Charles A. Dana Discovery Center

Located on the north shore of the Harlem Meer is the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, a visitor center run by the Central Park Conservancy.

The Conservancy offers free educational and community programs, exhibits, tours, and holiday celebrations at the Dana Discovery Center. While the building looks historic, the Dana Center is Central Park’s newest building. It was constructed in 1993 as part of a major restoration of the Harlem Meer.

The Dana Discovery Center offers Discovery Kits, Lawn Games, and Catch-and-Release fishing pole rentals for free. To make group reservations, please fill out this Dana Center Group Reservation Request form.

Visit the Conservancy's ongoing exhibition at the Dana Center, Open to All: The Story of Central Park’s Gates, presented in conjunction with the dedication of the Gate of the Exonerated—the first and only addition to the named gates since 1862. It tells the story of Central Park’s original entrances and examines how they reflected ideas about the population served by the Park, and where (and how) they can enter.

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