Winter Skating at Wollman Rink

Skating at Wollman Rink is one of the few New York postcards that feels exactly as advertised: an open sheet of ice in the southeast corner of Central Park, ringed by bare trees with the midtown towers rising straight out of them. On a cold weeknight after dark, with the skyline lit and the crowd thinned, it is flatly romantic in a way no indoor rink can manage.

The rink runs roughly from late autumn into early spring, with skate rentals on site. Sessions, pricing, and even the rink's operator have changed over the years, so treat the details as moving targets — check the current official site for this season's dates, hours, and tickets before you go. Weekday evenings beat weekend afternoons by a wide margin.