Spring Guide
After a cold winter, it’s time to turn our cabin fever into spring fever! As the days stretch longer and the temperatures inch higher, Central Park beckons with promises of rejuvenation and exploration.
Shake off those winter blues, watch your screen time dwindle, and step into a world adorned with nature's finest palette of bright blooms. These 843 acres are here to help you swap digital distractions for quality time outdoors.
We know you can’t wait to feel the sun on your skin again, so we’ve put together our Spring Guide to help get you started. Here, you’ll find the best seasonal highlights, exciting activities, family-friendly opportunities, and helpful tips to help you plan your days in these luscious landscapes.
So, join all the fascinating creatures awakening from their winter slumber and head out into Central Park to celebrate this thrilling season!
Handpicked Articles
Let your brainpower bloom this season and get to know the intricacies of Central Park! Learn all about the Conservancy’s work, how we care for this space, and the history behind the Park on our magazine.
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Track the Cherry Blossoms
With the help of our expert arborists, you can be the first to know when Central Park’s celebrated cherry blossoms are peaking! Featuring an interactive map, our cherry blossom tracker lets you monitor exactly when these blooms are at their best throughout the Park. -
About the Conservancy
Welcome the Park’s Newest Blooms
Each spring, the Conservatory Garden offers an abundance of floral displays. This year, fans of the Garden can look forward to a new variety of disease-resistant blooms adorning its intimate rows of crabapple allées. Learn more about the Conservancy's arboricultural and historical research, sourcing, cultivation, and selection of these special trees—and be sure to welcome them in the Garden this seasonTags: Conservancy Staff / Park Design / About the Conservancy / Trees / History / Nature Lovers / Architecture / Landscape Design / Landscapes / Restoration and Maintenance
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Wildlife
Make Way for Monarchs
Each year before winter sets in, monarch butterflies make a 3,000-mile journey from Central Park to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Preserve in central Mexico. As spring approaches, monarchs come out of their hibernation and mate before a remarkable, multigenerational migration back to North America—and the Park. Learn all about their incredible journey.Tags: Conservancy Staff / Spring / Flowers / Pollinators / Nature Lovers
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Park History
Have a Seat
For over 160 years since Central Park’s creation, its benches have served as meeting spots, lunch locales, landmarks, date venues, and ever-present places to stop and watch New York unfold around you. As the weather gets more hospitable to lounging on a Park bench, learn more about the history, design, and care of this iconic seating.Tags: Conservancy Staff / Park Design / History / Architecture / Landscape Design / Landscapes / Restoration and Maintenance
Fun Finder
Explore our interactive map: Your ultimate guide to a delightful day in the Park! You'll find prime picnic spots, an array of kid-friendly activities, playground highlights, and more—everything you need for Park trip packed with seasonal joy for the whole family.
Get to Know the Park with a Conservancy Guide
Interested in a more tailored Park experience? Look no further than our expert Conservancy staff and their decades of Park research. Our staff offer in-person and handy maps for your self-guided tours.
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Tours
Experience the Signs of Spring
Join us for a special seasonal walk to seek out the many delightful signs that tell us nature is awakening from its winter nap and preparing for greener days ahead. Our expert guides will help you connect to the present moment and practice forest bathing: a science-backed mindfulness exercise to reduce stress and promote mental health and wellbeing.Tags: Staff Picks / Wildlife / Plants and Trees
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Guided Tours
Explore a Woodland Landscape
10:00 amExplore a real woodland in the middle of the City during this intergenerational spring experience for families. Bring the kids in your life to Central Park’s enchanting Ramble and discover the wildlife that call the forest floor, shoreline, and treetops home. Family tours are a great way to learn about the ecology and history of Central Park in a fun, creative way.Tags: Kids and Families
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Tours
Discover Dazzling Spring Views
10:00 amExperience Central Park’s most iconic sites in the technicolor of spring! Now offered every day, our Iconic Views Tour shows you the Manhattan skyline from Sheep Meadow, the gorgeous American elms that line the Mall, the movie-perfect Bethesda Terrace, and more.Tags: History / Art & Architecture / Daily Tours
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Tours
Go Behind-the-Scenes
Everyone knows Central Park, of course, but do you know the Central Park Conservancy? Founded in 1980 by New Yorkers with a deep love for the Park, the Conservancy is now the official caretaker of all 843 acres. Join us as we shine a light on our mission and walk in the footsteps of the people who have made Central Park possible.Tags: History / Staff Picks / Art & Architecture
Talk Trash with Us
During the busy summer season, the Central Park Conservancy’s Maintenance team emptied 150 tons of garbage each month! That’s the weight of around 30 adult elephants. Over just one day, the team empties each of the Park’s approximately 1,000 trash cans 10 to 20 times. Our Trash Talk video series follows the Maintenace team to discover what it takes to keep the Park clean 365 days a year.