Belvedere Castle, New York

New York's version of Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty castle, this picturesque building seated on what locals call the Vista Rock. It is the area's second-highest natural elevation – lives up to its name ("beautiful view" in Italian), commanding spectacular views of Central Park and the city skyline. An architectural hybrid of Gothic and Romanesque styles, it was designed in the 1860s and recently renovated to serve as a visitor center and gift shop.

While the outdoor pavilion is a popular lookout, the best views are to be found two stories up at the top of a narrow winding staircase, climbing which does not cost any money. The span of view across the park's northern part is particularly stunning: a panorama of the Turtle Pond, with softball fields of the Great Lawn and skyscrapers on the other side of 5th Ave in the background.

Free family and community programs hosted at the castle include birding and other Central Park Conservancy discovery programs as well as a variety of history and natural history programs led by NYC Urban Park Rangers, including stargazing, astronomy, and wildlife-education events.