Central Park is one of those places you can’t help but gravitate towards every time you visit New York City. At least it is for us! We’ve been lucky enough to see bright pink cherry blossoms, lush emerald green leaves and vibrant earthy fall foliage, but there’s nothing quite like a bona fide Central Park snow day in the winter.
In this guide we show you our favorite places to visit in Central Park during the winter season, based on our experiences. Read more about us.
We lived in NYC between December 2020 and April 2021, and we spent a lot of time walking around Central Park during that icy cold winter. Here was the problem: we watch Home Alone 2 every year at Christmas and we naively expected it to snow all the time, which of course it didn’t. It actually took until February 7th to finally get the magical snowy wonderland we’d been waiting for.
But when it came, it was worth the wait. An army of kids were sledding down small hills, couples were out taking romantic strolls, groups of friends were throwing snowballs at each other and hordes of pro photographers were out in force to capture the rare snow day. And we had one of our favorite days in New York.
Now, it might not snow when you visit NYC in winter (we hope it does!) but you still absolutely have to walk around the famous Central Park spots we’re about to show you. Okay, let’s begin!
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Gapstow Bridge
Let’s start with Gapstow Bridge, a small but very attractive bridge crossing The Pond near the southeast corner of Central Park. It has views looking back over the Plaza Hotel and other tall northern Midtown buildings, including the world’s skinniest skyscraper called 111 West 57th Street (or Steinway Tower).
You might recognize Gapstow Bridge as the place Kevin meets the pigeon lady in Home Alone 2. It’s a fantastic photo spot year round, but it’s extra photogenic on a snow day in the winter. Make sure you look around the area for unique angles with the bridge and it’s surroundings.
Wollman Ice Rink
The Wollman Ice Rink has been a staple of New York City Christmas tourism since 1986. Pulling on a pair of skates and taking to the ice in front of the famous Manhattan skyline is about as good as it gets for families or couples. Sticking with the Home Alone 2 theme, this is the ice rink Harry and Marv chase Kevin across in the movie.
Tickets are $15 adult and $10 children, so it’s not too bad despite being a bit of a tourist trap. It has different opening hours throughout the week, so make sure it’s open when you plan to visit. You can even skate until late Wednesday through Saturday evenings. We gave it a whirl on one of the non-snow days we spent in the park, and it was great fun.
The Mall
The Mall is a long pedestrian promenade lined with trees, benches and commemorative statues. It’s one of the most popular places to visit in Central Park year round, so expect to find plenty of dog walkers, coffee drinkers, tourists and locals even in the depths of winter. Don’t be surprised if you see photographers setting up tripods in the path or ducking around near those famous green benches.
We’d definitely put The Mall up there with our favorite NYC photo spots. Not just because we’ve seen it in a million movies, but because the curving trees create a wonderful natural frame. This is a great spot to take photos if you’re visiting NYC as a group of friends or a family. Oh, and keep an eye out for snow sculptures created by artists on the sides of The Mall, the best we saw was a snow octopus!
Bethesda Terrace
We had no idea Central Park was going to deliver so many truly excellent photo spots. We’re travel photographers, so arriving into Bethesda Terrace for the first time to see the kaleidoscopic tiled ceiling and perfect arch symmetry was a real treat. The problem was, everyone else already knew about it so the place was swarming with tourists and photographers.
Our solution? We went back another day in winter without the snow, arriving at sunrise so we could have the place to ourselves. We saw lots of engagement and wedding photo shoots happening around Bethesda Terrace during the many times we visited. Of course there’s a Home Alone 2 scene here, but you also might recognize it from the end of John Wick 2.
Bethesda Fountain
Our top recommendation for the best place to visit in Central Park in winter is Bethesda Fountain. We think the most attractive view of the fountain is through the arches from inside Bethesda Terrace, but you can also walk right around it. The downside? It’s probably the busiest place in all of Central Park, so on a rare snow day you’ll be sharing it with plenty of others.
We honestly saw at least 7 or 8 proposals at Bethesda Fountain just in those few months we lived in NYC. It’s about as romantic as it gets, (especially if it’s snowing) so if you’re planning to get down on one knee when you visit New York, this should be a spot you seriously consider.
Bow Bridge
For us, Bow Bridge is the most photogenic bridge in Central Park. The ornamental structure is surrounded by trees and it has great views of the Dakota building in Upper West Side. Some of our favorite photos we took from Bow Bridge were in the warmer months when the water is still and there’s a pristine mirror-like reflection.
But the bridge is even more beautiful after a downpour of thick crunchy snow. We waited for quite some time to get a photo with nobody on the bridge but it was just too busy. Our advice is to walk around the area looking for different perspectives of the bridge and its surroundings.
Strawberry Fields
Just inside Central Park opposite the Dakota Building on 72nd Street, you’ll find a memorial to John Lennon called Strawberry Fields. After his shocking murder on December 8th 1980, the Strawberry Fields Memorial was created just yards away from the apartment where he was shot.
A circular black and white tiled mosaic with the word “Imagine” is surrounded by curving rows of benches leading to three paths. On a freezing cold morning in winter, we took a 2 second moving exposure of the mosaic to create the blurry effect you can see in our photo above.
The Ramble
The Ramble is a unique maze of incoherent narrow winding paths seemingly leading to nowhere. It’s the perfect place to walk around in winter with no real purpose to simply enjoy nature. You’ll notice it’s also much quieter than the more famous spots in the park, which makes it even more enjoyable and peaceful.
A variety of stone arches, short but steep climbs, gardens, an old abandoned cave and ponds await you in The Ramble. Our favorite places to visit in this twisting labyrinth are the Ramble Stone Arch and Azalea Pond. Just be aware that it can be slippery here during the winter, so be extra careful when walking on paths with elevation change.
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Wagner Cove
One of the lesser known places to visit in Central Park is Wagner Cove. It’s really easy to miss the rustic and understated wooden shelter sitting on the edge of The Lake near Strawberry fields. And it actually hosts a small number of low key but extremely desirable weddings every year.
Wagner Cove is a tucked away hidden gem that makes for a great photo any time of year, but when it’s covered in snow in the winter it looks like the perfect candidate for a Central Park postcard. We think the best view is from a nondescript gap in the trees opposite the Falconer Sculpture.
Belvedere Castle
Belvedere Castle is a miniature castle that was built way back in 1872 as a place to enjoy views overlooking Central Park. It sits on top of Vista Rock, the second highest point in Central Park, slightly north of The Ramble so it does have a fantastic vantage. And you can climb up to its viewing balconies for free any day of the week between 10:00am-5:00pm.
The building stands out like a sore thumb in the park thanks to its unique architecture. After you’re done looking around, head down to our favorite photo spot of Belvedere Castle from the opposite side of Turtle Pond. Oh, and also don’t miss Shakespeare Garden next to the castle if you visit Central Park towards the end of winter.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
Heading further into north Central Park, you’ll find the enormous 106 acre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. It holds over 1 billion gallons of water and it’s around 40 ft deep. We saw thousands of runners taking on the flat 1.5-mile loop around the reservoir throughout the winter we lived in New York. It’s the perfect way to blow the cobwebs off from dinner and drinks the night before, right?!
From the north side of the reservoir you’ll have views looking back at Upper East Side, Upper West Side and south Central Park. It’s a great photo spot, especially if you visit when the water is still or there’s snow on the ground.
Glen Span Arch
Continue even further to the northwest and you’ll reach The Ravine, a beautiful and secluded wooded area with a waterway and three waterfalls. Very few tourists make it up this far, so you might even have it to yourself. Look for Glen Span Arch and Huddlestone Arch at either ends of The Loch. The area around Glen Span Arch in particular is very picturesque.
We took the photo above at Glen Span Arch in March during a beautiful sunny day not long after the snow had melted and we barely saw another soul. So if you want to explore a hidden area of Central Park on a snow day, this is your best bet. Everyone else will be further south around Bethesda Fountain and The Mall.
Central Park Zoo
While most people are sledding or building snowmen, you could skip the chaos and instead visit the Central Park Zoo. It’s open from 10:00am to 4:30pm daily in the winter months, and tickets cost $19.95 for adults, $16.95 for age 65+ or $14.95 for kids. The snow leopard and snow monkeys are popular exhibits in the winter.
The zoo was closed due to covid when we lived in the city in early 2021, so we weren’t able to visit. But we know it’s a small zoo that might be better suited to families visiting the city with younger kids.
Museums
One of the major downsides to visiting Central Park in winter is dealing with sub-zero temperatures. There were many times we had to abort a winter stroll earlier than expected because we were too cold, despite wrapping up in heavy gear. So what did we do? We went to some of New York’s best museums, which are conveniently located on the borders of Central Park.
The three most famous museums in the area are the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met), American Museum of Natural History and Guggenheim Museum. We’ve been to them all, and our favorite by far is the Met. Whether it’s a snow day or just a cold day, planning to visit a museum once you’ve had enough is the best way to warm up and keep your NYC itinerary as efficient as possible.
The Plaza Hotel
Okay, so the Plaza Hotel isn’t technically inside Central Park (it’s a stones throw from the southeast corner), but it’s the one of the most famous Home Alone 2 filming locations. You absolutely have to go inside the lobby and look around either at the start or end of your day. We had serious nostalgia vibes when we stood outside the Plaza on our snow day.
“New York’s most exciting hotel experience” is located on the corner of 5th Avenue and 59th Street, surrounded by high end shopping and dining. It’s worth taking a short walk to Gapstow Bridge so you can grab a photo with Central Park’s pond in the foreground and the best view of the Plaza Hotel behind.
Map
Click or touch the map below to activate, zoom in and out, and scroll around. If you’d like to see a bigger version, click the “view larger map” icon in the top right, and if you’d like to see any specific place, click the arrow and square icon in the top left.
Map key:
- Red – Places to visit
As you can see, the attractions are spread out across Central Park, but most are located around the south and central areas. It’s probably going to be cold, so you might want to prioritize the southern and central attractions, then see if you want to venture further north.
Walking Route
We’ve walked around Central Park a hundred times, so we know the most efficient route to hit the highlights as quickly as possible. It’s kind of important when you’re freezing your butt off and you’ve run out of hot coffee!
Here’s the route to follow:
- Walk up Fifth Avenue (or take the yellow line subway to 5 Av/59 St).
- Start by looking around the Plaza Hotel lobby.
- Enter the park to the southeast and head for Gapstow Bridge.
- Walk to Wollman Ice Rink and lace up for a quick spin.
- Next, walk the full length of The Mall.
- Walk down the steps into Bethesda Terrace.
- Exit on the far side for Bethesda Fountain.
- Head northwest to Bow Bridge (but don’t cross).
- Now head southwest to see Wagner Cove.
- Loop around and stop next at Strawberry Fields.
- Continue north and cross Oak Bridge to The Ramble.
- After The Ramble head for Belvedere Castle.
That’s the core attractions ticked off. At this point, you can either head north for the reservoir and Glen Span Arch, loop back to the zoo, or visit one of the three museums. Personally, we did this exact route and then went to the Met, which took up at least another 4 hours of our day.
Staying Near Central Park
Do you want to stay in a hotel close to Central Park? Most first time visitors to NYC tend to stay around Times Square or Midtown Manhattan for a central location and cheaper rooms. But Central Park is also a popular place to stay, especially around the Christmas holidays.
We stayed at 1 Hotel Central Park in a room with park views, and we had a fantastic experience. You can see our room in the photo above. It was a bit more expensive than average but it was worth it. There’s a bunch of affordable places in Upper West Side or you could book a luxury stay on the east side of Central Park.
Tip: Read our where to stay in NYC guide for an overview of areas, or read our guide to the top hotels near Central Park on our sister site Best Hotels Anywhere.
The Morgan Conclusion
What we like: On a snow day, there’s nowhere better to go in all of New York City. We love how many small attractions and movie scene locations there are to visit in Central Park. It’s what sets it apart from other parks in big cities for us.
What we don’t like: The obvious one is cold temperatures, and trust when we say it gets ice cold in the winter. It’s also hard to get around the park with snow on the ground so covering any distance is a challenge. Also, there aren’t many places to warm up or grab a coffee inside the park.
Is Central Park worth visiting in winter? Yes! Central Park is worth visiting in all four seasons, but it’s extra special in winter when it’s covered in a thick blanket of white powdery snow. Even without snow, the winter months are a good time to visit because the park is much quieter. Just make sure you wrap up warm and take an extra hot coffee!
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Want more NYC information? Head over to our New York City Travel Guide for help with planning your first visit.
We hope our guide on what to do in Central Park in the winter helps you plan your own magical NYC snow day!
Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen spent 6 years traveling the world, visiting over 40 countries across 4 continents and more than 30 US states. They created Where Are Those Morgans in 2018 to help others plan the best possible vacations by writing authentic travel and hiking guides based on their real experiences.
Since the arrival of baby Maya in late 2024, Mark and Kristen’s extensive travels have slowed down but they still take plenty of trips. Where Are Those Morgans now helps millions of travelers each year to visit new places and hike new trails through information-packed blog posts and expert travel guidebooks. Read more about Mark and Kristen.