Meet the New Washington Square Park Conservancy

Something very exciting is happening in Washington Square Park.

Today, the Washington Square Park Conservancy is launching a new brand identity and website. For those who walk through the park every day and for those who visit only occasionally, this is your introduction (or reintroduction) to the nonprofit organization that works behind the scenes, and right out in the open, to keep this park thriving.

We couldn't be more proud to share it with you.

A brand and website that look like Washington Square Park.

When you think about what makes Washington Square Park unlike any other place in New York City, what comes to mind? The arch, of course. The fountain, definitely. But also the chess players and the street musicians. The students sprawled on the lawn and the walkers making their morning rounds. The performers and the protesters, the tourists and the locals who've been coming here for decades.

That's what our new brand is.

Created by the world-renowned design studio Pentagram – whose work includes the High Line, Rockaway Beach, and NYC Parks – our new visual identity puts the arch front and center, surrounded by a vibrant cast of illustrations that capture the full, joyful spectrum of life in the park. It's bold, it's colorful, and it's distinctly Washington Square Park.

You may have already spotted the new banners going up on the streets around the park. New signage is coming inside the park soon, making it easier for first-time visitors and longtime regulars alike to find what they're looking for.

Our new website, designed by Brooklyn-based studio WeShouldDoItAll, was built around a simple idea: what if visiting our website felt like being in the park? Dynamic, welcoming, and full of energy, the site is a digital companion to the Washington Square Park experience.

You'll find real-time weather and live bird sightings right on the homepage. You can dive into a full calendar of free public programs, an interactive park map, and a brand new Community page celebrating the extraordinary range of people and groups who make this park what it is. This is the website Washington Square Park deserves, and we’re so excited for you to see it.

A moment worth waiting for

Washington Square Park welcomes more than 12 million visitors a year to its iconic 9.75 acre grounds in the heart of Greenwich Village. NYC Parks receives just 0.6% of the city budget to manage 30,000 acres of park land across all five boroughs. The Conservancy exists to help close that gap for Washington Square Park – funding 17 dedicated park staff positions, hosting 350+ events a year, coordinating 500+ volunteers, and supporting infrastructure improvements like fountain repairs, garbage can replacements, new benches, and more.

Last year, after more than a decade of community building, we signed a formal license agreement with NYC Parks, becoming the official nonprofit partner of Washington Square Park, alongside organizations like the Central Park Conservancy and Prospect Park Alliance. It was a milestone years in the making.

This new brand and website represent who we are, what we’ve done, and where we’re headed. It’s our way of saying: this park has a champion.

Every person who has ever walked through the arch, sat by the fountain, or simply felt the particular energy of this place is part of that story – and part of what comes next.

Join us

As we look to the future, we know we couldn’t have gotten this far without the support of our incredible park community. That’s why we're also launching our first-ever Membership Program, a way for you to bolster the park year-round and connect with a community of people who love it as much as you do. Monthly members receive exclusive park perks (and yes, brand new park swag!) and the knowledge that their contributions keep this place thriving, season after season.

This is a new chapter for Washington Square Park, and we couldn't be more excited to step into it. The work we do every day – the volunteer cleanups, the salsa socials and yoga classes, the art workshops and pétanque games, the ongoing stewardship of NYC’s busiest park – only means something because of the community that shows up alongside us. Thank you for being part of what makes Washington Square Park what it is, and for being with us today and for all the exciting days to come.