Flushing Meadows–Corona Park

Flushing Meadows–Corona Park is a large public park located in the northern part of Queens, New York City. It is the fourth-largest park in the entire city, covering 897 acres. The park is bordered by major roads and waterways, including the Van Wyck Expressway to the east, Grand Central Parkway to the west, Flushing Bay to the north, and Union Turnpike to the south.

Originally, the area was made up of wetlands along the Flushing River. In the early 1900s, it was used as a dumping ground for ashes. The idea to create a large park there began in the 1920s, and the land was later chosen to host the 1939 New York World's Fair and again for the 1964 New York World's Fair. After the second fair, the park experienced some decline but has seen improvements since the 1990s.

Today, the park still shows the layout from the World's Fairs and includes many popular attractions such as the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the US Open, and Citi Field, where the New York Mets play baseball. Other highlights are the New York Hall of Science, the Queens Museum, the Queens Zoo, and the famous Unisphere sculpture. The park is cared for by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, with help from local groups.

Etymology

The park gets its name from the nearby areas called Flushing and Corona. These two places are separated by the park itself. The word "Flushing" comes from a town named Vlissingen in the Netherlands. Over time, people began to use "flushing" to mean cleaning by rushing water. The word "Corona" was added to the park's name when the 1964 New York World's Fair was held there.

History

Early years

During glacial periods, including the Wisconsin glaciation around 20,000 years ago, ice sheets carved out valleys and hills across North America. This shaping created bays and estuaries along the north shore of Long Island. What is now Flushing Meadows Park was formed just north of a sand and gravel ridge, with rivers north of this ridge flowing into the north shore. The area became a glacial lake and then a salt marsh after the ice melted. Before glaciers, the Flushing River valley drained into the Atlantic Ocean through the Hudson River. Through the 1800s, the area remained wetlands along the Flushing River. It was home to waterfowl and fiddler crabs, with fish using the water for spawning.

The area was first settled by Algonquian Native Americans, including the Canarsee and Rockaway Lenape groups. In 1640, Dutch settlers arrived, establishing towns like Newtown and Flushing. The meadows became known as Corona Meadows. By 1666, European settlers had displaced the Native Americans. Wealthy landowners built farmhouses there in the 1600s. The meadows provided natural resources like timber, water, soil, and grass for animals. During the American Revolution, a farmhouse there served as a headquarters for British forces.

By the 1800s, roads crossed the meadows along what are now Northern Boulevard and the Long Island Expressway. Railroads were also built through the area. After the Civil War, the meadows became a waterfront resort, with New Yorkers building homes there. British saloon-keeper Harry Hill built the Flushing Bay Hotel and Pavilion on the future marina site.

Filling and use as a dumping ground

In 1907, contractor Michael Degnon bought tracts of marsh near Flushing Creek. He planned to create an industrial port around Flushing Bay, similar to one he developed in Long Island City. By 1911, Degnon had a plan with the United States Department of War and the Queens Topographical Bureau to widen the Flushing River and build docks for ships, factories, and freight facilities. The residential areas of Corona were expected to house factory workers.

To create the port, Degnon began filling the land in 1910 using coal ash and street sweepings from Brooklyn. He set up companies to collect residential ash via trolleys and freight trains, nicknamed the "Talcum Powder Express" for the soot they spread. The northern end was filled using dirt pumped from Flushing Bay. The filling was complete by 1916.

World War I halted the port plan in 1917, but dumping continued due to increased garbage incinerators in the city. The area became known as the Corona Dump or Corona Ash Dumps. Over nearly 30 years, around 50 million cubic yards of ash and waste were dumped there. One ash mound, called "Mount Corona," rose 90 feet high. The dumps caused strong odors, unsightliness, and rat infestations. They were also a major mosquito breeding ground. The dumps were famously called "a valley of ashes" in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The dumps and polluted river were accused of helping spread a disease outbreak in Corona in 1916. The Brooklyn Ash Removal Company was taken to court in 1923 for smoke from the dumps. In 1931, they opened the Corona Park Golf and Country Club. When Etihad Park was built for New York City FC in 2027, "The Valley of Ashes" became one of its nicknames.

Park planning and World's Fairs

1939–1940 Fair and aftermath

Main article: 1939 New York World's Fair

In the 1920s, New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses idea of developing a large park in Flushing Meadow. He wanted it to be a "true 'Central Park'", especially with population moving to Queens and Long Island due to urban growth. Moses also planned Flushing Meadows as part of a chain of parks across Queens, including Kissena Park, Cunningham Park, Alley Pond Park, and Douglaston Park. In 1929, representatives from surrounding communities created a plan to turn the ash dump into a recreational complex.

In 1930, Moses released plans for parks and highways, including the Grand Central Parkway. The Brooklyn Ash Removal Company's contract ended in 1933, and the city took over in 1934. The Brooklyn Ash property occupied around 300 acres of the 1,000-acre site. The rest still contained natural wildlife, visited by trappers, residents collecting firewood and growing vegetables, and later, squatters during the Great Depression. Areas were also used for growing vegetables, fertilized by the garbage and manure.

In 1935, the site was chosen for the 1939 World's Fair. Houses in Corona east of 111th Street were condemned and added to the site, displacing residents. Plans were drafted by Parks Department landscape architect Gilmore David Clarke and his partner Michael Rapuano, designed in Beaux-Arts style. Work on the fair site began on June 16, 1936. The project involved leveling ash mounds, with leftover material used to fill other areas. Two sites were excavated to create Meadow and Willow Lake, and much of the Flushing River was diverted into underground culverts. A floodgate was built to prevent tidal flooding. The dirt from the lake sites was used as topsoil for the park. The project employed 450 workers in three shifts, battling high tide and dust storms from the ash. Thousands of trees were transplanted, and thousands of Douglas fir timbers were driven into the ground for fair structure foundations. The pedestrian plan included wide tree-lined pathways, including a central "Cascade Mall" leading to the Trylon and Perisphere, many retained for the park.

With mountains of ashes to dispose of, Moses incorporated much of the refuse into roadways bordering the park, including the Van Wyck Expressway (Interstate 678), the nearby Interboro Parkway (now Jackie Robinson Parkway), and the Long Island Expressway (Interstate 495) that divides the park. The Grand Central Parkway separates a western lobe from the main part of the northern half, while Jewel Avenue bisects the southern half. The success led Moses and the city to develop other wetlands into parks via landfilling, such as Marine Park and Spring Creek Park in Brooklyn, and Ferry Point Park in the Bronx. This was also the original plan for the Fresh Kills and Edgemere landfills, which remained open and became large waste sites. Fresh Kills was developed into Freshkills Park in the early 21st century.

A water main through Flushing Meadows Park to supply water to Flushing failed in November 1939. Unlike the fair buildings, the pipeline was not built on piling foundations and sank into the marsh and landfill. In January 1940, Borough President Harvey demanded an investigation, and the Board of Estimate allocated $50,200 for repairs. After the Fair closed in 1940, the site was supposed to be cleared to develop and open Flushing Meadows as a city park. The onset of World War II delayed the project. The fair's profits were to pay for park development, but it turned a financial loss. Only two permanent attractions opened in 1941: an ice skating rink and roller rink in the New York City Building, and a public pool in the New York State Marine Amphitheatre (now demolished). The latter used the pool from Billy Rose's Aquacade during the fair.

Meanwhile, some 1939 Fair buildings were used for the first temporary headquarters of the United Nations beginning in 1946. The former New York City Building was used for the UN General Assembly. Moses tried to sell Flushing Meadows as a permanent UN headquarters, needing new structures and a redesign. The proposal was rejected due to concerns about the marshland's strength for construction, lack of scenic beauty, and distance from Manhattan. The UN moved to their permanent headquarters in 1951. The New York City building was later refurbished for the 1964/1965 Fair as the New York City Pavilion, featuring the Panorama of the City of New York, an enormous scale model of the entire city. It is one of two buildings that survive from the 1939/40 Fair, and the only one in its original location. (The other is the Belgium exhibition building, disassembled and moved to Virginia Union University in 1941.) It is now the home of the Queens Museum of Art, which still houses and occasionally updates the Panorama. The rest of the park fell into disrepair, with wild animals moving back in. Only minor upgrades occurred during this time.

1964–1965 Fair

Main article: 1964 New York World's Fair

The Flushing Meadows site was selected in 1959 for the 1964 World's Fair. Gilmore D. Clarke and Michael Rapuano were retained to adapt the original 1939 park layout. Three structures were kept from 1939. New structures and attractions were built, including the Unisphere, Shea Stadium, the New York Hall of Science, and Queens Botanical Garden. The Unisphere, built as the theme symbol for the 1964/1965 World's Fair, has become the park's main sculptural feature. It stands on the site of the Perisphere from the earlier Fair. The Van Wyck Expressway was extended north through the park along the right-of-way of the former World's Fair Railroad. Moses and the Parks Department prepared post-fair plans to finish Flushing Meadows Park, as well as Kissena Corridor Park and Kissena Park, projected to be complete by 1967.

In early 1964, the New York City Council added "Corona" to the park's name; it became "Flushing Meadows–Corona Park" in preparation for that year's World's Fair. Councilman Edward Sadowsky explained this corrected an injustice: "The people of Corona have long lived in the aroma of a junkyard or a dump named for their community. Now, when there is something beautiful to be seen, there is no mention of the name Corona." After the fair, most buildings were demolished. Some were relocated, such as the Wisconsin Pavilion, Uniroyal Giant Tire, and Golden Rondelle Theater, while others remained, like the Unisphere, Hall of Science, New York State Pavilion, and United States Pavilion. Most of the remaining $11.6 million from fair funds, plus money from Moses' Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, were used to rehabilitate the site into a true park. City officials proposed a "sports park" in 1966; ultimately, the Parks Department took back ownership, opening on June 3, 1967.

Late 20th century

Although the park opened, it had yet to become the grand park Moses envisioned. In August 1967, new parks commissioner August Heckscher II sought improvements to turn it into the "Central Park of the 20th century". A new plan by architects Marcel Breuer, Lawrence Halprin, and Kenzō Tange included a central mall by Halprin, a "spine" of retail buildings to the south (designed by Breuer), and a sports complex to the north (designed by Tange). The project was never built due to funding issues with the New York City Comptroller's office. By 1972, little development had occurred, and many World's Fair structures remained in disrepair. This disrepair was systematic within the park system, due to lack of funding during that decade's fiscal crisis. This continued into the 1980s.

In 1975, a group of traditionalist Catholics began evening rosary prayer vigils at the old Vatican Pavilion exedra monument from the 1964 New York World's Fair, having relocated from Bayside, Queens. This was led by Veronica Lueken, who claimed to experience visions there of the Virgin Mary, giving out messages from heaven, often apocalyptic. At its height, thousands attended nightly events on feast days. One event in June 1983 attracted fifteen thousand pilgrims. Despite popularity, Bishop Francis Mugavero, then Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, stated in a 1986 declaration that the events lacked credibility. After Lueken's death in 1995 and her husband's in 2002, their followers divided into two small camps that continued visiting the park for vigils.

In 1978, the US Open tennis tournament moved from the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The tournament was held in the Singer Bowl stadium (renamed Louis Armstrong Stadium), a 1964 World's Fair structure renovated and expanded. Other park parts were repaired or expanded for the tournament, including Unisphere fountains.

Arne Abramowitz became administrator of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in 1986 and began planning a renovation. In 1987, NYC Parks announced an $80 million rehabilitation. The northern section's grounds were landscaped in 1992, and the Unisphere restoration finished in May 1994. By the mid-1990s, NYC Parks planned to spend another $19 million to rebuild fountains, build a new ramp to the Willets Point Boulevard station, add three entrances and a cultural walk, and enlarge the Hall of Science. The Aquacade amphitheater, extensively decayed, was demolished in 1996. Arthur Ashe Stadium opened in 1997, replacing a smaller stadium. Mosaic medallions commemorating the World's Fair were installed at David Dinkins Circle in 1998; it's unknown who designed them.

Early 21st century

By the early 2000s, NYC Parks had spent $61 million to renovate the park, including $11 million for a promenade along Flushing Bay, $7 million for turf fields, and six new playgrounds. The park became home to homeless people, which received attention after five possibly homeless individuals abducted, raped, and threatened to harm a woman sitting with her partner at the nearby Mets–Willets Point subway station.

Improvements were made in the 2000s and 2010s. The Flushing Meadows–Corona Park Conservancy formed in 2002 to advocate for parkland. The $66.3 million Flushing Meadows Corona Park Aquatics Center, with an Olympic-sized indoor pool and an NHL regulation-sized skating rink, opened in 2008. This was followed by Citi Field, a new baseball field replacing Shea Stadium, in 2009.

The Alliance for Flushing Meadows–Corona Park was created in 2015. It commenced construction or announced plans for several improvements, including restoring the New York State Pavilion, constructing a "mist garden" in the Fountains of the Fairs, building a promenade around Meadow Lake, and rehabilitating the World's Fair Playground and marina. In 2015, the park started hosting the Queens Night Market, a summertime food market featuring cuisine from many countries. The market became popular due to its affordability, with all food costing a maximum of $5–6. Another food festival, the World's Fare, started in 2017 and is held in Citi Field's parking lot on the third weekend of May. Restoration of the New York State Pavilion began in 2019, as did work on the Fountains of the Fairs. The Fountains of the Fairs were dedicated in October 2020.

In early 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gave a local group, the Waterfront Alliance, a $530,000 grant to study climate change effects at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park after U.S. representative Grace Meng requested it the previous year. The park was extremely vulnerable to flooding due to its topography and sea level rise from global warming. Scientists predicted parts would flood regularly by the 2050s and the entire park could be underwater by the 2080s. At the time, the city was spending $350 million on park upgrades, though $80–100 million was estimated needed for plumbing alone. The park became popular with Queens's large Latin-American community, who frequently played soccer there. The first phase of the New York State Pavilion's renovation finished in 2023, with a second phase planned for 2025. The mosaic medallions at David Dinkins Circle had become dilapidated by 2024, when NYC Parks announced plans to remove them, citing tripping hazards.

New York state officials announced in April 2022 that they would issue three casino licenses in Downstate New York. Following this, in 2023, New York Mets owner Steven A. Cohen proposed redeveloping the parking lot west of Citi Field, later called Metropolitan Park. The city rezoned the Metropolitan Park site in March 2025, and the New York State Legislature approved the rezoning that May; these approvals removed the 78-acre Metropolitan Park site from Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. A casino license for the site was given by the New York State Gaming Commission in December 2025.

Geography

Flushing Meadows–Corona Park was designed by Gilmore D. Clarke and Michael Rapuano for the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs. It is the fifth-largest public park in New York City. For many years, people thought the park was 1,255 acres, but a survey in 2013 showed it is actually 897 acres when including major roads and other areas around the park.

The northern part of the park has wide paths that were used during the World's Fairs to lead visitors to important places like pavilions and fountains. Today, you can still see the Unisphere and the Queens Museum there. There are also beautiful fountains and open spaces where people can play sports or relax.

The southern part of the park has two lakes called Meadow Lake and Willow Lake. These lakes are fed by the Flushing River, which flows north to Flushing Bay. The area around Meadow Lake has grassy areas and places to have picnics, while Willow Lake is a nature reserve with many plants and birds. The park is surrounded by highways, which makes some parts harder to reach.

Notable structures

Attractions

Sports stadiums

Near the northern end of the park is a "Sport Center" zone where the US Open tennis tournament is held. In 2006, the tennis center was named the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center after tennis player Billie Jean King. Its main court is Arthur Ashe Stadium, and another big court is Louis Armstrong Stadium. Citi Field, home of the New York Mets since 2009, is at the far north end of the park. Shea Stadium, where the Mets and the New York Jets used to play, once stood where Citi Field is now.

Besides these stadiums, other sports places were once planned for the park. In the 1950s, some people wanted the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team to move here, but they went to Los Angeles in 1958 instead. Later, ideas for a racing track for a Formula One race came up, but they were stopped. In the 1980s, a football team wanted to build a stadium here, but those plans fell through. More recently, a soccer stadium was planned but moved to another location. In 2022, plans were made to build a new stadium called Etihad Park near Citi Field, expected to open in 2027.

Recreational facilities

Meadow Lake in the park has a boat house from the 1939 World's Fair. You can rent boats there for rowing and paddleboating. The lake is also used for rowing by the group Row New York. Every year, there is a Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York on the lake. There are also paths to bike around the lake that connect to the Brooklyn–Queens Greenway.

Willow Lake has a nature trail that reopened in 2013. The trail is called the Pat Dolan Trail. The park has many fields and playgrounds for different sports popular in Queens, like soccer and cricket. There is also a place to run, and by the 2020s, the park had eight playgrounds and a skate park. Near the northeast corner, there is the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Aquatics Center and the Al Oerter Recreation Center, both opened in 2008.

World's Fair facilities

Some buildings from the 1964 World's Fair are still used today. The New York Hall of Science at the park's northern corner opened during the fair and is still there. The Flushing Meadows Carousel also started at the 1964 Fair and is still operating. The New York State Pavilion from the same fair is still there but needs fixing. The Queens Theatre in the Park moved into part of the pavilion in 1993. The Queens Museum was the United Nations General Assembly's home after the 1939 Fair and was used for the 1964 Fair too.

Art installations

Outside the tennis center is a sculpture called Soul in Flight by Eric Fischl, unveiled in 2000. It honors Arthur Ashe. In 2022, a statue of rapper LL Cool J was shown in the park for a short time.

Other infrastructure

The park has three places where the Metropolitan Transportation Authority keeps its vehicles: the Jamaica subway yard, the Corona subway yard, and the Casey Stengel Bus Depot. The Jamaica Yard is at the very south end of the park, while the other two are near Citi Field.

Transportation

The New York City Subway and Long Island Rail Road both stop near the north end of the park. The IRT Flushing Line subway station at Mets–Willets Point has trains that stop there, and the Long Island Rail Road also has a station close by. These stations mainly help people get to places like Citi Field and the Hall of Science. Several buses, including the Q58, Q64, Q74, Q88, Q90, and Q98, pass through or near the park.

In media

The famous novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald may have used the area of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park as inspiration for its "Valley of Ashes" setting when it was still a dump, along with nearby Willets Point.

The movie Men in Black (1997) showed the restaurants on top of the New York State Pavilion as alien spaceships. Another film, Men in Black 3 (2012), was partly filmed there, including a scene showing the old Shea Stadium from the 1969 World Series.

Skateboarders have used the New York State Pavilion for tricks since the 1990s. The TV show The King of Queens also filmed some of its opening scenes there. The finish line of the first season of The Amazing Race was at the Unisphere in the park, and it was also a stop in Season 25. Movies like Iron Man 2 (2010), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) featured the park as the location for the Stark Expo. Musician Paul Simon chose the park for his final live concert on September 22, 2018, as he grew up nearby and visited the park often.