Bow Bridge - The Park's Romantic Span
Photo: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
A stop on Central Park Highlights Walk, a free self-guided tour.
This graceful cast-iron bridge, curving low over the Lake like an archer's bow, links the open lawns of Cherry Hill with the wild woods of the Ramble. It was designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould and finished in 1862, making it one of the oldest cast-iron bridges in the country. Look at the railing: it is made of interlocking circles, with planting urns set along the sides.
Bow Bridge is a favorite spot for marriage proposals, wedding photos and movie scenes, and it is easy to see why. From the middle you look across the water to the rowboats near the Loeb Boathouse, and to the twin towers of the San Remo apartment building on Central Park West.
The bridge was restored in 1974, after decades of wear, and has been repaired several times since. When you cross it, you leave the formal part of the park behind and enter its most natural-looking area.
Getting here: Walk back east along the lakeshore path from Strawberry Fields toward Cherry Hill and follow the signs to the bridge.
Did you know?: The bridge was built by the same ironworks that made the dome of the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
Photo op: Frame the bridge from the Cherry Hill shore, with its arch reflected in the water and the San Remo towers behind.
More on Wikipedia: Bow Bridge · The San Remo
Stops on this tour
- Grand Army Plaza - A Golden General
- The Pond and Gapstow Bridge - The Classic View
- Wollman Rink - Skating Under the Skyline
- The Mall and Literary Walk - A Cathedral of Elms
- Bethesda Terrace - The Heart of the Park
- Cherry Hill - A Rest Stop for Horses
- Strawberry Fields - A Living Memorial
- Bow Bridge - The Park's Romantic Span
- The Ramble - A Wild Garden by Design
- Turtle Pond - From Reservoir to Wildlife Haven
- Delacorte Theater - Free Shakespeare Under the Stars
- Seneca Village - The Community Under the Park
- Belvedere Castle - The View From Vista Rock