Magazine
From the Archives: Winter in Central Park
![CPC Slide SE WI 198801 01](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.centralparknyc.org/media/images/_1650x767_crop_center-center_none/CPCSlide_SE-WI_198801_01.jpg)
NYC waited 701 days to see measurable snow in Central Park (not that anyone’s keeping track...), and we still can’t get enough. So, we turned to our archives to enjoy snowy winters past.
Go back in time with us to the 1980s and '90s. Some things look very different (hello, '80s sunglasses and old Buicks). But New Yorkers’ love of ice skating in Central Park and the serene beauty of its snow-covered landscapes remain timeless.
![CPC Slide SE WI 198702](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.centralparknyc.org/media/images/_1650xAUTO_crop_center-center_none/CPCSlide_SE-WI_198702.jpg)
Wollman Rink, 1987
![CPC Slide SE WI 198901 02](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.centralparknyc.org/media/images/_1650xAUTO_crop_center-center_none/CPCSlide_SE-WI_198901-02.jpg)
Fifth Avenue perimeter, 1989
![CPC Slide US IS 198702 02](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.centralparknyc.org/media/images/_1650x1320_crop_center-center_none/CPCSlide_US-IS_198702_02.jpg)
Skaters at Wollman Rink, 1987
![CPCBW Neg 1981 82 014 19](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.centralparknyc.org/media/images/_1650xAUTO_crop_center-center_none/CPCBWNeg_1981-82_014_19.jpg)
The Mall, 1981
![CPC Slide SE WI 199203 01](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.centralparknyc.org/media/images/_1650xAUTO_crop_center-center_none/CPCSlide_SE-WI_199203_01.jpg)
Children at play, 1992
![CPC Slide SE WI 1980s](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.centralparknyc.org/media/images/_1650xAUTO_crop_center-center_none/CPCSlide_SE-WI_1980s.jpg)
Snow-covered beech tree, 1980s
![CPC Slide SE WI 199101](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.centralparknyc.org/media/images/_1650xAUTO_crop_center-center_none/CPCSlide_SE-WI_199101.jpg)
Sledding, snowmen, and snow-covered evergreens, 1991
![CPC Slide SE WI 1994](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.centralparknyc.org/media/images/_1650xAUTO_crop_center-center_none/CPCSlide_SE-WI_1994.jpg)
View looking west from the Ramble, 1994
Kaitlyn Zafonte is the Associate Director of Editorial at the Central Park Conservancy.
![CPC Slide US IS 198702](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.centralparknyc.org/media/images/_1650x990_crop_center-center_none/CPCSlide_US-IS_198702.jpg)
Ice Skating in Central Park
Ice skating has a long-standing history in Central Park. The Lake was the first landscape to open to the public in winter 1858, and skating remains one of the most popular recreational activities in Central Park. Continue this New York City tradition with the grand unveiling of the rink at the new Harlem Meer Center! Stay in the loop by subscribing to our newsletter for exclusive updates on this exciting addition to the vibrant Harlem community.