Wollman Rink - Skating Under the Skyline

Wollman Rink - Skating Under the Skyline

Photo: Tomas Fano, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)

A stop on Central Park Highlights Walk, a free self-guided tour.

Below you is Wollman Rink, one of the best-loved winter scenes in the city. Picture skaters circling on the ice with the towers of Central Park South glowing behind them. The rink opened in 1950, paid for by a gift from the philanthropist Kate Wollman, whose family name it carries.

In 1980 the rink closed after its floor buckled, and the city's attempt to rebuild it turned into a six-year saga of delays and cost overruns. It finally reopened in 1986 after a rushed final push, a story still argued over by the people involved.

Long before the rink, skating was one of the first things that drew crowds to the new park. When the Lake opened for skating in 1858, thousands came, and the sport helped win New Yorkers over to the whole idea of a great public park. Skating usually runs from late fall to early spring; in warmer months the space is used for other activities, so check the website for what is on.

Getting here: From Gapstow Bridge, follow the path west and uphill a short way to the overlook above the rink.

Did you know?: In summer, Wollman Rink has been turned into pickleball courts and even covered in sand for a professional beach volleyball event.

Photo op: From the path above the rink, frame the ice in the foreground with the Central Park South skyline across the top of the picture.

More on Wikipedia: Wollman Rink · Central Park

Stops on this tour

  1. Grand Army Plaza - A Golden General
  2. The Pond and Gapstow Bridge - The Classic View
  3. Wollman Rink - Skating Under the Skyline
  4. The Mall and Literary Walk - A Cathedral of Elms
  5. Bethesda Terrace - The Heart of the Park
  6. Cherry Hill - A Rest Stop for Horses
  7. Strawberry Fields - A Living Memorial
  8. Bow Bridge - The Park's Romantic Span
  9. The Ramble - A Wild Garden by Design
  10. Turtle Pond - From Reservoir to Wildlife Haven
  11. Delacorte Theater - Free Shakespeare Under the Stars
  12. Seneca Village - The Community Under the Park
  13. Belvedere Castle - The View From Vista Rock