks - not park furniture - to secure your bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, or scooters

Park guidelines prohibit...

○ smoking or vaping
○ alcohol use outside the Bryant Park Grill, Bryant Park Café, and Fever-Tree Porch
○ disorderly behavior, unreasonable noise, or personal amplified music
○ sitting or standing on balustrades
○ performances, parades, or demonstrations, except by BPC permit
○ panhandling
○ feeding pigeons
○ commercial activity or selling goods, except by BPC permit
○ obstructing park entrances or pathways
○ riding bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, or scooters
○ personal property such as carts, furniture, tents, or other structures
○ drug use
○ open flames, as well as cooking and grilling
○ Patrons of Bryant Park are subject to the rules and regulations of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation

History

From potter's field to reservoir to one of the world's busiest public spaces, Bryant Park has a rich and storied history.

Horticulture

Bryant Park is not your everyday city park. At its center is a meticulously groomed lawn of one acre. Bordering the lawn are 600 linear feet of perennial planting beds with 7,000 square feet of planting area. Other planting beds include those on the 40th Street, Sixth Avenue and the Fifth Avenue perimeters, containing another 10,000 square feet of seasonal planting and shrubbery. Throughout the year, discover 20 varieties of perennials, 13 varieties of shrubs, and over 50 varieties of seasonal annuals and spring bulbs. On the northern and southern sides of the park you’ll walk through a gorgeous promenade formed by the allées of London Plane trees. This is one of the most dramatic aspects of the park and contributes to the formal European design and feel. Click on the slideshow below to view all aspects of the park.

Landscape Architecture + Planning

The grounds are maintained and planned with great attention to detail and present a private, estate- like feel. Any landscape is always in a process of change and evolution, and Bryant Park is no exception. During the past 20 years the grounds have continued to transform to create a more satisfying experience for park visitors, and also to accommodate the changing patterns of use. Over 10,000 seasonal summer annuals and 17,000 spring bulbs are planted each year, and new plants are introduced and tested every year.

The Horticulture Department has implemented many key design changes with plant material, pathways and other landscape elements to ensure that the park is a welcoming and beautiful refuge all year long. A custom gravel mixture is used on the paths, and there are over 200 planters and urns including five different types of architectural styles. The lawn is replaced every year after the winter ice rink. Click on the slideshow to view the harmonious relationships between the landscape and architectural elements, and to see how the landscape changes throughout the seasons.

Signature Plants

The most defining and important planting in the park is the monoculture of our hundreds of London Plane Trees (Plantanus acerifolia), situated in allées on the outer perimeters and planted over 80 years ago. The close planting of the trees encouraged the trunks to grow thin and tall as they reached for the sun. The linear pattern and unusual bark of the tree trunks make a dramatic architectural statement. The formal parterre design also incorporates alternating beds of English Ivy (hedera helix) and crushed gravel under the trees.

Although new plants are introduced and tested every year at the park, old favorites and successful plants always make their way back into the displays each season. Click on the slideshow to view a selection of signature plants of Bryant Park.

The Grounds

The lawn is lush and green and the flowers change seasonally but Bryant Park is more than a garden. When you first discover it, nestled in its canyon of skyscrapers, it’s like an oasis–a refuge of peace and calm. But Bryant Park is a city park, full of historical monuments and urban amenities. The park is a social place where friends meet, eat lunch, chat, stroll, listen to music, work on the wireless network, or simply sit and think. Winter, summer, spring, and fall, New Yorkers love this park.

Nearby Architecture

Facing onto Bryant Park from both 40th Street and 42nd Street are several noteworthy buildings of the kind that have long defined Midtown Manhattan as one of the architectural showplaces of the world.

Monuments

A guide to the monuments of Bryant Park

Design

The park strives to design public spaces, structures, furniture and objects with a respect for nature and the end user. Attention to detail and useful elegance are some of the qualities you’ll experience with as you discover the park.