Flushing Meadows Corona Park was built on what F. Scott Fitzgerald called the “valley of ashes” in The Great Gatsby — a dumping ground that Robert Moses transformed into a World’s Fair site in 1939 and again in 1964. What’s left after two World’s Fairs, 60 years of park maintenance, and the construction of major sports facilities is a 897-acre park that is simultaneously one of Queens’ great resources and one of its most underused.
The Unisphere: The Essential Stop
The Unisphere, a 140-foot stainless steel globe built for the 1964-65 World’s Fair, is the most recognizable landmark in Queens. The globe is mounted on a circular fountain and surrounded by the reflecting pools that characterized the World’s Fair landscape. It’s free to visit, accessible from the 7 train at 111th Street, and genuinely impressive up close. The rings around the globe represent the orbits of the first Soviet satellite, the first American astronaut, and the first American to orbit Earth.
The Queens Museum
The Queens Museum at the park’s center occupies the New York City Building from the 1939 World’s Fair. The museum’s signature piece is the Panorama of the City of New York — a 9,335-square-foot architectural scale model of all five boroughs, updated to reflect actual building changes, that is the most complete model of a city ever made. Admission is $10 (suggested), and the Panorama alone is worth the visit.
The New York Hall of Science
The New York Hall of Science, housed in the remnant of the 1964 World’s Fair science pavilion, is the best science museum for children in Queens and one of the better ones in the New York metro area. The outdoor science playground is one of the largest in the country. Admission is $24 for adults, $21 for children.
Sports: The US Open and Citi Field
The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at the park’s north end hosts the US Open Tennis Championships in late August and early September — the final Grand Slam of the year. Tickets for the early rounds are accessible; finals tickets require planning months in advance. Citi Field, immediately adjacent to the tennis center, is the home of the New York Mets.
The Park Itself
Beyond the institutions, Flushing Meadows has Meadow Lake and Willow Lake for kayaking (seasonal rentals available), fields used by the local Latino community for soccer and cricket, walking and cycling paths, and the kind of open space that’s genuinely rare in the outer boroughs. The park is significantly less crowded than Central Park on most days and has a community character that reflects northern Queens’ demographics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Flushing Meadows Corona Park known for?
Flushing Meadows is known as the site of the 1939-40 and 1964-65 World’s Fairs (the Unisphere, the globe sculpture, is a World’s Fair remnant), the home of the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Citi Field (home of the New York Mets), the Queens Museum, and the New York Hall of Science.
Is Flushing Meadows Corona Park free?
The park itself is free. Individual attractions charge admission: the Queens Museum ($10 suggested), the New York Hall of Science ($24 adults), and the US Open (ticketed separately). The Unisphere, the park grounds, and the waterways are all free.
How do I get to Flushing Meadows Corona Park?
The 7 train to Mets-Willets Point (for Citi Field, the USTA Tennis Center, and the south side of the park) or to 111th Street/Corona Plaza (for the central park area, Queens Museum, and Unisphere). From Midtown Manhattan, the trip takes about 25-30 minutes.
What is the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows?
The Unisphere is a 140-foot stainless steel globe built for the 1964-65 World’s Fair, representing Earth with three rings representing the orbits of the first satellites and early astronauts. It’s the largest global structure in the world and one of the most recognizable landmarks in Queens. Free to visit, located in the center of Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Also see: our Queens Night Market guide
Also see: our free Queens activities guide
