For most New York City families, visiting a landfill is not on the top of the to-do list. But the Freshkills Park is a public park and wildlife habitat the whole family can enjoy.

Once the world’s largest landfill, Freshkills has been gradually transitioning from a trash-dump into a nature-gem in Staten Island.  At 2,200 acres, Freshkills Park is nearly triple the size of Central Park and the largest park to be developed in New York City in over 100 years. It is built on what was once the largest landfill in the world (Fresh Kills Landfill ceased operations in 2001). Now the landscape is being engineered with layers of soil and infrastructure, making it a most unexpected place for wildlife, recreation, science, education, and art.

For obvious safety reasons, the landfill is covered by different layers of geomaterials to stabilize landfilled waste, separate the waste from the environment and park visitors, and prevent the release of landfill gas to the atmosphere.

As the park is being built in phases, with the entire expanse set to open to the public in a few years, free tours and events provide early access for learning and exploration of more than 700 acres and eight miles of trails. Family activities include cycling (bring your own bike or borrow one there), guided walks with groups like New York City Audubon and the Urban Park Rangers, kite flying, kayaking, wind chime design, and upcycled art. This is a great activity even if you don’t live nearby: Free shuttle buses transport visitors to and from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.