Best Washington Square Park Day Trips & Things to Do

The 9.75-acre Greenwich Village park designed in 1871 is best known for the Washington Arch monument built in 1889 to commemorate the centennial of the inauguration of United States President George Washington. The original plaster and wood arch was later redone in marble by architect Stanford White. Washington Square Park also contains a large fountain, historic statues, gardens, play areas, benches, picnic tables, chess and scrabble-playing areas, two dog runs and paths. The land that the park sits on was once marshes, farmland, burial grounds and a parade area.