Central Park's gates are portals to urban serenity.
Upon entering Central Park, visitors pass through designated "gates," that are unlike conventional gates that swing open and shut. These entrances are marked by the modest yet thoughtful engraving of each gate's name on the surrounding short wall. This design choice harmoniously aligns with the park's original intent of embracing humility and a connection to nature.
There were originally 18 gates to the park, each symbolizing significant cultural values of the 19th century. Ironically, it wasn't until 1999 that many of these gates received their engraved names in stone. This occurred when the Central Park Conservancy undertook the completion of a previously unfinished project, adding a retrospective touch to the park's historical narrative.
Changes in park entrances, additions, and removals prompted shifts in names and placements. Initial discussions considered naming gates after war heroes or notable figures but were rejected. Instead, a decision was made to honor New York City's workers. Frederick Law Olmsted, crucially, saw naming gates after occupations as a statement supporting the North's free labor system over the South's slave system.
The most recent addition stands as a significant milestone: The Gate of the Exonerated, dedicated on December 19, 2022. It commemorates the experience of the Exonerated Five and pays tribute to all individuals wrongly convicted of crimes. Remarkably, this gate marks the first and only inclusion to Central Park's official entrance names since the 19th century.
The original 18 names were:
- Artisans'
- Artists'
- Boys'
- Childrens'
- Engineers'
- Farmers'
- Girls'
- The Gate of All Saints
- Hunters'
- Mariners'
- Merchants'
- Miners'
- Pioneers'
- Scholars'
- Stranger's
- Warriors'
- Women's
- Woodmen's