Magazine

See Newly Digitized Images of Winter in Central Park

A man in a fedora is seen from behind with a wintery scene in the background

Since the Central Park Conservancy’s founding in 1980, our staff has taken photographs of the Park, documenting its landscapes, events, restoration work, and more. While today our photographers use digital cameras, early photographs were taken on black and white film—which we now scan to preserve the Park’s picturesque past for generations to come. The following snowy scenes from the 1980s and 1990s are some of our most recently digitized images.

Though a blanket of fresh snow gives the Park an almost timeless quality, these black and white images from our archive remind us of the improvements made through the Conservancy’s work. Belvedere Castle, for instance, is shown here shortly before our first restoration of the iconic structure in 1983—and before we recreated the wood pavilion and tower from its original design, in 2019. We’ve also restored the Mall and rebuilt the rustic bridge in the Ramble, as well as the Bow Bridge and Western Shore Boat Landings.

Of course, there are constants, such as the Park itself and the people enjoying it. No matter the year, the Park is stunning in the snow, giving visitors the opportunity to stroll through a winter wonderland… and even break out their skis.