Wolman rink in Central Park and buildings from Rat Rock

Wollman Rink is a public ice skating rink in Central Park, New York City, USA.... more

by RicardMN Photography

Title

Wolman rink in Central Park and buildings from Rat Rock

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RicardMN Photography

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Photograph

Description

Wollman Rink is a public ice skating rink in Central Park, New York City, USA.

Skating on Wollman Rink is a winter tradition for New Yorkers and tourists alike, so many people have tied up their skates for the very first time on this ice. Ice skating is a long-standing and beloved tradition here in Central Park - as old as the Park itself.

The rink was opened in 1949 with funds donated by Kate Wollman (December 5, 1869 - October 15, 1955) who donated $600,000 for the rink to commemorate her entire family from Leavenworth, Kansas. Historically, the rink has been open for ice skating from October to April and in the summer seasons is transformed into a venue for other purposes.

The rink had for many years been the venue for a series of outdoor summer rock concerts. The first summer music festival at the rink opened on July 1, 1966 and was sponsored by Rheingold Beer. The Rheingold Central Park Music Festival also took place during the summer of 1967. The next summer, Schaefer Beer took over sponsorship. The first annual Schaefer Music Festival opened on June 27, 1968 and continued each summer through the summer of 1976. The following summer, Dr Pepper became the sponsor, and the first Dr Pepper Music Festival opened on July 6, 1977 and ran annually through the summer of 1980. The concert series subsequently moved to a pier on the west side of Manhattan.

Wollman Rink no longer hosts concerts, but in the summer it contains the Victorian Gardens Amusement Park.

Wollman Rink has been featured in several movies, including Love Story and Serendipity. (Description from Wikipedia)

Uploaded

February 15th, 2015