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

    A Walk Through Vibrant Blooms and Secluded Trails

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

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  • 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.

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  • Tours

    Central Park Woodland Walk: Bridge and Pond

    11:00 am

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

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  • Events

    Botanical Prints Product Launch

    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.

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

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