Central Park is beloved by tourists and locals alike. Now that the season of spending-as-much-time-outside-as-possible is upon us, here’s a list of the many, many activities to do in Central Park. Most of them are free (my favorite)!
1. Picnic
On a sunny day Sheep Meadow (by the 65th Street west side entrance) is packed with sunbathers and picnickers. But any grass from 59th to 110th is fair game! Gather a group of friends, a date, or go solo with a book!
2. Imagine in Strawberry Fields
John Lennon’s memorial always a flower or 20 on it and a street musician (or 200 on the anniversary of his death)playing his songs. Strawberry Fields is on the west side of the park by the Dakota, in front of which he was shot, on 72nd Street.
3. Visit the Zoo
It’s a small zoo, very manageable for young kids, or a cute out-of-the-box date option. The sea lion shows are a highlight. Entrance at E 64th Street.
4. Skip the cliché carriage ride
There’s much controversy on this “romantic” ride but there are two things I know for sure: it’s damn expensive and the horses never seen happy. Skip it and instead-
5. Go horse back riding
I’ve never done this but the horses look much happier than the poor carriage ones! More info one riding at centralpark.com
6. Visit the fountain that isn’t The Friends Fountain
Bethesda Fountain often mistaken for where they shot the opening credits of the tv show Friends. Nope, but the lily pads you’ll find in it would’ve made that sequence even funnier! You can’t miss this fountain in the middle of a picturesque terrace on the 72nd Street transverse.
7. Rent a row-boat
Renting a boat on the Central Park pond is surprisingly inexpensive! Just $15 for an hour of rowing where ever you can get to on the open waters of a man-made body of water. This is off the 72nd transverse near Bethesda Fountain. See what it’s like in this blog: Boating in Central Park is SO FUN.
8. Rent a remote-control model boat
If you read Stuart Little as a tyke, you’ll recognize these boats. The mouse protagonist sails one of them in a race. You can rent one with a remote control and sail them for yourself by 72nd east entrance.
9. Stroll through a garden
The Conservatory Garden is spectacularly formal and cultivated. The Shakespeare Garden is lovely as well. More on them in this post about where to see the best flowers in NYC.
10. Bird watch
Bring a pair of binoculars, keep your eyes alert, and you can spot a surprising amount of wildlife in the middle of the metropolis! Best place to go is The Ramble, known for trees and how easy it is to get lost. If interested, here’s my blog all about my experience it: Big Apple Bird Watching in Central Park
11. See Shakespeare in the Park
Every summer 2 Shakespeare productions are produced at the Delacorte Theatre and tickets are free! It can be tricky to get tickets but I have all the info and tips because ushering in this theater was my very first job in NYC: check them out!
12. See another Shakespeare in the Park
Many outdoor productions of Shakespeare happen through out the summer on a smaller, more intimate scale. Time Out New York is great at listing these smaller productions.
13. Go to an outdoor concert
So many outdoor concerts happen in the summer, most of them free! Check out SummerStage for the schedule this year. The above photo is from one of my favorite bands, Indigo Girls, who performed at SummerStage a couple years ago,
14. Get married
Go into Central Park on a nice day and you will likely see half a dozen newly weds taking photos or even getting married! Makes for great people watching!
15. Buy a balloon hat
A boy bought one for me on a date once and it was pretty awesome. They’re easiest to find around the zoo.
16. Watch a street performer
There are always street performers and buskers in Central Park, you never know who you’ll find! I have seen this Big Bird puppeteer many times though.
17. Play ball
From corporate offices to Broadway shows, there are a lot of softball leagues in NYC! Watching these games is free compared to Yankees tickets.
18. Pose with statues
There are at least 100 statues in Central Park. This Alice and Wonderland one is easily the most well-known. It’s on the north end of the sail boat pond.
19. Oggle Belvedere Castle
Central Park has a legit castle! Belvedere Castle is closed for renovations until 2019 but it’s still awesome to see in the distance. It’s just south of the Delacorte.
20. Ride a bike
I’ve never rented one of the bikes from the stand at the south west corner of the park, but it’s definitely a legit operation. Citibike serves me well, but it can be confusing for first-time riders and also longer rides. No matter where you get the bike, Central Park is perfect for a spin. You can loop the whole park in under an hour, even if you stop a lot to take in many of the sights above!
I love this post! Central Park is one of my fave places and there’s so much to do that I don’t think I’ll ever do it all when I visit. Great list 🙂 Nikki
Nikki recently posted…My Reverse Bucket List
You did an excellent job of covering Central Park. It is one of our favorite places in town. On every one of the suggestions I would think “Oh yeah, we need to go do this again.” Good post!
Tip recently posted…Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul
number 14 is my favorite. of course.