Predating Central Park itself, the Arsenal was originally an armory dating back to 1851. Since then, the Arsenal has had an array of purposes for Central Park and the city of New York. In fact, it was the original space used for the National History Museum until Calvert Vaux’s current architecture for the museum was finished in 1877. Today, it still functions with multiple purposes, including a gallery space on the third floor that rotates exhibitions.
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