Fort Greene Park

Fort Greene Park is a 30-acre park in the heart of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, one of the borough's most historically significant and beautifully designed public spaces. The park was originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1867, making it one of the earliest parks created by the legendary landscape architecture team outside of their work on Central and Prospect Parks.

The park occupies a prominent hilltop that was fortified during the Revolutionary War as Fort Putnam, one of several defensive positions built by the Continental Army during the Battle of Long Island in 1776. The park's elevated terrain provides sweeping views of downtown Brooklyn, the Manhattan skyline, and the surrounding neighborhoods.

The park's most prominent feature is the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument, a 149-foot Doric column topped by a bronze brazier, which commemorates the more than 11,500 American prisoners of war who died aboard British prison ships anchored in nearby Wallabout Bay during the Revolutionary War. More Americans died on these ships than in all the battles of the Revolution combined.

The monument, designed by Stanford White and dedicated in 1908, stands at the park's highest point and is visible from across the surrounding neighborhoods. A crypt beneath the monument contains the remains of some of the prisoners, making Fort Greene Park one of the most significant Revolutionary War memorial sites in America.

The park features a central oval lawn, mature London plane trees, playgrounds, basketball and tennis courts, a farmers market, and a dog run. The Greenmarket at Fort Greene Park, held on Saturdays, is one of the most popular farmers markets in Brooklyn, attracting shoppers from across the borough.

Fort Greene, the neighborhood surrounding the park, has been home to a distinguished roster of African American artists, writers, and cultural figures, from the 19th century to the present. Spike Lee, Chris Rock, and numerous other cultural icons have called the neighborhood home, and the park serves as the communal green space for one of Brooklyn's most creative and culturally rich communities.