Central Park Pictures

Every summer, New Yorkers gather on the Great Lawn to watch free performances by The Metropolitan Opera and The New York Philharmonic -- but few realize that the Great Lawn was not part of Central Park's original design. The Great Lawn was actually built to replace the Croton Reservoir, which used to supply drinking water for New York City, but was no longer needed when the water system was redesigned in 1917.

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Central Park Visitors Guide