The best things to do in Central Park

Under the shade of one of the largest stands of American Elm trees in North America, without a skyscraper in sight, you can truly feel like you’ve left the city behind for a minute. Once a place to stroll in your Sunday best, it’s now an area where many artists and performers set up shop—but not in an obnoxious way. It’s a great spot to grab a bench and watch the fabulous eccentricities of the strangers around you unfold over an afternoon.

For locals, watching the seasons change here is a special treat.

Experience the charms of a European garden without having to, y’know, fly to Europe. This six-acre garden offers three styles (French, Italian and English) and a plethora of flowers, fountains, neatly trimmed hedges and walkways. Just be prepared for the throng of wedding photo shoots—and, by that, we mean be prepared for photo-bombing.

In the fall, look for a bevy of mums. In the springtime, peonies and lilacs surge into bloom.

Animal lovers will dig the cute critters at the Tisch Children’s Zoo, adjacent to the main zoo, where you can also get up close and personal with pot-bellied pigs and goats. In the Central Park Zoo itself, coo over the daily feeding of the sea lions and penguins, and watch snow monkeys leap playfully between rocks. Tickets start at $15 for kids and $20 for adults and can be reserved in advance online.

Thirty-six acres of winding trails, rocks and streams remain here, seemingly waiting to be discovered. It's also the city's primo bird-watching spot, where you can view many of the park's 230 species. Fun fact: Everything you see is man-made, dating back to 1859—even the waterfalls can be turned on and off.

Take in a sweeping view of the Great Lawn, the Ramble and Turtle Pond from Belvedere Castle, a folly built on one of the highest points in the park. Get a discovery kit (which requires two forms of ID and a $20 deposit) from inside the castle, which includes binoculars, a map and a guide for bird-watching in the Ramble’s woods.

Before Central Park was a massive green space connecting the Upper West and Upper East sides, the land served as a community for African American property owners through the mid-19th Century. The city then purchased the land and forcibly removed its citizens to build Central Park, leading to a 2011 excavation of the site and the installation of historic, informational panels at the former site between 82nd and 89th Streets on the west side of the park. The Conservancy also leads tours here to learn more about the lost neighborhood. 

Experience the retro charm of bobbing along to organ music atop one of the Central Park Carousel's 52 saddles. The carousel is in its third incarnation since 1871 (the original was horse-powered, and the next two were supposedly destroyed by fires), and the current version dates back to 1950, when it was discovered in a Coney Island trolley terminal. 

It's open seven days a week (weather permitting) and costs $3.25/ride.

Don't fret if the kiddies climb all over this bronze statue of Alice and company—that's what it's there for. Dedicated to the children of NYC and commissioned by George Delacorte after the passing of his wife, who enjoyed reading the story to their children, the larger-than-life figures have been explored by kiddies since 1959. Make sure to meander over to the nearby Conservatory Water, where you can grab a bench and watch motorized miniature sailboats whiz by as you contemplate life’s meaning.

Budding cherry blossoms are one of the prettiest seasonal signifiers that spring in NYC is in full swing. If you think the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is the only place you can see those beautiful, pink-petal trees, guess again!

There are many spots in the city where you can see cherry blossoms, and one of our favorites is Central Park. Hundreds of cherry trees bloom along the Reservoir starting in April. There's even a cherry blossom tracker so you can know exactly when peak bloom will begin. 

Take a romantic paddle around the Lake ($25 per hour, cash only)—or let someone else do the work during a Venetian gondola ride (half hour $50) at Loeb Boathouse. It’s definitely one of the most iconic things to do at Central Park and can be a romantic setting for a date or an engagement.

On warm days, we're hard pressed to think of a better spot in Manhattan to ogle hotties than Sheep Meadow, the bucolic 15-acre field located along the southwestern edge of the park. Expect thousands of scantily-clad locals to take over the area on weekends, alongside frisbee-throwing bros, guitar sing-alongs and many handstand attempts. To secure a shaded spot, we suggest arriving at 11am, when the field opens.

In the summertime, Wollman Rink transforms from a spot for ice skating into a place for summertime sports. For 2023, it's turned into a pickleball paradise — the largest pickleball installation in the Northeast, in fact. 

CityPickle Central Park courts are open daily from spring through early fall for pickleball players of all abilities.

Every summer, the Public Theater produces a beloved NYC democratic tradition and one of the best free things to do in NYC: Shakespeare in the Park, presented at the open-air Delacorte Theater in Central Park. There’s nothing quite like hearing the Bard’s immortal words performed outside in New York, with a backdrop of natural splendor and the Belvedere Castle looming in the background like the world’s most impressive set decoration.

Yes, it's worth waiting in line for tickets. 

For New York music fans, SummerStage is always one of the highlights of the summer-concerts calendar. The City Parks Foundation series is a juggernaut among warm-weather concert presenters, booking everything from classic New York hip-hop artists in outerborough NYC parks to big-name indie-rock bands on the Central Park mainstage. 

The TCS New York City Marathon is a 26.2-mile block party for runners and bystanders. It's also one of the biggest and largest NYC events in November. The finish line is in Central Park, just outside of Tavern on the Green. To see the final yards of the race, you must purchase Grandstand Seating tickets. 

Celebrate the Halloween season at one of the best park’s in the city for fall foliage: Central Park. Listen to ghost stories, check out a costume parade and get creative by carving a pumpkin. After the festivities, the Central Park Conservancy will partake in a traditional Pumpkin Flotilla, where 50 gourds (possibly your creation) will take a sail across the Harlem Meer at twilight. 

If you decide to check out this famed rink, be prepared for hordes of children and slow-moving newbies. There won’t be room for speed skating or fancy tricks, but braving the crowds is worth it for the priceless Central Park scenery. Since it opened in the 1950s, the rink at the southern end of Central Park has delighted locals and visitors alike who cherish skating under the stars with the backdrop of the city's skyline.

Plus, there's a cafe and a rinkside bar. 

It just wouldn’t be the holidays if the city weren’t using up enough electricity in a month to power a small country for a decade. For more than 20 years, the Central Park Conservancy has been draping the Charles A. Dana Center in holiday lights and ringing in the season alongside a hot-cocoa-bearing Santa. Families can listen or open a songbook to join in with the Mistletones for some holiday carols. Ice carvers from Okamoto Studios will be carving a nutcracker and a polar bear on site and everyone can watch while they much on some cookies and cocoa.

We don’t know about you, but our inner child always appreciates a snow day. Since you can't always rely on mother nature, that’s where Central Park Winter Jam comes in. The NYC Parks and Recreation event includes ice-skating, sledding, snowboarding (yes, they bring in a snow machine), grub and more, so get ready to join New Yorkers of all ages for one of the best things to do in winter.