Atlas Obscura Covers Mount Prospect Park, Brooklyn's Second Highest Point

Mount Prospect Park is a small fenced off park surrounding a hill which is the second highest point in Brooklyn. Not to be confused with the well known Prospect Park, Mount Prospect Park sits directly between the Brooklyn Library and the Brooklyn Museum with an entrance on Eastern Parkway.

High up a winding set of stairs along a busy stretch of Eastern Parkway in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn sits Mount Prospect. It’s the second highest point in Brooklyn, and was used by Washington’s Continental Army as a lookout point during the Battle of Brooklyn in 1776. Mount Prospect was named for the generous views it offered the troops – on a clear day, watchmen could stand at the top and see Manhattan, Brooklyn, New York harbor, New Jersey, Staten Island, and a good deal of Long Island. From this high point Washington’s troops protected the Heights of Guan, the series of hills near what is now the neighborhood of Gowanus.

Check out the full writeup to read more about the history of Mount Prospect, the old reservoir and the current park.

Mount Prospect Park
Matt Coneybeare

Matt Coneybeare

Editor in Chief

Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.

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