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Entering at
Grand Army Plaza (Fifth Ave and 59th St), to your left lies the Pond
and a little further north you'll find the Wollman Memorial Rink . Sit or
stand above the rink to watch skaters and contemplate the view of Central Park
South's skyline emerging above the trees. Or rent skates of your own:
rollerblades, the most popular mode of park transportation, and ice skates are
each available here in season.
Northeast of the
skating rink lies the small zoo, or Central Park Wildlife Center
at 64th Street and Fifth Avenue (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat, Sun & holidays
10am-5.30pm; $3.50, 3-12 50¢, under 3 free; phone 212/439-6500). Its
collection is based on three climatic regions - the Tropic Zone, the
Temperate Territory and the Polar Circle, and the complex also boasts
the Tisch Children's Zoo , with interactive displays and a
petting zoo.
The next point to
head for is the Dairy (65th Street at mid-park), a kind of Gothic
toy ranch building built in 1870 and originally stocked with cows (and
milkmaids) for the purpose of selling milk and other dairy products to
mothers with young children. It now houses one of the park's Visitor
Centers (Tues-Sun 10am-5pm; tel 212/794-6564), which distributes
free leaflets and organizes weekend walking tours.
Just west of the
Dairy stands the Carousel at 64th Street at mid-park (Mon-Fri
10am-6pm, Sat & Sun 10am-7pm; $1). Built in 1903 and moved from Coney
Island to the park in 1951, this is one of fewer than 150 left in the
country (one of the others is at Coney Island). The Carousel offers a
ride on hand-carved jumping horses accompanied by the music of a
military band organ.
Straight ahead and
north past the Dairy, you'll come to the Mall , the park's most
formal stretch, where you'll witness every manner of street performer.
To the west lies the Sheep Meadow (66th-69th sts, West Side),
fifteen acres of commons where sheep grazed until 1934; today the area
is usually crowded with picnic blankets, sunbathers and Frisbee players.
On warm weekends,
an area between the Sheep Meadow and the north end of the mall is filled
with colorfully attired rollerbladers dancing to loud funk, disco and
hip-hop music - one of the best free shows around. Just west of the
Sheep Meadow is the once-exclusive, still-expensive, but now rather
tacky landmark restaurant and finishing point of the annual New York
City Marathon, Tavern on the Green (67th St and Central Park W).
At the northernmost
point of the Mall lie the Bandshell, Rumsey Playfield , site of
the free SummerStage performance series, and the Bethesda Terrace and
Fountain (72nd St at mid-park). Bethesda Terrace overlooks the lake;
beneath it is an Arcade
whose tiled floors are currently being restored.
Take a break from
your wanderings on the lake's eastern bank at the Loeb Boathouse
. Here, you can go for a gondola ride or rent a rowboat (March-Nov daily
10am-6pm, weather permitting; rowboats $10 for the first hour, $2.50
each 15min after, with a $30 refundable deposit; gondola rides available
5-10pm for $30 per 30min per group and require reservations; phone
212/517-2233).
Central Park /
Central Park North /
Central Park South /
Great Lawn /
Strawberry Fields |
