9. Madison Square Park (1847)

Located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street in Manhattan, Madison Square Park remains one of New York City’s most iconic and oldest parks. Laid out in 1847, this six-acre park was named after President James Madison, and continues to be a focus of public activities for the city.

The area where the park is now had been a swampy hunting ground which first came into use as a public space in 1686. There was a United States Army arsenal there from 1811 until 1825, when it became the New York House of Refuge for the Society for the Protection of Juvenile Delinquents for children under sixteen committed by the courts for indefinite periods until 1839 when the building was destroyed in a fire. On May 10, 1847, Madison Square Park opened to the public.