Belvedere Castle and Turtle Pond050

Nature fans and young ecologists can have a great time visiting these two Central Park institutions.

A favorite spot for bird watching, the Castle is also one of the Park's information hubs, and is home to the Henry Luce Nature Observatory. Activities and tours are frequently run for children, and you'll find some hands-on exhibits relating to the Castle's long history as a data-gathering outpost for the US Weather Bureau. Check our calendar for listings.

Also at Belvedere Castle, the Central Park Conservancy lends Park users a free backpack containing binoculars, a guidebook, maps, and sketching materials for bird watching in the Ramble or other locations in the Park. Two pieces of ID are required, and users must be 6 or older - an adult must accompany children under 12 years of age. Call 212.772.0210 to reserve.

Be sure to climb the narrow stone staircase two flights to the top - the view is magnificent, particularly in spring and autumn.

Turtle Pond runs below the Castle, and besides being home-base for tons of turtles, it shelters frogs, fish, and waterfowl. Once in a while, you might even spot a huge blue heron fishing in the pond. Since the pond is designated as a quiet zone, this is a nice peaceful place to sit with a very young child and commune with nature.