Great Escape: Fort Greene Park

What would we do without our parks? They provide education, recreation and peaceful tranquility. And , one of the oldest in the city, is like the mother of them all — a great local escape from the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle.

In 1847, the land between Myrtle and DeKalb avenues became Brooklyn’s first park, then known as Washington Park. In the 1860s, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, designers of Central Park and Prospect Park, prepared a design for the land which was later dubbed Fort Greene Park in 1896. Today, Fort Greene Park’s 30 rolling acres feature monuments, gardens and athletic areas.

The , designed by renowned architect Stanford White, is the park’s standout historical landmark. Consisting of a 100-foot-wide granite staircase and a central Doric column 149 feet in height, the monument marks the site of a crypt for more than 11,500 men and women, known as the prison ship martyrs, who were buried in a tomb near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Their passing during the Revolutionary War is remembered on the monument’s plaque.

Flora and fauna enthusiasts can enjoy the park’s several tree species and beautiful gardens while keeping an eye out for some of nature’s most delicate creatures. Monarch butterflies migrate each year and pass through Fort Greene Park in late June. They can often be seen resting in the butterfly garden.

Fort Greene Park’s recreational facilities include basketball courts, fitness paths and tennis courts. Parents can barbeque on the park’s grills while kids play on the playground. Soon, visitors will be able to take advantage of , which will be installed as part of a digital initiative in 20 New York City parks.

Fort Greene Park hosts several events each month including hikes, scavenger hunts and family camping in the woods. This Saturday at 11 a.m., visitors can sift through the sands of time on a free at the Visitor Center.

For more info on our park, visit nycgovparks.org/parks/FortGreenePark.