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Types & Criteria


Landmark Types


Individual Landmarks

The exteriors of individual structures, ranging from farmhouses to skyscrapers. Examples include the Woolworth Building, the Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House in Brooklyn, and the Cyclone roller coaster in Coney Island.

Interior Landmarks

Building interiors that are "customarily open or accessible to the public" and meet the criteria for individual landmarks. Examples include the Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia Airport, the lobby of the Empire State Building, and the concourse and waiting room at Grand Central Terminal.

Scenic Landmarks

City-owned parks or other landscape features, such as Prospect Park, Central Park, and Ocean Parkway.

Historic Districts

Areas of the City that possess architectural and historical significance and a distinct "sense of place." Examples include the Brooklyn Heights, Greenwich Village, and Tribeca historic districts
A site or area must meet certain eligibility criteria to be designated by the Commission as an individual landmark, interior landmark, scenic landmark, or historic district.

Designation Criteria

To become an individual landmark, a building must be:

  • At least 30 years old

  • Have "a special character or special historical or aesthetic interest or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the City, state, or nation"

To become an interior landmark, an interior space must:

  • Be at least 30 years old 
  • Have "a special character or special historical or aesthetic interest or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the City, state, or nation"

  • Customarily open or accessible to the public, or to which the public is customarily invited, such as a theater, a courthouse, or office building

To become a scenic landmark, an outdoor site must:

  • Be at least 30 years old
  • Have "a special character or special historical or aesthetic interest or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the City, state, or nation"

  • Be a landscape feature or aggregate of landscape features

To become a historic district, the proposed collection of buildings must:

  • Represent at least one period or style of architecture typical of one or more eras in the City's history
  • Have a distinct "sense of place"
  • Have a coherent streetscape