Dairy Visitor Center & Gift Shop

Photo by Timothy Schenck

The Dairy is a historic building that is now a visitor center and gift shop managed by the Central Park Conservancy.

Designed by Calvert Vaux to resemble a Victorian country cottage and completed in 1871, the Dairy is located at the heart of the Children’s District—the area of the Park created specifically for its youngest visitors.

Originally, the Dairy was an eatery where children could get fresh milk, which wasn’t readily available to many urban families. Refreshments were served under the Dairy’s porch, where visitors could enjoy cool breezes from the nearby Pond. The large rolling lawn in front of the building provided a place for children to play.

Behind the Park: The Dairy

Hear from Conservancy staff on the Dairy’s fascinating past and our latest restoration of this historic structure.

The structure eventually deteriorated and was closed to the public in the mid-20th century. In 1979, the Dairy became Central Park's first visitor center and was one of the Conservancy's first restoration projects in the early 1980s. Today the Dairy is a starting spot for many Conservancy tours and a place for visitors to obtain maps, ask staff questions, and buy books, gifts, and many other items.

Can't make it to the Park? Find exclusive Central Park gifts in our online shop.

Park-goers congregate in dappled spring sunlight outside the Dairy

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Things you can do here

  • Self-Guided Tours

    South End Tour

    Explore one of the most popular areas of Central Park — from the Children’s District to the smallest of the Park’s woodland landscapes.

    Tags: History / Art & Architecture

  • Events

    Botanical Prints Product Launch

    10:00 am

    The Central Park Conservancy would like to invite you to a Botanical Prints Product Launch event by artist Omi Gray at the Dairy. Omi Gray will be available from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm to share her creative process and discuss how Central Park inspires her work.

  • Self-Guided Tours

    A Walk Through Vibrant Blooms and Secluded Trails

    Escape to the oasis within the City and enjoy newly restored landscapes full of blooming flowers.

    Tags: Art & Architecture / Plants and Trees

  • Tours

    Central Park Nature Walk: Bridge and Pond

    11:00 am

    Engage your senses, calm your mind, and immerse yourself in the Park’s greenery

    Tags: Wildlife / Plants and Trees

    • Also in the area

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  • Restoration and Maintenance

    Restoring the Dairy, Naumburg Bandshell, and Other Beloved Park Features

    Discover what Park features and destinations the Central Park Conservancy is improving this fall.

    Tags: Conservancy Staff

  • Things to See and Do

    Stories from Central Park

    We set out to capture some of their stories and create a picture of the Park on an average day, through our visitors' eyes.

    Tags: Families / Summer

  • Park History

    Finding Joy in a History of Loss: Juneteenth in Central Park's Seneca Village

    Andrea Buteau of the Central Park Conservancy and composer/curator Andromeda Turre discuss creating a Juneteenth commemoration that is both a powerful act of somber remembrance and celebratory joy.

    Tags: Families / History / Best for Kids / Art Lovers

  • Park Information

    Must-Visit Places in Central Park This Winter

    Central Park offers endless opportunities for exploration, boasting an abundance of iconic landmarks, historic locales, and classic NYC backdrops. Our Central Park Conservancy experts put together this list of the best seasonal spots to visit in Central Park to help plan your trip this winter.

    Tags: Families / Best for Kids / Staff Picks / All Ages / First-Time Visitors

  • About the Conservancy

    Central Park's Iconic Chess & Checkers House is Revived and Kinderberg Restored

    Central Park's iconic Chess & Checkers House and Kinderberg are newly restored. See how the Conservancy's expert team of landscape architects, architects, project managers, and historians worked to revive the site, a destination for kids of all ages for over 150 years.

    Tags: Conservancy Staff / Park Design / About the Conservancy / Rustic Architecture / History / Park Experts / Landscape Design / Restoration and Maintenance

  • Park History

    The Children's District: Then and Now

    Not long after construction of Central Park began, the Park’s designers created the Children’s District in the lower end of the Park.

    Tags: Families / Best for Kids