Still looking for the perfect present? Look no further than Central Park’s Dairy Visitor Center & Gift Shop, one of four gift shops within NYC’s famed 843-acre greenspace. No matter your budget, the Dairy has something to offer everyone on your list, whether you’re a tried-and-true New Yorker or visiting the city.
The Dairy offers a rare peaceful holiday shopping experience. Not only can you cross items off your list while enjoying the calming effects of nature, but each purchase has a purpose—supporting the Central Park Conservancy.
Every inch of the Park’s 843 acres is entrusted to the Central Park Conservancy, a nonprofit group of 350 committed and experienced staff members, from groundkeepers and gardeners to architects and arborists. Contrary to popular belief, the Park is mostly funded by individual donations and not taxpayer money.
This unique arrangement guarantees that you can shop with purpose during the holiday season and beyond. Every purchase helps the Conservancy tend to all details of the Park’s maintenance and restoration so it remains clean and beautiful for all to enjoy. Your support also helps the Conservancy engage with its community and celebrate the unique lived experiences that the park offers.
It also enables parkgoers and online shoppers alike to gift a piece of the Park to their loved ones (or themselves) through curated products that encourage enjoyment of the Park, teach good stewardship, honor the park’s history, and support local economic growth.
The Conservancy’s online store includes a holiday gift guide and 10% off when you sign up for its emailed newsletter.
The Dairy Visitor Center and Gift Shop (mid-Park at 65th Street) offers a spacious shopping experience, conveniently located near beloved Central Park locations and the shops on Fifth Avenue. The Victorian-cottage-like building was constructed in 1871 and was initially home to an eatery where children could get fresh milk, an option not readily available to many at the time.
The structure’s gradual deterioration forced its closure in the mid-20th century. However, it reopened in 1979 as Central Park’s first visitor center and the Conservancy restored it in the early 1980s. The Conservancy’s most recent renovation in November 2021 included restoring the historic loggia (open-air porch), making it ADA-accessible, and repairing, cleaning, and repointing the exterior masonry.
The Dairy is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
