Fort Tryon Park

Fort Tryon Park is a public park in Washington Heights, northern Manhattan, overlooking the Hudson River and the New Jersey Palisades. The park was developed in the 1930s with philanthropic support and combines formal gardens, woodland walks and panoramic river views.

A principal attraction within the park is The Cloisters, a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that houses a collection of European medieval art in a building reconstructed and arranged to evoke medieval cloisters. The Heather Garden and a series of terraces and promenades provide cultivated plantings and viewpoints across the Hudson.

The park’s designed landscape interleaves specimen planting, steeply terraced slopes and meandering paths, making it popular for walking, photography and quiet river views. Facilities include visitor amenities and connections to local subway and bus routes on Manhattan’s west side.

Fort Tryon Park sits in the Washington Heights neighbourhood of upper Manhattan, a short public‑transit trip from Midtown and accessible from Fort Tryon Drive and nearby subway stations.

• Origins and design: Created and gifted to the city by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in the 1930s, the park combines designed gardens with the Cloisters museum and offers elevated views of the Hudson River and Palisades.
• Best time and admission: The Heather Garden is at its best in late spring and early summer; The Cloisters requires a separate Met admission and is a primary reason many visitors come to the park.

What to See #

• The Cloisters museum: The **Cloisters**, a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art housed in medieval‑style buildings, containing a collection of European medieval art, sculpted portals and cloistered gardens.
• Heather Garden and viewpoints: The Heather Garden, a cultivated slope of mixed heathers, rhododendrons and seasonal plantings with panoramic views across the Hudson River and Palisades.
• Promenades and terraces: Scenic promenades, terraces and woodland paths offering views over the Hudson River and spaces for walking and informal recreation.