Here's When Rowboat Rentals Return To Central Park

CENTRAL PARK, NY — New York City's most leisurely spring tradition is returning later this month when Central Park's Boathouse makes its fleet of rowboats available to rent for the first time since October.

On April 16, rowboat rentals will reopen to the public, for $25 per hour, from 10 a.m. to dusk every day, a spokesperson from the Central Park Boathouse said.

In tandem with the rowboats, the Central Park Boathouse will also kick off its dockside dining program on the same day, with a new spring menu.

The new menu, which will be served for the first time this Wednesday, features fresh, kicky bites like a strawberry and spinach salad with a citrus vinaigrette, and a tuna tartare with serrano peppers, citrus and basil, served with potato chips and Meyer lemon aioli.

The cocktail menu features drinks with ingredients like lavender syrup, muddled cucumber and elderflower. On the weekends, the spring menu includes brunch classics like maple french toast with seasonal fruit and a traditional Eggs Benedict.

"We're thrilled to welcome another spring season here in the city with the launch of our rowboat rentals, an activity that has become beloved by local New Yorkers and tourists alike through the summer and fall months," Aridson Jaquez, Central Park Boathouse's general manager, told Patch. "There's no better way to spend a warm day, enjoying the sunshine out on the lake in Central Park!"

The Central Park Boathouse was founded in 1954, overlooking the Central Park lake. After a major renovation, the boathouse reopened for the first time in spring 2024 debuting a redesigned restaurant, café, and private events space.

Beginning on April 2 and lasting through October, Central Park Boathouse’s restaurant will serve lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and dinner from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday through Saturday, and brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Know of a business opening or closing in Manhattan? Email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.