Sports
A wide variety of sports facilities are available for use in Central Park. A large Tennis Center near West Drive between 94th Street and 96th Street has multiple tennis courts. Both the Great Lawn and North Meadow have basketball courts, baseball/softball and soccer fields, with additional baseball fields at the Heckscher Ballfields, at 63rd Street between the west and center drives. The North Meadow also has fields for touch and flag football and handball courts. Lawn bowling and croquet can be played just north of the Sheep Meadow. Volleyball courts are located at Sheep Meadow and the Great Lawn. Note that permits are required for all these facilities except those for basketball, handball, and volleyball.
Delacorte Theater
Home to the Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival in the summer.
Being the only large green space in such a densely populated area, Central Park is an extremely popular place for outdoor recreation. It's also a very pretty place to get outdoors, and you'll join numerous other New Yorkers as you explore the greenery of the park and take in views of the surrounding cityscape.
On foot
Central Park is a paradise for people looking to walk, hike, stroll, or jog. The entire park is friendly for hiking and strolling, with many hidden corners and a variety of terrains to explore. Speed walkers and joggers have three ideal spots in the park: the Park Drives, which circle the park and have a special lane for joggers; the Reservoir, which has a very well-used trail surrounding it; and three separate Bridle Paths, one adjacent to the Reservoir, one at the North Meadow, and one at the southern side of the park, all of which are loops that extend about 1-1.5 miles.
Bicycling and roller skating
The Park Drives, which circle the entire park, are the best place to bicycle or do in-line or roller skating, with a dedicated lane for their use. Skaters can also use any of the paved trails running through the park, but bicyclists are prohibited on all pedestrian pathways. Bicycle rentals are available from the parking lot of the Loeb Boathouse.
Horseback Riding
The Riverdale Equestrian Centre (http://www.riverdaleridin...) in nearby Riverdale, New York offers guided horseback rides through Central Park, but you must already be at an advanced riding level.
Water recreation
Catch-and-release fishing is available at the Harlem Meer, and a shop with bait and poles is located at the north end of the Meer. Swimming is offered at the outdoor Lasker Pool at the north end of the park; admission is free, but you are restricted to bringing only a towel, shoes, book, and water bottle and must bring a lock; no bags allowed. Boating is available in two kinds: row boating at The Lake boats can be rented from the Loeb Boathouse for $12/hour and model sail boating at the Conservatory Pond.
Winter sports
Ice skating is offered in the wintertime at two places in Central Park: the popular outdoor Woolman Rink (http://www.wollmanskating...) near the middle of the park which is turned into the Victorian Gardens Amusement Park (http://www.victoriangardensnyc.com/ in the summer), and the Lasker Pool, which is turned into an outdoor rink when the water freezes. Cross-country skiing is also a popular activity in Central Park and can be done in any meadow, although only when there's at least six inches of snow on the ground.
Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides
Available year-round except in extreme weather, a horse-drawn carriage ride is one of the most popular and some say romantic ways to see Central Park.