Bryant Park

Bryant Park bustles with life year-round, from its famed Winter Village, home to an ice rink and a holiday market, to its lush summertime environment. Continue reading to learn about the history of the park, and what you can do there. 

History of Bryant Park 

The area that is now Bryant Park has been a public space since as early as 1686, when it was still wilderness. In 1847, a park first opened on the land, called Reservoir Square. A few years later, the park was the site of the Crystal Palace, a massive glass and iron structure built as an exhibition hall for the 1853 Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations, though the building burned down five years later.  

What is now Bryant Park came out of a renovation of Reservoir Square in the 1870s; it was renamed in 1884 after William Cullen Bryant, editor of the New York Evening Post. The New York Public Library — more specifically, the NYPL’s Main Branch, known as the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building — opened in 1911 on the eastern half of the park. 

Things to Do at Bryant Park 

Bryant Park is the perfect place to relax, whether on the terrace of the New York Public Library or by one of the lawns, or even at one of the park’s restaurants. You can admire nearby buildings, which are noted for their architecture. These include the sloping W.R. Grace Building, the Beaux-Arts Bryant Park Studio Building, which houses notable artists’ studios, and the American Radiator Building, a tower built of dark brick topped with gold.  

Bryant Park is also home to a host of important monuments and statues. Among these are the lions guarding the terrace of the NYPL — carved in marble by the Piccirilli brothers and named “Patience” and “Fortitude” by former NYC mayor Fiorella LaGuardia — and a 1923 bust of Gertrude Stein, famed American author and poet, along with various other statues of figures like writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and businessman William Earl Dodge. 

Besides admiring the nearby architecture and important statues, Bryant Park is a great place to soak in the outdoors. In wintertime, the park hosts a Winter Village in conjunction with Bank of America, which includes a 17,000 square foot ice rink and igloos, winter cafés, and artisanal craft shops. In the spring, summer, and early fall, you can head to Bryant Park Grill, Le Pain Quotidien, or the other restaurants in the park.  

New York Public Library 

This flagship building of the entire New York Public Library network is an official NYC landmark and home to more than 2.5 million books. It has an impressive Beaux-Arts facade and an elegant surrounding terrace; its interior, however, is even better due to the knowledge it contains.  

Home to rare book collections, various literary archives, and much more, the NYPL is one of the world’s greatest libraries. Whether you’re a researcher or not, you can visit to explore the exhibitions and to tour the library. Click here to learn more.  

How to Visit Bryant Park 

Bryant Park is free to enter, and it is open daily including on holidays. However, hours change based on the month, so check here to make sure you plan your visit for the right time.  

Head to Bryant Park to bask in the beautiful juxtaposition of New York City’s outdoors and to visit one of the world’s best libraries.