A 120-foot stainless steel globe all but hovers over the fountain, the enormous jets of water obscuring its tiny base. The continents are solid metal, with extruded mountain ranges; the seas, nothing but gaps between meridian lines. Three rings pass through the metal world’s atmosphere, representing early satellite travel. It’s the Unisphere—symbol of the space age, centerpiece of the 1964/65 World’s Fair, and one of the most recognizable monuments in Queens.
It sits in the middle of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens’ conjunction of nature with human arts and recreation. Nothing but a giant ash dump as recently as the 1930s, today Flushing Meadows is a green space in the middle of the metropolis, bigger even than Central Park.
On the north end of the park you can find Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets, and a favorite location of baseball aficionados all over the country. If you’re visiting NYC and enjoy America’s national pastime, going to a Mets game is a must. There are other pastimes, too: just a little south and further within the park is the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, with a total of 38 courts. The US Open is held here each year in December, but for 10 months of the year the courts are publicly accessible.
If you prefer the feats of the human mind to those of the body, the park also has you covered. Head to the west side of the park for the New York Hall of Science, a hands-on museum for all ages. Right next to it you can find the Queens Museum of Art, which, in addition to rotating exhibits by numerous artists, includes the Panorama, a 1:1200 scale model of the entire city of New York. There’s art to be seen outside, too–aside from the looming Unisphere there are three large bronzes in the park, each one also a relic of the World’s Fair, as well as a number of other monuments. There’s also the Queens Zoo, home to 75 species from all over North and South America, and the Queens Theatre, with its iconic glass pavilion.
And then there’s all the usual opportunities for park-related activities you’d expect to find, and more. You can rent a canoe or paddleboat to take out on Meadow Lake, or bike on the trails around it. There are playing fields for almost every kind of sport—soccer, cricket, American football, volleyball, baseball and more, plus a driving range, miniature golf, a skate court and an Olympic-sized pool. And then you can revisit that earliest of park experiences (or bring your own kids) at the Playground for All Children, America’s first playground designed for use by both the disabled and able-bodied.
The park can be found between 44th Avenue and Jackie Robinson Parkway, or at its greatest width between Main Street and Grand Central Parkway, Queens, NY 11355.
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