Must-See Films Featuring Central Park, New York City

The 843-acre (341ha) Central Park in New York City features scenic landscapes and landmarks, attracting about 35m people annually. And American movies have been generous with their depictions of it, ranging from the crime-ridden 1970s and ’80s – when the park was a byword for muggings – to its much more bucolic present. Below are a few movies using Central Park for a chase scene, romantic backdrop or tranquil montage.
‘Barefoot in the Park’ (1967)
The titular park in the adaptation of Neil Simon’s play Barefoot in the Park, starring Jane Fonda and Robert Redford, is not Central Park but Washington Square. However, Central Park South still gets to show off the landmark Plaza Hotel. The 21-story luxury resort, immediately identifiable by the many flags hanging above its Grand Army Plaza entrance, is where the two stars arrive in a horse-drawn carriage.

‘The Fisher King’ (1991)
Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King boasts one of Robin Williams’s most charmingly unhinged performances, as a homeless man living in an Arthurian fantasy. While there are many excellent New York locations scattered throughout the film, the most memorable by far is Central Park, where Williams goes in for some nude cloud-gazing on the lawn with Jeff Bridges.

‘Birth’ (2004)
Central Park plays a featured role in the haunting and underrated Birth, in which Nicole Kidman’s protagonist meets a 10-year-old child claiming to be the reincarnation of her husband – years after he died, while jogging in the park, at none other than the Greyshot Arch.

‘The Manchurian Candidate’ (1962)
Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey) jumps into a Central Park lake after walking along the Bethesda Terrace in the taut and classic thriller The Manchurian Candidate. Shaw is still dripping when he is met by the star, Frank Sinatra, who is the first to suspect that Shaw may have become compromised while being held captive in communist China.

‘The Apartment’ (1960)
The Apartment, the classic romantic comedy starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, features a bachelor forced to yield his apartment to his company’s managers so that they can carry on their extramarital affairs. The shot of Lemmon retiring to West Drive in Central Park to sleep on a bench has been endlessly imitated in other shows and films and remains a crushing, iconic image.

‘Wolfen’ (1981)
Albert Finney and Edward James Olmos star in the politically conscious and atmospheric horror movie Wolfen, which features a memorable scuffle between a killer – possibly a werewolf – and an unfortunate zoologist (played by Tom Noonan) inside one of the park’s pedestrian tunnels.

‘Marathon Man’ (1976)
It makes sense that Central Park, where hundreds of joggers train daily, would feature in John Schlesinger’s Marathon Man, in which a jogger (played by Dustin Hoffman) faces off with a Nazi war criminal over stolen diamonds. Indeed, the film traverses an impressive amount of park acreage, ending at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in one of the most memorable climaxes from the ’70s.

‘Die Hard with a Vengeance’ (1995)
Best car chase scene in history or just the best car chase scene in a Die Hard movie? Either way, the off-road route that Lt John McClane (Bruce Willis) takes through Central Park in a taxi in Die Hard with a Vengeance remains one of the most striking action sequences ever filmed. As McClane says: “72nd and Broadway to Central Park South in three minutes. Gotta be a record.”

‘Léon: The Professional’ (1994)
Luc Besson’s Léon (known as The Professional in the US) stars Jean Reno as a hitman who becomes the unlikely custodian of a young Natalie Portman. This film rewards repeat viewers, who are unlikely to forget the scenic Pinebank Arch as it appears in this movie (nor its slightly less famed appearance in the 2013 hit Elf).

‘Ball of Fire’ (1941)
Howard Hawks’s beautiful Ball of Fire remains one of the greatest screwball comedies in history. It features Gary Cooper as one of a group of wise but sheltered intellectuals who are compiling an encyclopedia of all human knowledge and begin each day with a constitutional through Central Park.

‘The Prisoner of Second Avenue’ (1975)
The Prisoner of Second Avenue deserves mention for one reason alone: it features an incredible foot chase between Jack Lemmon and then-unknown Sylvester Stallone in one of his first roles, as the mealy-mouthed pickpocket trying to take Lemmon’s wallet. Central Park was rather well-served in the 1970s and early ’80s – though The Warriors (1979) used Riverside Park and Escape from New York (1981) was mostly shot on sound stages – and The Prisoner of Second Avenue is one of its finest moments.

Want to see them close up? If you’re in the Big Apple, you can check out all the most iconic movie spots on our curated TV and movie tour.
Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip
meet our Local Insider
Hanna

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?
2 years.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.
WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST?
I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!


Every CULTURE TRIP Small-group adventure is led by a Local Insider just like Hanna.


KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.