Entering at Grand Army Plaza (Fifth Ave and 59th St), to your left lies the Pond and a little further north you'll find the Wollman Memorial Rink . Sit or stand above the rink to watch skaters and contemplate the view of Central Park South's skyline emerging above the trees. Or rent skates of your own: rollerblades, the most popular mode of park transportation, and ice skates are each available here in season.
Northeast of the skating rink lies the small zoo, or Central Park Wildlife Center at 64th Street and Fifth Avenue (MonFri 10am5pm, Sat, Sun & holidays 10am5.30pm; $3.50, 312 50, under 3 free; tel 212/439-6500). Its collection is based on three climatic regions the Tropic Zone, the Temperate Territory and the Polar Circle, and the complex also boasts the Tisch Children's Zoo , with interactive displays and a petting zoo.
The next point to head for is the Dairy (65th Street at mid-park), a kind of Gothic toy ranch building built in 1870 and originally stocked with cows (and milkmaids) for the purpose of selling milk and other dairy products to mothers with young children. It now houses one of the park's Visitor Centers (TuesSun 10am5pm; tel 212/794-6564), which distributes free leaflets and organizes weekend walking tours.
Just west of the Dairy stands the Carousel at 64th Street at mid-park (MonFri 10am6pm, Sat & Sun 10am7pm; $1). Built in 1903 and moved from Coney Island to the park in 1951, this is one of fewer than 150 left in the country (one of the others is at Coney Island). The Carousel offers a ride on hand-carved jumping horses accompanied by the music of a military band organ.
Straight ahead and north past the Dairy, you'll come to the Mall , the park's most formal stretch, where you'll witness every manner of street performer. To the west lies the Sheep Meadow (66th69th sts, West Side), fifteen acres of commons where sheep grazed until 1934; today the area is usually crowded with picnic blankets, sunbathers and Frisbee players.
On warm weekends, an area between the Sheep Meadow and the north end of the mall is filled with colorfully attired rollerbladers dancing to loud funk, disco and hip-hop music one of the best free shows around. Just west of the Sheep Meadow is the once-exclusive, still-expensive, but now rather tacky landmark restaurant and finishing point of the annual New York City Marathon, Tavern on the Green (67th St and Central Park W).
At the northernmost point of the Mall lie the Bandshell, Rumsey Playfield , site of the free SummerStage performance series, and the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain (72nd St at mid-park). Bethesda Terrace overlooks the lake; beneath it is an Arcade whose tiled floors are currently being restored.
Take a break from your wanderings on the lake's eastern bank at the Loeb Boathouse . Here, you can go for a gondola ride or rent a rowboat (MarchNov daily 10am6pm, weather permitting; rowboats $10 for the first hour, $2.50 each 15min after, with a $30 refundable deposit; gondola rides available 510pm for $30 per 30min per group and require reservations; tel 212/517-2233).