The oldest known building in Central Park is this modest fortress, built as a fortification against the British during the War of 1812. Though it’s currently unoccupied—and while you can look at the outside, venturing inside isn’t allowed—the structure has stood for more than two centuries.

Located on the northern shore of the Harlem Meer, this building, which opened in 1993, is the Park’s newest structure. Named after the journalist and onetime editor of the now-defunct New York Tribune, this charming boathouse now serves as a visitor center and runs the Park’s catch-and-release fishing program.

Duke Ellington is buried in the Bronx, but a statue dedicated to the legendary jazz musician sits at the northeast entrance to Central Park, known as Duke Ellington Circle. The enormous bronze monument was designed by Robert Graham and dedicated in 1997.

One of the park’s most impressive structures is also one of its most humble-seeming. The Huddlestone Arch was built in 1866 and designed by Calvert Vaux, one of the park’s main architects. What’s awe-inspiring about it is the fact that it’s held together by little more than gravity’s pull; the stones, which weigh many tons, exert pressure and keep the structure in place. Engineering!

Located within the park’s scenic North Woods, the pool is an especially serene spot to take a breather. It has natural features you might not expect to find within the park—including a waterfall!—and verdant plants, including weeping willow trees, along its banks.

In contrast to the otherwise untamed nature of the park, as envisioned by master landscape architect Olmsted, the Conservatory Garden is a formal garden, with three sections planted in varying styles (Italian, French, and English). It’s also one of the park’s quiet zones, so if you’re looking for a respite from the noise in places like Sheep Meadow, this might be the place.

There are 20 named gates at various entrances to Central Park, all of them dedicated to, according to the Central Park Conservancy, “the vocations and groups who made New York City the great metropolis that it had become.” Many of these are simple entrances, dedicated to groups like Pioneers, Women, Artisans, and Scholars. But one of the more ornate ones is found adjacent to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir: Enter at East 90th Street and you’ll find the Engineers’ Gate, adorned with a bust of former NYC mayor John Purroy Mitchel. His claim to fame, aside from his mayoral tenure, is opening Water Tunnel 1 a century ago.

Before there was Central Park, there was Seneca Village. Established in 1825, the settlement was the first and largest community of free African Americans in New York City. It stretched from what’s now 81st to 89th Street, and at its peak, approximately 250 people called the area home. But it was razed in the 1860s to make way for the construction of the park—New York state used eminent domain to take the land from its owners. Today, a plaque commemorating the community stands near the Mariners’ Playground.

Yep, there’s a playground named for the legendary R&B singer-songwriter. Back in 1983, Ross was due to perform on the Great Lawn, but her concert ended up being cut short by a summer storm; she returned the next night, and later pledged to donate the proceeds from the show(s) to creating a space for children within Central Park. After some bureaucratic back-and-forth, she and then-mayor Ed Koch held a groundbreaking for the playground in 1986; now, it’s a charming respite on the park’s west side near the American Museum of Natural History.

Belvedere Castle itself isn’t exactly a secret, but its connection to the National Weather Service may be. Since 1919, the NWS has recorded temperatures and “other weather data” (rainfall, wind speeds, and the like) from the castle, with only minor interruptions in the nearly 100 years since. (Another fun fact: the castle has been used as Count Von Count’s home base on Sesame Street before.) It’s a perennially popular spot with incredible views of the surrounding parkland—though fair warning, it will close this fall for a huge renovation project.

The Ramble isn’t exactly an unknown part of Central Park, but it’s still one of your best bets if you’re seeking a respite from the crowds that gather around Sheep Meadow or the Great Lawn. Olmsted envisioned this space as a lush, wild counterpart to the more formally-designed parts of Central Park, and it’s filled with vegetation and meandering paths. It’s also, the Central Park Conservancy notes, “the center of birding activity in the Park.”

Many of Central Park’s famed sculptures can be found along the Literary Walk, but one that is a bit lesser-known is Eagles and Prey, created by French sculptor Christophe Fratin. The piece has the distinction of being one of, if not the oldest sculptures within a city park. It was installed in 1863, a decade before the park was officially finished. Today, you can find the statue near the Mall at 69th Street.

We’re being intentionally vague with the true location of this one (let’s just say this map point does not correspond to an exact spot). When John Randel Jr. was laying out Manhattan’s grid, he left bolts throughout the city to denote the locations of intersections and other important points. Very few of these are left in Manhattan, and the ones that remain are rather well-hidden—and New York history nerds prefer to keep it that way. So here’s a clue: The bolt is located somewhere in the park’s southeastern corner; look for a bit of iron rammed into a piece of rock.

Two words: Huge. Slide. That’s just one of the features that makes this playground on the park’s east side a family favorite. Landscape architect M. Paul Friedberg designed the space, and its various attractions—an amphitheater made of stones, a simple wooden pergola, etc.—are meant to echo the park’s other naturalistic attractions. But yeah, the 45-foot slide is pretty cool, too.

This 166-year-old building predates the park itself and was built as an arms supply depot for New York State’s National Guard. It was subsumed by the park upon its opening and has served as the home of the first Museum of Natural History, a zoo, and a police precinct over the years. At present, it serves as the headquarters for the city’s Parks Department and the Central Park Zoo. On the third floor, the original plan for the park—known as “the Greensward Plan”—can be viewed by appointment.