Grand Army Plaza Park

Address: Intersection of Flatbush Ave & Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11238, USA

Website: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/grand-army-plaza

Hours: Open 24/7 (public plaza)

Admission: Free

Grand Army Plaza is a large formal public square and traffic circle in the Park Slope/Prospect Heights area of Brooklyn, New York. It functions as the principal ceremonial entrance to Prospect Park and is a focal public space for the borough.

The plaza was laid out in the late 19th century as part of the urban planning around Prospect Park and Eastern Parkway. The central arch was designed by John H. Duncan and completed in 1892 as a Civil War memorial; the plaza area has been altered over time to accommodate traffic and public uses.

Grand Army Plaza sits at the northeast corner of Prospect Park in Brooklyn, a short walk from the Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Public Library. It is served by multiple subway lines and is a major transport node for the surrounding neighborhoods.

• Photography tip: Best light for photography is usually in the morning when traffic is lighter and the arch facade faces east.
• Nearby attractions: Adjacent cultural institutions include the Brooklyn Public Library central branch and the Brooklyn Museum within a short walk from the plaza.

What to See#

• Plaza layout: Located at the northeast corner of Prospect Park where Eastern Parkway, Flatbush Avenue, and Prospect Park West meet, forming a large circular plaza and traffic rotary with pedestrian spaces and formal landscaping.
• Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Arch: A monumental triumphal arch completed in 1892 and sited at the plaza’s center, designed by architect John H. Duncan; the arch is the plaza’s dominant architectural feature.

Grand Army Plaza sits at the northeast corner of Prospect Park where Flatbush Avenue meets Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. Take the NYC Subway 2 or 3 trains to the Grand Army Plaza station (Eastern Parkway/Flatbush Ave) - the station exits put you right at the plaza. Several local buses run along Flatbush Avenue (for example the B41) with stops a short walk from the plaza.

By car it is in central Brooklyn a short drive from Manhattan (roughly 5-7 miles / about 10-20 minutes without traffic via the Brooklyn Bridge or FDR/Flatbush approaches). The plaza itself is immediately accessible on foot from the subway and nearby bus stops.

• Visit early on weekday mornings for clearer sightlines of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch and far fewer pedestrians and vendors than weekends.
• Approach the plaza from Prospect Park or the pedestrian pathways along Eastern Parkway rather than from busy Flatbush Avenue if you want safer, more photo-friendly vantage points.
• If you want to avoid the Saturday Greenmarket crowds, plan a visit before 9:00 a.m. or later in the afternoon; many locals time visits around the market, so midweek is noticeably calmer.
• Walk the circular promenade around the arch rather than just stopping on the sidewalks-different angles reveal sculptural details and views into Prospect Park that many visitors miss.