While it\u2019s often overshadowed by its more popular Manhattan counterpart, Prospect Park is one Brooklyn attraction that can\u2019t be missed. Both parks were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux; however, these park masterminds actually considered Prospect Park to be their masterpiece, a chance to correct the mistakes they made when they designed Central Park a few years earlier. At first glance, these green oases are very similar but upon your visit, you\u2019ll find that Prospect Park is more \u201cnatural\u201d than Central Park and much quieter. Make sure not to overlook these things the next time you stop by \u201cBrooklyn\u2019s backyard\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grand Army Plaza<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As the name suggests, Grand Army Plaza is the grandest entrance to Prospect Park (which has seventeen entrances total). It\u2019s impossible to miss this massive arch with several bronze statues jutting out of it. Called the Soldiers and Sailors Arch, these statues give homage to the \u201cDefenders of the Union\u201d during the Civil War. The inner curve of the arch also features carvings of President Abraham Lincoln and Union General Ulysses S. Grant. If you\u2019re brave enough to cross the busy intersection to get a closer look at the arch, you\u2019ll also be treated to a small park separate from Prospect Park, decorated with other sculptures and a mermaid fountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prospect Park Carousel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Just a quick walk from the Prospect Park Zoo is the wildly whimsical Prospect Park Carousel. This functional work of art has been a delight to both children and adults since the early 1900s. Like most other carousels, this one is equipped with a fleet of horses \u201353 in all\u2013 but quite unusually, it also features a deer, a giraffe, a lion, and two dragon chariots. Something else that makes the Prospect Park Carousel unique: it\u2019s one of the few wheelchair-accessible carousels in the country. There\u2019s no reason why anyone should miss out on the fun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Ravine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a reason why Prospect Park is considered a \u201cnatural\u201d park. Unlike with Central Park where trees and bushes had to be imported, the designers of Prospect Park worked with Brooklyn\u2019s native forests to create the woodsy Ravine. Step into the Ravine today and you\u2019ll think that you\u2019re in the Adirondack Mountains. Along with being a great place to escape the city without actually leaving, the Ravine is a prime spot for bird watching. While you\u2019re there see what other wildlife you can spot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n