Washington Square Park

Why go

The arch gives Fifth Avenue a ceremonial ending, while the fountain and chess tables provide a more informal center. The park’s surrounding university buildings and surviving residential row connect the open space to different periods of Village life. It works best as part of a neighborhood walk, with time to look beyond the famous arch.

What to look for

• The Washington Square Arch marks the park’s northern gateway at Fifth Avenue.
• The fountain and chess tables shape the central gathering spaces.
• Greek Revival houses survive along Washington Square North.

The full story

The land beneath Washington Square had a history before it became a public park. Minetta Creek ran through a marshy valley here, and the surrounding land was farmed during the Dutch colonial period. Some plots were held by African Americans under a deeply unequal arrangement: adults received a limited form of freedom while owing payments to the Dutch West India Company, and their children remained enslaved. This history complicates the idea of the square as simply an elegant urban open space. By the 1830s, its surrounding streets had become a desirable residential address. The protected Greek Revival row on the north side survives from that era, and Henry James later used Washington Square as the title and setting of his novel. University expansion and cultural activity added other layers. The houses, academic buildings and shared public space can still be read together during a walk around the square.

Useful to know

• Continue into Greenwich Village’s side streets after examining the arch and northern residential row.
• Look for commemorative sculpture as well as the fountain when making a circuit of the park.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.