Charles A. Dana Discovery Center

The Charles A. Dana Discovery Center offers a wide variety of free educational and community programs, seasonal exhibits and holiday celebrations.

Located on the northern shore of the Harlem Meer, the Dana Center is the Park's newest building, and the first to be built specifically as a visitor center. It was named after Charles A. Dana, an American journalist, author, and senior government official. Dana was a top aide to Horace Greeley as the managing editor of the powerful Republican newspaper The New York Tribune. During the Civil War, he served as Assistant Secretary of War, acting as liaison between the War Department and General Ulysses S. Grant. Adjacent to the Center is a small plaza, where many community programs take place. These include the Harlem Meer Performance Festival in summer, the Halloween Parade and Pumpkin Flotilla in autumn, and the annual Holiday Lighting event in winter. The Center is also home to the Park’s catch-and-release fishing program.