Captain Tilly Park in Queens: A Local Green-Space Guide

Captain Tilly Park is in Jamaica Hills, a Queens neighborhood distinct from downtown Jamaica. The 9.16-acre park is on Gothic Drive, with walkways around Goose Pond.

Queens Community Board 8 describes Jamaica Hills as bordered by the Grand Central Parkway, Jamaica Estates, Jamaica and Briarwood. That location makes the park a neighborhood green space rather than a downtown Jamaica attraction.

The park’s name reflects several chapters in its history. The Highland Park Society conveyed the land to New York City in 1908 for $1, with the deed requiring the city to maintain it forever as a public park.

It was first called Highland Park and had become Upland Park by the time of the parks department’s 1912 annual report. In 1935, it was renamed for Captain George H. Tilly, who was killed in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. A memorial honoring Captain Tilly and other war heroes was dedicated in the park in 1941.

These earlier names help explain the park’s story, but the present-day visit is centered on its pond, paths and outdoor recreation features. If you’re planning a day around Jamaica, treat Captain Tilly Park as a stop in Jamaica Hills and plan any downtown destinations as separate legs.

Queens Community Board 8 describes the park as a quiet woodland oasis, with walkways around a large pond known as Goose Pond. The water and surrounding paths give the park a natural focal point: you can make the pond the centre of a short walk, or use the walkways to see more of the grounds.

The description supports a relaxed outdoor visit, though it doesn’t specify a walking route or how long a circuit takes.

A city planning inventory lists a pond, lawn, landscaping, walkways, benches, a jungle gym and swings. The mix gives you both open and more structured places to spend time outdoors.

Benches offer places to pause along the grounds, while the lawn and playground equipment provide other ways to use the park. The inventory identifies a jungle gym and swings; it does not give further details about equipment or age ranges.

Entrance approaches are marked around 85th Road, Chapin Parkway, Gothic Drive, 164th Street, 166th Street and Highland Avenue. These are useful street names to keep in mind as you work out which side of the park to approach.

Check the entrance that best suits your route before setting out, since the map identifies several approaches rather than one single arrival point.

The land’s park-only deed condition and the city’s ongoing role as operator are also part of the setting: Captain Tilly Park is maintained and operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. A 2014 renovation plan was organized in two phases.

The first addressed invasive plants, erosion, drainage and paths; the second was planned to address the plaza and the landscape around the Captain George Tilly memorial. Those are historical details, not a notice of current work.

NYC’s general park rule allows public use from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., unless other hours are posted at the park. If a posted notice gives different hours, follow the notice at the site.

The rule also allows NYC Parks to close a park, or part of one, when a threat to public health or safety exists. Entry is not permitted while an area is closed without the Commissioner’s permission.

Before you go: Check the official site before you go, and confirm current conditions and any posted hours with NYC Parks.

From Airport Plaza Hotel JFK Airport, Captain Tilly Park is about a 30-minute walk or an 8-minute drive. For public transit, the MTA neighborhood map places Parsons Boulevard station near the park and shows the Q65 along 164th Street near Highland Avenue and 85th Avenue.

The Q65 runs between Flushing and Jamaica via Sanford Avenue and 164th Street, with stops at 164th Street and Highland Avenue and at 164th Street and 85th Avenue.

Use the stop and entrance that make sense for your approach, then check the current MTA information before travelling, since routes and service can change. The entrance map also identifies pedestrian approaches from several surrounding streets, so your final walk depends on where you arrive and which side of the park you’re heading for.

To add a cultural stop to a Jamaica-area outing, you can plan a separate visit to King Manor Museum in Jamaica. The park and museum are distinct destinations, and the available details here don’t establish travel times between them. Check each place’s current access information and allow for the trip between stops when arranging your day.

If you’re comparing green spaces instead, the guide to Baisley Pond Park offers another park-focused option. No travel time between the two parks is provided, so plan that as a separate outing rather than assuming they form one short walk.

For Captain Tilly Park itself, a straightforward sequence is to choose an entrance, spend time on the walkways around Goose Pond, then make use of the lawn, benches or listed play equipment before continuing to another destination.