Skating on Wollman Rink is an annual tradition for many New Yorkers. In addition to public skating sessions, the rink also hosts classes for adults and children, as well as freestyle figure skating sessions. Rink visits are included on many movie location tours, and some winter walking tours of Central Park include tickets so that participants can go skating. During the summer months, the site transforms into an amusement park.
Wollman Rink is a fun, festive activity for winter visitors.
There is a spectator fee, so if you want to watch friends or family from the sidelines, be prepared to pay.
Skates and lockers can be rented at the rink.
Credit cards are not accepted, so be sure to bring cash.
A snack bar at the rink serves food and drinks, including hot cocoa.
Wollman Rink is located at the southeastern corner of Central Park, near the entrance at 59th Street and Sixth Avenue. To reach the rink by subway, take the N, Q, R, W, F, or M train to 57th Street.
Wollman Rink is open daily from late October until early April. On Mondays and Tuesdays, the rink opens to the public in the late morning and closes in the early afternoon; Wednesday–Sunday the rink stays open until late at night. Ice cleaning takes place several times a day and can take up to 30 minutes; check the schedule in advance of your visit. The rink is especially atmospheric after dark, when the skyline twinkles in the background.
A much-loved New York icon, Wollman Rink takes its name from philanthropist Kate Wollman, who originally donated the funds for its construction. Today, however, it is better known for its association with President Donald Trump: In 1980, when the rink needed significant renovations, a number of mishaps caused the city-run project to stall. In 1986, a then 39-year-old Donald Trump took over the renovations and reopened the rink. Wollman Rink remains in the hands of a company owned by the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust.
